How to choose doors for a renovation

A door is more than a divider between rooms. It protects your safety and privacy, and it is the first thing visitors see before they step inside. The doors you choose say something about your taste, and the right ones tie the whole home together. Here is how to pick them.

Tip 1: Check four things

First, the finish: the profile and the paint color. Second, the paperwork: a certificate showing the level of toxic substances. Third, the material: is it solid wood? Fourth, the workmanship: are the dimensions square and the joints tight? Cover those four and you will not get lost among the options.

Tip 2: Listen to it

When shopping for a solid wood door, look at the thickness and tap the face with your hand. An even, solid sound points to good quality. The higher the proportion of solid wood, the heavier the door. Real solid wood also has an irregular grain. If the grain looks perfectly smooth and uniform at a glance, it is often not a true solid wood door.

Tip 3: Look at the finish

The finish is the last step in making a prefinished door, and it has a direct effect on how the door holds up. It is also one of the larger parts of the cost.

Finishes fall into a few families: phenolic, alkyd, polyurethane, nitrocellulose lacquer, polyester and PU. Phenolic and alkyd finishes have mostly disappeared from home use because the film is poor and does not adhere well. Nitrocellulose lacquer is easy to apply by hand and widely used, but the film is thin, the feel is not great and the result is unimpressive.

Because of cost and equipment, about 90 percent of prefinished doors on the market use a polyester finish, and a few makers use PU. Both typically go through six steps, including color matching, three coats of primer and two top coats. Some brands add a curing step and a wax.

So when you choose a wood door, the finish is one of the things you must weigh. It affects the look, the feel, moisture resistance, indoor air quality, durability and how well the color resists yellowing.