Solid feeling internal doors - anything other than oak?

[TheHouseThatAlBuilt]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for solid feeling internal doors? Ones that feel as heavy and 'satisfying' as oak, but maybe without the price tag? All the ones I've found so far have felt rather flimsy...

 

Thanks in advance.

[Oz07]

The heavier flush or patterned doors are just as expensive as the oak atm. The firm's are all geared up for knocking out the oak cheap as they can

[Nick1c]

I used fire blanks cut to size & ballbearing hinges in our last house & will use them again (possibly with concealed hinges if I can afford it). 

[jack]

We just bought cheap fire doors and painted them. They're solid softwood.

 

You can get them edged with hardwood, and I was initially annoyed I didn't, because the edges of the softwood show the grain through the paint over time. However, hardwood edging tends to shrink less than softwood over the first couple of years, so you end up with a visible edge along the faces of the doors. Fine if you're okay with sanding/planing back and repainting a couple of years after installation.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, TheHouseThatAlBuilt said:

Hi all,

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for solid feeling internal doors? Ones that feel as heavy and 'satisfying' as oak, but maybe without the price tag? All the ones I've found so far have felt rather flimsy...

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Welcome.

 

Are these solid wood doors you want, or solid core plus veneer? I think a lot of us use oak veneer - my last lot weighed 30kg each.

 

And what is a high price tag in your terms? Heavy oak veneer doors can be from about £75-80.

 

"Not oak" doors are not something that I have looked for, but walnut and hemlock seem to around, for two. 

 

F

Edited August 19, 2019 by Ferdinand

[Pete]

54 minutes ago, Nick1c said:

I used fire blanks cut to size & ballbearing hinges in our last house & will use them again (possibly with concealed hinges if I can afford it). 

Me too although I have never fitted concealed hinges so another foray into the unknown, eh Ian?

[TheHouseThatAlBuilt]

2 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Welcome.

 

Are these solid wood doors you want, or solid core plus veneer? I think a lot of us use oak veneer - my last lot weighed 30kg each.

 

And what is a high price tag in your terms? Heavy oak veneer doors can be from about £75-80.

 

"Not oak" doors are not something that I have looked for, but walnut and hemlock seem to around, for two. 

 

F

Thank you! 

 

I've been looking at solid doors, but am open to 'heavier' veneers. I just really hate the pine ones I've got in the current house, and think that the feel of a door can make a huge difference to the feel of a house.

 

The prices I've found so far are more in the £130+ bracket. These are from Doors of Distinction. I am nervous about buying without trying though! I haven't found many places where you can feel their doors open and close.

 

I'll also have a look at hemlock - I do like walnut but the ones I've found are even more expensive than the oak ones I like. I am cursed with champagne taste and a Prosecco budget apparently...

[Ferdinand]

There are various threads I cannot find.

 

A lot of people use Ironmongery Direct for the furniture.

 

I used Todd Doors, who also often do reasonably priced solid oak (perhaps £150?).

 

Travis sometimes have offers.

 

There are several other suppliers who may be mentioned.

 

The important thing is to go and look.

 

Ferdinand

 

[Ferdinand]

Threads:

 

 

 

 

[Redoctober]

I don't know where you are in the country but you might find UKOAKDOORS useful as they have a showroom at Lutterworth, just off the M1 - J20 I think.  Failing that, you might find this place more accessible - https://www.nsbrc.co.uk/

[TheHouseThatAlBuilt]

3 hours ago, Redoctober said:

I don't know where you are in the country but you might find UKOAKDOORS useful as they have a showroom at Lutterworth, just off the M1 - J20 I think.  Failing that, you might find this place more accessible - https://www.nsbrc.co.uk/

The NSBRC is just a junction up the M4 from me but I didn't know it was there! Thanks v much - will go tomorrow.

[K78]

Travis Perkins sent me a email today advertising internal oak doors for £55 with a minimum order of 2. 

[joth]

For me a large part of the "solid" feel of a door is how well it sits in the frame (jamb) when closed and the mechanism of closing. I noticed this visiting Switzerland, Austria & Germany last year and realized it was because of the rebated door design and rubber seal / baffle that all the doors use there. As well as a much more satisfying action on closing and opening, there's absolutely no "rattle" to the doors when closed which made me seek this style out for our renovation as we have a trainline nearby which mostly don't notice except around 4am there's a heavy goods train of some sort that can rattle the current lightweight doors.

This is about the only supplier I found in UK for European doors, happily not too far from us

https://www.doors4uk.co.uk/what-is-a-european-style-door-with-frame-and-architrave

 

As you see there they sell the benefits of reducing drafts and energy saving -- not so relevant if the whole house is well insulated and draft-proofed (not to mention building regs + MVHR require 1cm gaps under the door anyway), but it's mostly for that well engineered rattle resistant sold feel I'm going for them.

Edited August 19, 2019 by joth

[joe90]

I too hate “rattley doors, mine are oak but I use small bump stops mainly sold for kitchen doors etc, self adhesive and clear, one at the top and one at the bottom. I don’t need draft proof doors as we have MVHR.

[mvincentd]

solid core oak from £50 https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/doors-c14/internal-doors-c111/oak-internal-doors-c119/internal-oak-unfinished-pattern-10-door-iopat10-p51732

 

I always keep an eye on these guys having purchased 7 engineered wood doors from them at £10 each (+ £60 delivery) and finding them to be really solid, easily 25kg each.

[Hobbiniho]

11 hours ago, joth said:

 there's absolutely no "rattle" to the doors when closed

 

if your doors rattle when closed that isnt the door design, that is poor workmanship by the guy that fitted them, all too often i see guys just drill a hole where the latch goes rather than cut a sloped cut, also when fitting door stops the door should touch top and bottom and have a little bit of a "spring" (and i do mean a tiny bit) to be able to latch, this keeps the door from rattling, admittedly it takes a little bit longer but the finished job is so much better  

 

[TheHouseThatAlBuilt]

11 hours ago, mvincentd said:

solid core oak from £50 https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/doors-c14/internal-doors-c111/oak-internal-doors-c119/internal-oak-unfinished-pattern-10-door-iopat10-p51732

 

I always keep an eye on these guys having purchased 7 engineered wood doors from them at £10 each (+ £60 delivery) and finding them to be really solid, easily 25kg each.

That's great - many thanks for the link.

[oldkettle]

18 hours ago, joth said:

For me a large part of the "solid" feel of a door is how well it sits in the frame (jamb) when closed and the mechanism of closing. I noticed this visiting Switzerland, Austria & Germany last year and realized it was because of the rebated door design and rubber seal / baffle that all the doors use there. 

Out of interest, were the frames you saw wooden or metal? I was actually planning to start a thread to seek opinions on metal frames which I see a lot in apartments in Germany. 

[Oz07]

12 hours ago, Hobbiniho said:

 

if your doors rattle when closed that isnt the door design, that is poor workmanship by the guy that fitted them, all too often i see guys just drill a hole where the latch goes rather than cut a sloped cut, also when fitting door stops the door should touch top and bottom and have a little bit of a "spring" (and i do mean a tiny bit) to be able to latch, this keeps the door from rattling, admittedly it takes a little bit longer but the finished job is so much better  

 

Alternatively do as the pros do and I was taught about 20 years ago. Always tap the back plate of the latch with your hammer. This means as the door shuts and the latch extends into the hole it tightens the door into the frame. 

 

[joth]

8 hours ago, oldkettle said:

Out of interest, were the frames you saw wooden or metal? I was actually planning to start a thread to seek opinions on metal frames which I see a lot in apartments in Germany. 

Wooden, but I think their external grade doors can have metal frames.

 

I do agree with others that a well fitted UK style door shouldn't rattle, but I've seen many that do, and often it seems to develop over time. On the other hand a rebated door had three separate interfacing faces, so feels more robustly solid  yet reassuringly "soft close" than a single leaf clattering against the jamb - maybe like closing a high end Mercedes door Vs your old Ford Cortina.