Opening the Door to Style & Security
Choosing the right doors for your home is a decision that balances style, security, and function. Your exterior door is the first welcome you give guests, while your interior doors define your home's character, flow, and privacy. It's a key part of your home's security, energy efficiency, and overall design.
The number of options can feel overwhelming. To help, we've broken down the most popular door types by material and construction. There's no single "best" door, only the one that's best for you, your budget, and your home's style.
Inside Job: Finding the Right Interior Doors
Interior doors shape your home's character, manage sound, and create privacy. Here’s a look at the most common construction types.
Molded Hollow Core (MDF) Doors $
Construction: These doors are built with a lightweight frame (often pine) and a honeycomb-like cardboard interior. This core is then covered with two thin "skins" of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) that have been molded into a raised-panel design.
This is the go-to for value and practicality. They are lightweight, affordable, and typically come pre-primed and ready for paint. They are an excellent, budget-conscious choice for closets, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Featured Brand: Steve & Sons
They offer a wide variety of popular panel designs in the molded door category, focusing on reliable quality. While we've highlighted them for their accessible interior doors, Steve & Sons also manufactures an extensive line of exterior doors, including fiberglass, steel, and wood options.
Stile & Rail Doors $$
Construction: This is a classic, component-based method. The door is built using vertical pieces ("stiles") and horizontal pieces ("rails") that join together to form a frame. This frame is then filled with panels, which can be flat or raised. The components can be made from solid wood, MDF, or a mix.
These doors offer a premium, architectural look with crisp, defined details. They are heavier than hollow-core doors, providing better sound insulation. This is the "sweet spot" for many homeowners seeking a high-end look without the full cost of solid wood.
Featured Brand: Woodgrain
Woodgrain are masters of stile & rail construction, offering beautiful, clean lines in both paint-grade (MDF) and stain-grade (wood). Their product line is vast, also including router-carved, molded, and flush interior doors, as well as exterior wood doors, barn doors, and louver doors.
Solid Wood Doors $$$
Construction: Just as the name implies, these doors are made from solid, natural wood. They can be built from a single slab or, more commonly, using stile and rail construction with solid wood panels. Common species include pine, oak, cherry, and mahogany.
This is the top-tier for premium feel. They offer unmatched weight, an authentic wood grain, and the best sound-dampening qualities. A solid wood door is a true furniture-grade piece. However, they can be susceptible to expanding and contracting with Florida's humidity if not sealed properly.
Featured Brand: Jeld-Wen
Jeld-Wen provides an incredible range of solid wood doors in various species and styles. As highlighted in our window post, Jeld-Wen is an incredibly versatile manufacturer, offering nearly every type of interior and exterior door (including molded and stile & rail), plus a massive selection of patio doors and windows.
Curb Appeal & Security: Choosing Your Exterior Door
Your exterior door is your home's first line of defense against weather and intruders, all while making a critical first impression.
Steel Doors $
Construction: A steel door isn't solid steel. It features a high-density foam core (for insulation) wrapped in a heavy-gauge steel "skin." The perimeter frame is typically made of wood or a composite material to prevent thermal bridging.
Steel offers unbeatable security and durability for the price. They don't warp or crack and provide excellent insulation. They are a smart, low-maintenance, and secure choice for any home, easily painted to match your exterior.
Featured Brand: Thermatru
Thermatru is a leader in steel door systems, engineering their doors for security and energy efficiency. While known for durable steel, they are also industry pioneers in fiberglass doors (like their Classic Craft and Smooth-Star lines) and partner with brands like LARSON to offer high-quality storm doors.
Fiberglass Doors $$
Construction: These doors feature a high-insulating foam core, just like steel doors. However, the "skin" is made from a durable, high-impact fiberglass composite. This skin is often molded with a realistic wood-grain texture.
Fiberglass is the perfect blend for Florida living. It can convincingly mimic the look of real wood but will not warp, rot, rust, or crack like wood or steel can. It's highly energy-efficient and resistant to our coastal climate, making it an outstanding balance of beauty, performance, and value.
Featured Brand: ODL
ODL creates high-performance fiberglass door systems, but they are most renowned for their industry-leading decorative and privacy door glass. They are specialists in door components, including innovative "Blinds + Glass" (enclosed blinds) and high-performance door frames, allowing for beautiful customization.
Wood Exterior Doors $$$
Construction: Crafted from solid wood species (like Mahogany, Fir, or Oak), these doors are built for beauty and heft. They use robust stile and rail construction and can be customized with intricate carving, paneling, and glass inserts.
For that unmistakable "wow" factor, nothing beats a solid wood door. The natural beauty and substantial weight communicate pure quality. They require regular maintenance (staining, sealing) to protect them from sun and moisture, and are best used under a covered porch.
Featured Brand: Rogue Valley Door
Rogue Valley Door is synonymous with high-end, custom wood doors. They craft stunning entryways that are true works of art, focusing almost exclusively on premium wood craftsmanship. They offer both exterior and interior doors in a vast array of styles, including panel, French, plank, and rustic designs.
Opening the Door to Style & Security
Choosing the right doors for your home is a decision that balances style, security, and function. Your exterior door is the first welcome you give guests, while your interior doors define your home's character, flow, and privacy. It's a key part of your home's security, energy efficiency, and overall design.
The number of options can feel overwhelming. To help, we've broken down the most popular door types by material and construction. There's no single "best" door, only the one that's best for you, your budget, and your home's style.
Inside Job: Finding the Right Interior Doors
Interior doors shape your home's character, manage sound, and create privacy. Here’s a look at the most common construction types.
Molded Hollow Core (MDF) Doors $
Construction: These doors are built with a lightweight frame (often pine) and a honeycomb-like cardboard interior. This core is then covered with two thin "skins" of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) that have been molded into a raised-panel design.
This is the go-to for value and practicality. They are lightweight, affordable, and typically come pre-primed and ready for paint. They are an excellent, budget-conscious choice for closets, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
Featured Brand: Steve & Sons
They offer a wide variety of popular panel designs in the molded door category, focusing on reliable quality. While we've highlighted them for their accessible interior doors, Steve & Sons also manufactures an extensive line of exterior doors, including fiberglass, steel, and wood options.
Stile & Rail Doors $$
Construction: This is a classic, component-based method. The door is built using vertical pieces ("stiles") and horizontal pieces ("rails") that join together to form a frame. This frame is then filled with panels, which can be flat or raised. The components can be made from solid wood, MDF, or a mix.
These doors offer a premium, architectural look with crisp, defined details. They are heavier than hollow-core doors, providing better sound insulation. This is the "sweet spot" for many homeowners seeking a high-end look without the full cost of solid wood.
Featured Brand: Woodgrain
Woodgrain are masters of stile & rail construction, offering beautiful, clean lines in both paint-grade (MDF) and stain-grade (wood). Their product line is vast, also including router-carved, molded, and flush interior doors, as well as exterior wood doors, barn doors, and louver doors.
Solid Wood Doors $$$
Construction: Just as the name implies, these doors are made from solid, natural wood. They can be built from a single slab or, more commonly, using stile and rail construction with solid wood panels. Common species include pine, oak, cherry, and mahogany.
This is the top-tier for premium feel. They offer unmatched weight, an authentic wood grain, and the best sound-dampening qualities. A solid wood door is a true furniture-grade piece. However, they can be susceptible to expanding and contracting with Florida's humidity if not sealed properly.
Featured Brand: Jeld-Wen
Jeld-Wen provides an incredible range of solid wood doors in various species and styles. As highlighted in our window post, Jeld-Wen is an incredibly versatile manufacturer, offering nearly every type of interior and exterior door (including molded and stile & rail), plus a massive selection of patio doors and windows.
Curb Appeal & Security: Choosing Your Exterior Door
Your exterior door is your home's first line of defense against weather and intruders, all while making a critical first impression.
Steel Doors $
Construction: A steel door isn't solid steel. It features a high-density foam core (for insulation) wrapped in a heavy-gauge steel "skin." The perimeter frame is typically made of wood or a composite material to prevent thermal bridging.
Steel offers unbeatable security and durability for the price. They don't warp or crack and provide excellent insulation. They are a smart, low-maintenance, and secure choice for any home, easily painted to match your exterior.
Featured Brand: Thermatru
Thermatru is a leader in steel door systems, engineering their doors for security and energy efficiency. While known for durable steel, they are also industry pioneers in fiberglass doors (like their Classic Craft and Smooth-Star lines) and partner with brands like LARSON to offer high-quality storm doors.
Fiberglass Doors $$
Construction: These doors feature a high-insulating foam core, just like steel doors. However, the "skin" is made from a durable, high-impact fiberglass composite. This skin is often molded with a realistic wood-grain texture.
Fiberglass is the perfect blend for Florida living. It can convincingly mimic the look of real wood but will not warp, rot, rust, or crack like wood or steel can. It's highly energy-efficient and resistant to our coastal climate, making it an outstanding balance of beauty, performance, and value.
Featured Brand: ODL
ODL creates high-performance fiberglass door systems, but they are most renowned for their industry-leading decorative and privacy door glass. They are specialists in door components, including innovative "Blinds + Glass" (enclosed blinds) and high-performance door frames, allowing for beautiful customization.
Wood Exterior Doors $$$
Construction: Crafted from solid wood species (like Mahogany, Fir, or Oak), these doors are built for beauty and heft. They use robust stile and rail construction and can be customized with intricate carving, paneling, and glass inserts.
For that unmistakable "wow" factor, nothing beats a solid wood door. The natural beauty and substantial weight communicate pure quality. They require regular maintenance (staining, sealing) to protect them from sun and moisture, and are best used under a covered porch.
Featured Brand: Rogue Valley Door
Rogue Valley Door is synonymous with high-end, custom wood doors. They craft stunning entryways that are true works of art, focusing almost exclusively on premium wood craftsmanship. They offer both exterior and interior doors in a vast array of styles, including panel, French, plank, and rustic designs.