Interior Doors & Trim (I05)

Interior doors and trim define your home’s style and flow – but quality installation ensures smooth operation and professional appearance.

This BidScope guides you through interior door types: hinged doors (standard swing, most common, left or right hand), pocket doors (slide into wall, space-saving but more expensive), barn doors (slide on track, modern farmhouse style, privacy concerns), French doors (glass panels, elegant room dividers), and bi-fold doors (closets, laundry rooms).

Learn door construction: hollow core (lightweight, economical, minimal sound dampening, standard for closets), solid core (heavier, better sound control, feels substantial, bedrooms and bathrooms), and solid wood (premium, traditional, most expensive).

Understand door sizes: standard heights 80 inches (6’8″), standard widths 24, 28, 30, 32, 36 inches (32-inch minimum for accessibility), rough opening 2 inches larger than door size for jamb and shimming.

Master trim and casing: door casing (frames opening, various profiles from simple to ornate), baseboard (protects wall at floor, various heights 3-8 inches typical), crown molding (ceiling transition, formal appearance), chair rail and wainscoting (wall protection and style).

Navigate materials: MDF (medium-density fiberboard, paint-grade, economical, consistent), pine (traditional, paint or stain, can have knots), poplar (paint-grade hardwood, stable), oak (stain-grade, classic, expensive), and primed/pre-finished options.

Learn installation requirements: pre-hung doors (door mounted in jamb, easier installation), slab doors (door only, requires jamb building and hinging), shim properly for smooth operation and even reveals, proper nailing schedule, door stop placement.

Understand hardware: hinges (typically 3 per door, continuous for heavy doors), latches and locksets (passage for general, privacy for bed/bath with lock, dummy for closets), door stops (wall or hinge-mounted), and finish options (match to other hardware).

Know finishing: paint-grade gets primed and painted, stain-grade sealed and stained or clear-coated, pre-finished saves time but limits color options, caulk and putty for professional appearance.

Navigate barn door specifics: track mounting (studs or solid blocking required), clearances (door overlaps opening by 2-4 inches each side), privacy (gaps around door, sound transfer), soft-close options.

Calculate typical costs: hollow core pre-hung $150-300 installed, solid core $250-500, French doors $500-1,200, barn door kit installed $400-1,000, trim installation $3-8 per linear foot.

This tool ensures your interior doors and trim are expertly installed for beauty and function.

What’s Included:

• Interior door types (hinged, pocket, barn, French, bi-fold)
• Hinged doors (standard swing, most common, left or right hand)
• Left-hand vs right-hand door swing
• Pocket doors (slide into wall, space-saving, expensive rough-in)
• Barn doors (slide on surface track, modern farmhouse, privacy gaps)
• French doors interior (glass panels, room dividers, elegant)
• Bi-fold doors (closets, laundry, space-saving)
• Door construction (hollow core, solid core, solid wood)
• Hollow core (lightweight, economical, minimal sound, closets)
• Solid core (heavier, sound dampening, substantial, bedrooms/baths)
• Solid wood (premium, traditional, expensive, stain-grade)
• Door sizes and rough openings
• Standard height 80 inches (6’8″ common)
• Standard widths (24, 28, 30, 32, 36 inches)
• 32-inch minimum for accessibility (ADA)
• 36-inch for wheelchair passage
• Rough opening 2 inches larger than door
• Pre-hung vs slab doors
• Pre-hung (door in jamb with hinges, easier install)
• Slab door (door only, requires jamb and hinging)
• Trim and casing types
• Door casing (frames opening, various profiles)
• Baseboard (floor protection, 3-8 inches typical)
• Crown molding (ceiling transition, formal)
• Chair rail and wainscoting (wall protection, style)
• Window trim and apron
• Trim materials (MDF, pine, poplar, oak, primed)
• MDF (paint-grade, economical, consistent, moisture-sensitive)
• Pine (traditional, paint or stain, knots possible)
• Poplar (paint-grade hardwood, stable)
• Oak (stain-grade, classic, expensive)
• Primed and pre-finished options
• Installation requirements
• Shim properly for operation and reveals
• Level and plumb in opening
• Proper nailing schedule (trim nails, finish nails)
• Door stop installation
• Reveals (consistent gap around door in frame)
• Door hardware (hinges, latches, stops)
• Hinge types (ball bearing, plain bearing, continuous)
• Hinge count (3 standard, more for heavy)
• Latches and locksets (passage, privacy, dummy)
• Passage latches (no lock, general doors)
• Privacy locks (bed/bath, locking)
• Dummy hardware (closets, one-sided pull)
• Door stops (wall-mounted, hinge-mounted)
• Hardware finishes (match to other fixtures)
• Finishing (paint-grade, stain-grade, pre-finished)
• Paint-grade (prime and paint)
• Stain-grade (seal and stain or clear)
• Pre-finished (saves time, limits colors)
• Caulk and putty for professional appearance
• Barn door specifics (track, clearances, privacy)
• Track mounting (stud or solid blocking required)
• Header and track capacity
• Door clearance (overlaps opening 2-4 inches each side)
• Privacy concerns (gaps, sound transfer)
• Soft-close mechanisms
• Cost factors ($150-300 hollow pre-hung, $250-500 solid core, $500-1,200 French, $400-1,000 barn, $3-8/lf trim)
• Finding skilled finish carpenters
• Matching existing trim profiles
• Custom millwork options