Interior door suggestions?

[Itsjustdirt]

Looking to replace all interior doors in the house. We like the shaker one panel and two panel doors but I am NOT a fan of solid MDF doors. I hate how they expand and fall apart with the slightest ding.

Do you guys have suggestions on interior door brands that are decent quality but won’t cost $500 a door? What is the consensus on mdf doors with Doug fir veneer vs solid wood?

I found EPO doors online but they have very mixed reviews.

Thanks

 

[850xpeps]

I’ll be buying new doors here soon as we are building. Why do msg doors expand and fall apart? I would think they are stable? I wouldn’t buy a hollow door. And wood ones expand and contract which is fine. But can show paint lines.

 

[Lelyar]

We recently replaced all our interior doors with doors from Baird Brothers. They are great quality doors.

 

[bherren]

Subscribed as I am interested as well. Baird Brothers looks nice. I have not heard of them before. Thank you.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Have you shopped local lumber yards (not big box stores)? Or for that matter, check to see if there are door manufacturers in your area - depending on what state or country you live in, there may be one nearby. Doors are big and heavy, I'd be inclined to buy them locally rather than trying to get them shipped from somewhere.

 

[bherren]

Have you shopped local lumber yards (not big box stores)? Or for that matter, check to see if there are door manufacturers in your area - depending on what state or country you live in, there may be one nearby. Doors are big and heavy, I'd be inclined to buy them locally rather than trying to get them shipped from somewhere.

Not sure about the OP, but in my area, unfortunately all the lumber yards have been replaced with big blue and big orange. But we do have a builders first source nearby and Asheville NC as well as Knoxville TN is not very far - Surely they still have some quality lumber yards. Great suggestions, Thanks Stuart.

PS, not attempting to hijack the OP's thread. Just expressing gratitude and context because your response is helpful to me.

 

[Firebrick43]

I used Baird brothers 6 panel doors in our local church. Very heavy and very well built.

Do you have a Menards nearby? Their custom order interior doors Have ~1/4" thick veneers on the face and a timberstrand cores. I would spend extra for the solid wood jambs as the veneer on thier standard ones is pretty thin. A friend that has a couple have stood up well to his kids. You can get them in pine, oak, maple, cherry, and alder.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Not sure about the OP, but in my area, unfortunately all the lumber yards have been replaced with big blue and big orange.

Really, all of them? In the old days a person could just pick up the Yellow Pages, it may be a little more difficult to search them out today but it's hard to imagine there are zero lumber yards around...you just have to look for them.

 

[rburke65]

Baird does fine hard wood products, and have been around for a while. They mill unbelievable wood products.

 

[Kaizen]

i've installed two four panel mdf solid core doors right next to solid wooden ones from 100 years ago when they were hung there. Not only can you not tell the difference looking or closing but the mdf seems to take bangs and bumps just as well as the wood.
Are you talking about hollow core doors? my mdf doors are the only ones that don't slightly bind as the seasons change. all the wood doors move slightly.
Even big box stores can special order a door.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

The Baird stuff looks nice, but they all appear to be solid wood, finished products.

I'm looking for something a little more affordable that will be painted. Maybe something in-between the high end Baird doors and low end Masonite full-particleboard stuff that HD/Lowes sells.

Is it worth doing a veneer (for durability) even though the door will be painted? I'm inclined to think so. Also, what veneer would you choose if painting them? I dont mind (actually might prefer it) a little wood grain coming through sprayed doors.

Suggestions? I'm all ears!
Thanks!

 

[Firebrick43]

the Menards doors are 140$ for the slabs. Prehung is more and solid jambs an extra.

If you are going to paint I would pick maple above all others. It takes paint evenly, has a tight grain and is moderatly hard. Cherry a second but it's softer. Don't pick pine even though it's 10$ or so cheaper as not only is it softer but it's knots will bleed through unless blocked with Bin Seal. Oak is the hardest but the grain is pretty coarse and will really show through unless you prime/sand/prime/sand/paint.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

the Menards doors are 140$ for the slabs. Prehung is more and solid jambs an extra.

If you are going to paint I would pick maple above all others. It takes paint evenly, has a tight grain and is moderatly hard. Cherry a second but it's softer. Don't pick pine even though it's 10$ or so cheaper as not only is it softer but it's knots will bleed through unless blocked with Bin Seal. Oak is the hardest but the grain is pretty coarse and will really show through unless you prime/sand/prime/sand/paint.

Awesome post, thanks. Any opinion on painting doug fir? Like the door below

https://www.etodoors.com/2043.html/

 

[Firebrick43]

Awesome post, thanks. Any opinion on painting doug fir? Like the door below

https://www.etodoors.com/2043.html/

Douglas fir is a good wood to paint. It's fairly hard as far as softwoods go. Its smooth and tight grain. In the NW it's the standard millwork wood. Old growth was really wonderfull stuff and somewhat rot resistant so a good amount of windows and exterior doors hsve been made out of it. It's not common here in the Midwest.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

Thanks Firebrick!!!!


Does anyone else have suggestions or previous experience with full MDF doors vs MDF doors with veneer for durability? Is it worth paying an extra $100/door for a veneer that will be painted?

 

[Marctrees]

Itsjust dirt -

I don't understand the problem.

If you are in Menards territory, look at their Mastercraft various panel prehung or slabs made in WS.

Super inexpensive... like pre hung sub $200.

Otherwise.. if you go to most Big Box.. nowadays there are PLENTY of choices like "Shaker" and Craftsman" type styles at VERY reasonable prices... like sub $200 per pre hung interior door...

Unless you get sucked in to the higher $$$$$ stuff.

There is nothing wrong w them.

My POINT is..

You seem to have fallen into a hole where you are considering unreasonably unneededly overpriced doors.... for no beneficial reasons.

That's just my take on this Post anyway.

Marc

Examples ... Many of these are solid Pine, possibly not all... do your study.

Most are "Stain Grade"

I have purchased and installed a number of Mastercraft pre hung
pine panel doors... NO troubles... and beautiful.

https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/interior-doors/interior-prehung-doors/c-3638.htm




https://www.menards.com/main/doors-...ung-interior-door/4100476/p-1444448213814.htm

 

[NUTTSGT]

I put 6 panel solid pine doors in our house not much after we bought it. I bought them at Home Depot as the brand they carried at the time. They've all been on about 16 years, stained, varnished and not an issue out of them.

I recently put a solid pine door from Menard's at the door way to the basement. While I can tell, it's not as good as far as quality goes compared to the older HD bought doors. However it's in the utility room so it isn't out in the "public eye."

 

[Marctrees]

Nutts - OK, but please be specific on how it is "Not as Good " ??

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Be aware.. do not be fooled by the name.. Masonite offers "real" wood doors, although may be veneered..

Example below.

Marc

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Masonit...ished-Pine-Interior-Door-Slab-71550/100009583

 

[Marctrees]

My Menards Mastercraft pine 6 panel doors w prehung pine jambs for 2x4 + 1/2" rocked both sides interior wall 11 yrs ago for a full new house were NOT veneer.

I do not recall if the jambs had any zipper fingerjoints exposed, but I do not recall they did.

I'm pretty fussy on that stuff, I did stain, then and nitro lacquer spray.

If you are painting, it does not matter.

If you are staining, you need to know.

Ballpark back then approx $120 for like a 32".

Marc

 

[Itsjustdirt]

Itsjust dirt -

I don't understand the problem.

If you are in Menards territory, look at their Mastercraft various panel prehung or slabs made in WS.

Super inexpensive... like pre hung sub $200.

Otherwise.. if you go to most Big Box.. nowadays there are PLENTY of choices like "Shaker" and Craftsman" type styles at VERY reasonable prices... like sub $200 per pre hung interior door...

Unless you get sucked in to the higher $$$$$ stuff.

There is nothing wrong w them.

My POINT is..

You seem to have fallen into a hole where you are considering unreasonably unneededly overpriced doors.... for no beneficial reasons.

That's just my take on this Post anyway.

Marc

Examples ... Many of these are solid Pine, possibly not all... do your study.

Most are "Stain Grade"

I have purchased and installed a number of Mastercraft pre hung
pine panel doors... NO troubles... and beautiful.

https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/interior-doors/interior-prehung-doors/c-3638.htm




https://www.menards.com/main/doors-...ung-interior-door/4100476/p-1444448213814.htm

Thanks for the reply. Outside of this site, never heard of Menards.... not really a SoCal store. We have lowes, HD, Dixieline, all three of which have put almost every yard out of business.

I appreciate your input. It just seems that pure MDF doors get dinged and nicked very easily and do not sand back down easily. I was simply looking at paying $100 more per door to get a Fir veneer. Just wondering if a painted fir veneer would add the durability I'm after. I also like the look of wood grain faintly coming through paint. I was thinking this would give me both? Or am I just throwing money at a problem blindly?
Maybe its a dumb idea....just spit-balling here.

edit- Anyone deal with Simpson doors? I think I like the below door best so far, and will prime/paint it. Am I an idiot?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/SIMPSON-Br...36-in-X-80-in-Actual-36-in-x-80-in/1000518153

 

[Marctrees]

Well, I have no experience in SoCal.

Just be aware you may be able to get suitable doors where you are even ? maybe? for sub $200.

For that matter.. go to the Menards website, put together a quick test shopping cart, .. and see how bad you get hit for shipping.

I dunno about that.. but the Product is good.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

If you are talking about like a Whitwash coat, that could be baeutiful..

Painted, half way between Whitewash, or stained, is all up to you and the style you want to have.

Marc

 

[NUTTSGT]

Nutts - OK, but please be specific on how it is "Not as Good " ??

Marc

Sound of the edges had small splits/break outs of the grain, typical stuff that wood does.

I can't recall, nor am I home to check, to see if the jambs are finger jointed pieces.

Would (no pun intended) I use a Menard's door again, yeah probably. I'd just take a little more care to look it over before I hauled it home.

 

[Marctrees]

Yes, agreed... would want to give a final inspection.

Marc

 

[Voi]

I appreciate your input. It just seems that pure MDF doors get dinged and nicked very easily and do not sand back down easily. I was simply looking at paying $100 more per door to get a Fir veneer. Just wondering if a painted fir veneer would add the durability I'm after. I also like the look of wood grain faintly coming through paint. I was thinking this would give me both?

I've never painted vertical grain fir but my inclination is that it might look a bit odd.

I would price poplar veneered doors and use some of the money saved over vertical grain fir and put that towards tinted catalyzed lacquer or tinted conversion varnish instead of paint.

Or were you wanting to use paint so you could do the work yourself and have an easily-repaired-on-site finish?

Two friends of mine build custom cabinets and sometimes for paint-grade jobs they do MDF flat panels with real wood rails and stiles and face frames. They prefer to do all wood but sometimes it saves enough money on a flat panel job that the custom goes with it.

They're happy with the durability with the tinted conversion varnish they use. But to be fair a cabinet door above a toe kick doesn't necessarily see the same abuse as an interior door.

My general opinion about most interior doors is that they're kind of crappy. There are some with much thicker veneers but I'm not convinced they're worth the price, especially if they're to be painted.

 

[PoorUB]

I put Jeld-Wen, six panel, MDF doors from Home Depot in our home two years ago. So far no complaints. If I had any complaints it was the frames. I had to screw most of the header frames to the side frames as they were just stapled and pulled apart easily, but as for the doors them selves, no issues.

 

[yeldogt]

3.5 year old thread

 

[PoorUB]

Yep!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Closed for multiple spammers