A Guide to the Most Popular Wood for Interior Doors

Wood Interior Doors: Solid Wood

Just as a solid wood exterior doors are an attractive part of a home, solid wood interior doors are also a handsome accessory. However, many different species of wood exist, so it helps to know more which species to choose when picking out your wood interior doors.

Since solid wood looks elegant, solid wood interior doors work best for settings that benefit from heightened levels of sophistication. Solid wood interior doors look beautiful in dining rooms, home offices, and bedrooms.

Below you will find some popular options for solid wood interior doors:

1. Cherry: Often reddish in color with dark shades. Cherry has the tendency to darken with prolonged exposure to light, so it is an ideal species for wood interior doors protected from an excess of sunlight.
2. Poplar: Often referred to as "affordable cherry," as this species of wood is less expensive than cherry. Poplar is easy to work with and takes paint well.
3. Walnut: Clear and knotty, walnut is a beautiful and expensive species. Walnut is a dense wood that ranges from dark brown in color to black.
4. Alder: A versatile species of wood with a relatively straight grain pattern and some clusters of knots. Alder is light and rustic looking, and often acquires a dark texture when finished.
5. Maple: A hard, dense, and strong wood with a long life expectancy. Maple has a smooth texture with a fine grain, and tends to fade with time.
6. Pine: one of the most popular species for wood interior doors, pine is clear and knotty and can be used for a variety of purposes. Pine ages well and looks great with a variety of paints and light finishes.

Wood interior doors such as cherry and walnut are beautiful additions to the home. | @ fotolia.com / Photographee.eu

Wood Interior Doors: Solid Core and Hollow Core

Both hollow core and solid core doors are crafted with a plywood or molded composite frame, but hollow core doors have a hollow interior, while solid core doors have a solid, wood fiber blend. Solid core wood interior doors are durable and tend to look more like real wood, while hollow core wood interior doors tend to look less like real wood and are less durable. Both, however, are affordable options and can be used in a variety of settings.

Solid core wood interior doors work particularly well for bedroom doors, for instance, as they are a stable sound barrier.

Wood Interior Doors: MDF

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is a popular and widely used material for wood interior doors. This material is an engineered wood product produced from wood scraps, shavings, and other recycled materials. MDF has no grain, is easy to paint or finish, will not warp or rot, and is generally cheap and affordable, making it ideal for wood interior doors that usually serve functional rather than aesthetic purposes, such as closet and pantry doors.