The short answer is yes!

Solid wood doors are manufactured from solid timber, such as Meranti, Oak, Kiaat, Okoume or sometimes from a softwood such as Pine.

Solid Core doors usually have a pine inner frame and synthetic material such as chipboard on the inside and are cladded on the exterior faces with either a wood veneer or else with Masonite or Supawood (MDF – medium density fibre board.

Price:

Solid Core doors range in price from R800.00 up to R2 500.00 depending on the veneer while hollow core door prices start at under R300.00.

Even though light duty hollow core doors cost substantially less than solid core doors, a solid core door will be more cost effective over time as the solid core door is much stronger and more durable than a light duty hollow core door.

Security:

With crime levels being so high in South Africa, this is certainly a very important factor to consider when choosing between a heavy-duty solid core door and a light duty hollow core door.  A light duty hollow core door is easily broken with a kick or even with a punch, however a solid core heavy duty door, will require a huge amount of force before breaking.

Acoustics:

Solid Core doors provide much better sound insulation than hollow core doors, so if you are looking to muffle sounds from your TV room or bedroom, a solid core door will be much more effective than a hollow core door.  Solid core doors are often used in offices where privacy is of great importance.

Weight:

A standard 813 X 2032 light duty hollow core door weighs +- 13 kilograms, compared to a heavy-duty solid core door which weighs +- 40 kilograms, so the best way to tell if a door is really a solid core door is to pick it up!

Fire Resistance:

Hollow core doors will hardly provide any fire resistance at all, whereas a solid core door will be much more fire resistant, however just because a door is a solid core door, does not mean that it is fire rated.  If you require a certified fire rated door, Doors Direct has a large range of 30-minute, 60 minute and 120-minute certified fire doors here: Doors Direct Fire Rated Doors