Solid Core Doors – A touch of distinction

Are Solid Core doors/ Fire rated Doors the best option for a quieter ( engaging ) space

Doors, the decorators, are the silent performers of interior design. They are, in fact, pathways for positive energy into your space. While the right attention helps doors lend a character to your room, neglecting them can impact the space’s functional and architectural ambiance.

By exercising a Balance of design concept and usability, one can indeed accentuate your well-designed interiors.  

When considering doors, there are options to explore

Solid core doors

We will focus on the most popular choice, Solid Core Doors, for this illustration. These durable doors are solid and affordable. Solid core doors are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. 

Fairly engaging technology is employed to engineer its core. The door’s core is usually constructed of wood particles mixed with glue and pressed into a panel that converts to a door panel. After that, a wood-look finish is applied to the board, giving it the desired functional and architectural appearance. 

The alternative method employed is by using two veneer sheets to sandwich the woodblock core. To produce a slab, all of this is cemented together with adhesives.

Because of their distinctive and substantial core, these doors perform exceptionally well in terms of soundproofing, delivering up to STC 35, effective insulation to block out the Low-frequency but not loud speech or other noise. 

An option to consider is Solid-core wood doors made of high-quality wood veneers bonded over a solid core of engineered or composite wood (MDF), giving them the best of both strong wood and hollow-core doors. Due to the high density of engineered wood, these doors may be heavier and more robust than many solid wood doors. 

These doors are fire resistant, to simply put fire rate doors do not structurally deform like solid wood doors due to humidity. They are reasonably priced but feel solid and durable.

While these are great options to choose from, they all use formaldehyde as one of the main adhesives. Formaldehyde is known to have high levels of VOC (volatile organic compounds), which are harmful emissions that are known to be carcinogenic. These emissions, unfortunately, continue through the lifecycle of the product.

So, now you have affordable doors that adapt to your décor, are good on functionality both in durability offer acoustic insulation of 30-35dB but significantly impact your wellness quotient. So, what do you do?

Luckily, we live in a world where change is the only constant. Recent awareness around climate change and sustainability has brought to market many sustainable solutions that offer a way out of this dilemma.

Agribiopanels™, made of Bagasse, Straw, and Husk fibers, is one such option. Agri residue is compressed and processed together with organic binders to make door panels. They allow you to choose your desired finish – veneer, laminate, paint, multi-layered 3-D print, whatever triggers your imagination and that of your ecosystem. They are durable and long-lasting, do not warp, have a 2hr+fire rating, and are termite & moisture-proof, making them fit for indoor and outdoor use. The real win for these doors is that they are E1 certified, effectively making them VOC redundant to improve the wellness quotient of the space. Another unique benefit is that doors made of Agribiopanel sequester carbon dioxide, leaving the room with fresher, cleaner air.

Using Suitable Hardware

Solid core doors allow electrified mortise locks, electrified panic hardware (with surface-mounted vertical rods), and magnetic locks to be installed. An electrified hinge with wires going through it from the frame to the door can be used to connect the lock power to a mortise lock from the hinge. The mortise lock may then be wired invisibly. A flexible or coiled cable can be used to provide power to electrified panic gear. An electrified hinge sleeve isn’t appropriate for these doors.

How to ensure effective sound insulation of your space?

While doors help keep the noise out, solid core doors do it effectively 30-35dB for traditional material and 40dB if you choose agribiopanel doors. For effective soundproofing, door fitting is critical. 

The door should flush in with the frame to ensure no leakage from the gaps. The door should be snug against the jamb, with weather stripping around the edges. Rubber or vinyl bulb door weather-stripping and a door-bottom weather-stripping sweep perform an excellent job of soundproofing the perimeter of a door. If a dragging floor sweep adds to annoyance, investigate an automated door sweep that only closes the bottom of the door when it’s closed. Choose hinged doors instead of sliding, bi-fold, or pocket doors, which produce noise and don’t seal as effectively as swinging doors. To keep a hinged door from squeaking, spray the hinges with WD-40 or penetrating oil periodically.

Make the most of these “Silent Decorators”. The right choice of Doors gives your space the required distinction that makes it unique yet different. Make it the gateway for the outer world into your abode that enriches your living spaces.