They’re More Than Just Solid-Wood Front Doors

More than windows, house doors are often overlooked but actually play a key role in various aspects of home and household management. What we do not realize is

that front doors are more than just a rectangular piece of wood that patches an

entry point to a house. Front doors are actually the front liners of a house and you can already learn so much from a house as well as its owners just by looking at what kind of front door they have. 

Needless to say, when you have a house built or even in home improvements, more than choosing the right wallpaper or what kind of windows to install or which drapes would fit, you have the important task of choosing the right front door for your house. What we don’t realize at first is that we take this part of the house for granted but it’s actually something that puts a lot of value not only on what the house would look like but as well as the quality of decisions that the homeowner makes when it comes to security and style. And once you finish reading this article, you will have realized that having solid wood front doors is the investment you would want to make.

In the whole universe of acceptable house front doors, there are 3 main types that

you can choose from: Hollow core, solid core, and solid wood doors.

The hollow core door is made up of cardboard or plastic with an exterior of a thin

cover of good quality wood. If you want the more affordable option, this is what you will most likely choose. However, because of its composition, it is very lightweight and does not really block sound, or guarantee fire resistance. In the event that it gets broken, it will be difficult to repair. For the more superficial ones, you may not likely choose this type because it looks rather “economical” and may not usually match the style that you want your house to project.

The solid core door is a high-grade wood cover over a material of engineered wood such as medium density fibreboard. These are doors that are composed of wood fibers that are glued together. With this type of door, style options are

limited so again, if you are also considering the optics, this might not be an

option.

Lastly, the solid wood front door is a 100% natural wood slab taken directly from

trees. So imagine a humongous tree and you just cut off a door-shaped piece from that tree and you install it as the front door of your house. It’s heavy, cold and classic-looking. Because of the purity of its material, it is strong enough to block sound and can hold other door accessories. It also holds possibilities for various design options based on the homeowner’s style preferences.

On the onset, the solid wood doors seem like the right choice. But is it the

right choice in every aspect? To find out, we list down the various benefits of them.

Technical Benefits

Solid wood front doors, being pure wood has benefits that buyers will not really see but are actually very important factors. One is weather resistance and thermal

insulation. This means that whatever season, this piece of wood helps your house regulate the temperature and does not easily break. Also because it’s solid wood, the sound blockage component is also very reliable. If the door is at least 1.75 inches thick, then it also offers some level of fire resistance. Most importantly, being heavy in nature, it embodies the very notion of security. It is able to keep unwanted elements out - both unintentional (wear and tear) and intentional (intruders). So having solid wood front doors is a long-term investment because aside from having these benefits, they resist wear and tear and can stand the test of time.

Aesthetics

Now that the technical aspects are more or less covered, you would ask, what about in the design department? Well, movies do not use doors quite often if they didn’t provide the context and didn’t want to drive a message home to their viewers. If you wanted to send a certain message in less than 3 seconds, you should show the front door. Whether it’s a door with Christmas or Halloween decorations, or a door filled with ornaments, or a door with unique or classic

carvings, it sends a message. And if you haven’t realized, most of those that

stick are solid wood front doors. It’s because front doors leave a certain impression to whoever sees it.

Front doors are actually the focal point of a home. If there were a proverbial spotlight, it would land straight at the front door. On that note, they provide that very flexibility for any home designer. This seems like a very trivial piece in building a home but it actually is a space where the homeowner or the designer can practice his or her creative freedom. Whether they want to decorate it by way of carvings or mix and match accessories, it’s the solid wood front door that is perfect for this freedom of expression. And on the more important and significant note, it also provides that premium quality impression that increases the market value of the house. So if you have plans on selling your house in the future, then this is definitely one investment piece to achieve a high valuation.

Cost

Now this is where it gets tricky. As opposed to other types of doors, the solid

wood front doors are on the more expensive side. The door itself can range from

$200 - $1000, and installation can cost from $50 - $300. No doubt, the hollow wood or solid core would be much less expensive and perhaps can be installed

DIY style, but then again, if you look at it on the investment angle, then it would all be worth it. If you opt for the cheaper options, you might actually end up spending more because you may need to keep on replacing it because they break easily especially if these doors often encounter interventions.

So given these 3 main considerations, would you still opt to get the solid wood front doors? If you are the smart and wise homeowner who wants to make every decision worth it, choosing them would definitely be a no-brainer.