I'm so glad I found this venue. This is my first post to any garden web forum. I am planning to replace my hollow core interior doors with 6 panel wood doors, which I plan to paint. I have priced Oak ($220) Maple ($147) and Pine ($70) at my local Lowe's and am in the proces of deciding which one to go with. I am very sensitive to noise and would like to choose the one that is the most sound proof. i understand that oak and maple are both hardwoods and therefor more dense (and sound proof) than pine. Does anyone have thoughts on this? Is oak more sound proof than maple or vice versa? If so, enough to justify the big difference in price compared with the pine? I will be replacing 6 doors. What about painting? Is one (oak or maple)easier than the other to paint or does one look better painted than the other? Another factor I want to consider is weight. I have reviewed previously posted messages on this subject and there were a few that said very heavy doors can cause problems. Are Oak or Maple 6 panel doors likely to be a cause for concern in this regard? Your thoughts on this would be most appreciated. Happy to have found you. Erin

Personally, I would not spend the extra money for good graining only to paint it....

Go with the pine.

Donate the money you save to Habitat for Humanity.

My neighbors and I are all registerd paint offenders. Our homes are all more than a century old and this has been a very criminal neighborhood for years. Most of us have had the willpower to refrain from painting our floors, but one neighbor has fallen off the wagon and done that to his kitchen floor. We are planning an intervention later this summer. I'll let you know how he does.

Differences in sound transmission are so negligible they will not be noticed. Unless you are fully weatherstripping all the doors, including installing thresholds, the amount of sound transmitted through the door is irrelevant. Sound will be transmitted under the door at a rate that makes what comes through undetectable.

Oak is used extensively for trimming and other uses in houses. It looks quite nice with a stain and finish, but looks terrible painted. Too much grain difference---makes the result look like a cheap fix.

Maple is fine under paint---usually costs more than paint grade pine, as is paint grade pine. Stain grade pine is also paintable, but costs more than paint grade---and since either wood is covered with paint---well, the answer is rather obvious.

As far as painting hardwood. Most of the painted trim in older houses is mahogany. Mahogany was considered a paintable wood back then, just as pine/poplar is today. Maple is easier for most folks to paint than to stain---but so is pine. Both woods take extra steps and techniques to stain and get good results.

Staining it requires knowledge too. The pine should be pre-treated (conditioned) prior to staining since it's a porous wood that absorbs stain unevenly. All paint stores sell the conditioner. After staining, apply at least two coats of varnish or ceramathane with the door is in a horizontal position to prevent runs. If you spot a run after a minute or so, trying to tip off those products creates more of a mess.

If you decide to paint, the first coat should be a quality underbody primer. Please.....don't skip the primer. That seals the door and sets it up for the final two coats of paint.

An ordinary latex paint will look clumsy on a door. You should learn how to paint with the Waterborne finishes (Muralo Ultra) (BM Impervo) (SW Pro Classic) or a urethane product like Cabinet Coat trim enamel.. Those will provide a hard, porcelain-like finish, which is what performs best on a door.

You will also need a high quality brush. A 2" angle sash is best for most hands. Or, you can do like me and use an angle sash to paint the panels, then switch over to a 2 1/2" flat sash brush for the stiles and rails.

I wish I had the picture of Moonshadow's doors. She did a magnificent job with Cabinet Coat on hers.

My doors are done in Pro Classic and unless you've had some practice with it, it can be very, very difficult to get a professional finish.

Michael

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

If you want them stained, that is simple.

Lightly sand..I said "lightly" sand with #220 sandpaper.
Vacuum all dust and wipe with the door with mineral spirits.
Apply the conditioner per instructions on can.
Apply the stain within a few minutes of wiping off the conditioner. Allow stain to penetrate as instructed on the label.
Wipe off stain in two directions. First, wipe across the grain, then with a clean cloth, finish wiping the stain with the grain.
Let stain dry 24 hours.
Seal it with Polycrylic Satin or a satin Varnish.

Caution: If you apply a clear finish, that's what you'll have for the life of the door unless you paint it later. A clear finish that penetrates will not allow a stain to penetrate. Should you not like the clear finish, it will be too late to stain.

Michael

It is---first, get a good set of written instructions---such as brushworks provided.

Do a little internet detective work to become familiar with all the unfamiliar terms/products---conditioner, for example is basically a one pound cut of shellac. Shellac is a natural product using alcohol as a medium. A sash brush is a tpye of paint brush---but there are different bristle varieties and some natural bristles do not work well with water based products. An angled brush allow for much more precise detailed work---versus a straight cut brush.

Then go to a lumberyard and buy a small board of the type wood you will be finishing. Practice on that board. Do one side. Then, with that result and experience, do the other side. If there is a problem, sand off the first side and try again.

http://www.trustile.com/catalog/paneldoors/?series=0

Best of luck