Wood Doors Key Terms

Learn about wood doors to make the right choices for your business

By Marjorie Gilbert

Wooden doors are fairly ubiquitous. However, not all doors are the same, nor are all solid wood. The subject of wood doors becomes even more complicated when one thinks of using wood doors in commercial settings, for there fire codes become an issue. Understanding some key terms will help you in deciding which wood doors to use on your project, whether it is residential or commercial.

Solid wood doors

Solid wood doors are made of solid wood. These doors can be smooth-faced or have raised panels that can number from four to however many you wish. The stiles, or sides of the door's front, are engineered solid wood rather than veneer over composite. Solid wood doors work well for interior and exterior applications.
Try: Allegheny Wood Works has information for exterior and interior solid wood doors.

Semi-solid core

Semi-solid wood doors are less expensive than solid wood doors. They have a wood veneer over a semi solid core of wood blocking or particleboard. The core pieces are larger than those in a hollow core wood door. The semi-solid core of the wood door makes it heavier than a hollow core door.
Try: CraftMaster Interior Doors has more information about the construction of a semi-solid core wood door.

Hollow core

Hollow core wood doors have a veneer of wood over a hollow core that consists of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), Styrofoam or cardboard. The hollow core wood door is less expensive than a solid wood door and works well for interior applications.
Try: Allmar International has more information about the construction of the hollow core wood door.

Pre-hung

A pre-hung wood door comes as a full unit with jambs, stops, and a header pre-assembled so that it can be inserted into a doorway. Some companies offer various dimensions for pre-hung wood doors where other companies will make the entire assembly to fit custom dimensions.
Try: About.com has information about pre-hung doors.

Fire-rated wood doors

Fire-rated wood doors are engineered to withstand fire for 20 to 90 minutes. Many of the fire-rated wood doors come with specially designed framing that is designed to swell in the heat of a fire, thus stopping the infiltration of smoke.
Try: TruStile provides fire-rated wood doors.

Custom doors

There are many companies that specialize in making custom doors to your specifications. These companies offer you the choice of the type of wood, as well as the dimensions and other details.
Try: Coyle Lumber specializes in custom doors.