We replaced every interior door in our 2003 Oakville detached — 14 doors total. All hollow-core builder-grade with brass lever sets. Replaced with solid-core doors in a shaker profile with brushed nickel hardware.
Why we did it: The hollow-core doors were embarrassing honestly. Every sound carried between rooms — you could hear conversations in the next room clearly. The MDF faces on two doors had delaminated at the bottom from bathroom humidity. And the look was 1995 even though the house was built in 2003.
What we ordered: Masonite Riverside smooth 2-panel shaker slab doors, solid core, 1-3/8 inch. All 80-inch height, mixed widths (10x 30-inch, 3x 32-inch for the wider openings, 1x 36-inch for the master bedroom). Supplied through a local lumber yard, not big box. Cost per door: $195–$225 depending on width. Total door supply: $2,940.
Why slabs, not pre-hung: Our existing frames were all in perfect condition — plumb, square, solid. No reason to pay for pre-hung or disrupt the trim and casings.
Carpenter installation: We hired a carpenter who specializes in door hanging. He came with all the right tooling — router jig for hinges, mortise jig for the latch. He did all 14 doors in 2 days. At $95/hour with a helper, total labour: $1,520.
Hardware: We chose Schlage Latitude levers in Satin Nickel (F10 passage for non-latching, F40 privacy for bathrooms). At $68 per set, 14 sets: $952.
Total: $5,412 ($387/door fully installed)
Acoustic improvement: The master bedroom is adjacent to the hallway. Before: we could hear the TV from the main floor if anyone was talking at normal volume in the hall. After: we can hear nothing. The STC improvement is real and immediate.