How we supply it: Flush doors are arranged through a partner door and plywood dealer who quotes, supplies and bills them and pays us a referral commission. Give us the opening sizes from the drawing; the dealer checks them on site after the floors are laid and before cutting shutters.
In one line: A flush door is a door shutter with a flat face on both sides, made of a timber frame and core, solid or hollow, glued between plywood or other face panels.
Flush, solid wood or WPC?
| Point | Solid-core flush | Solid wood panel | WPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stays flat | Very stable | Can warp if poorly seasoned | Stable |
| Weight | Medium | Heavy | Medium |
| Sound between rooms | Good | Good | Fair |
| Water at the bottom edge | Swells if unsealed | Swells | Unaffected |
| Finish options | Laminate, veneer, paint | Polish, paint | Factory finish |
What a flush door is made of
A flush door is a door shutter with a flat face on both sides, made of a timber frame and core, solid or hollow, glued between plywood or other face panels. IS 2202 (Part 1) covers the solid-core type with plywood faces.
Solid wood edge strips, called lipping, protect the core. Solid-core shutters also carry a lock block where the lock goes.
Core and face types
| Type | Core | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Solid-core, plywood faced (IS 2202 Part 1) | Timber strips or blockboard | Bedrooms and internal doors |
| Particle-board faced (IS 2202 Part 2) | Timber core, particle-board skins | Budget internal doors |
| Hollow-core (cellular) | Frame with honeycomb or battens | Light-duty doors, stores |
| Decorative laminated or veneered | Solid core with finished faces | Ready-finish doors |
Sizes and thickness
- Bedroom doors: shutters for openings of about 3 × 7 ft (900 × 2100 mm)
- Thickness: commonly 30, 32 or 35 mm; 35 mm for heavier locks and better sound reduction
- Shutter size = frame opening minus small clearances, typically about 3 mm at the sides and top and more at the bottom
- Toilet openings of about 2.5 × 7 ft are better served by WPC or PVC shutters
Checks on flush shutters
- Look for the IS 2202 marking or the maker's test certificate for solid-core shutters.
- Measure thickness and lay the shutter on a flat floor; check that the diagonals match.
- Check lipping runs on all four edges without gaps.
- Knock along the face: a solid core sounds even; hollow spots sound different.
- Look for delamination, bubbles and dents on both faces.
Storing and hanging
- Store shutters flat on a level stack with spacers, or upright and fully supported; leaning shutters warp.
- Seal every edge, top and bottom included, with primer or polish before fixing.
- Hang after plastering and flooring, and cover them during painting.
Flush door mistakes
- Flush doors in bathrooms where water splashes the bottom edge.
- Trimming the bottom for a raised floor and leaving the cut edge unsealed.
- Hollow-core shutters for bedrooms where privacy and sound matter.
- Only two hinges on a tall shutter; use three.
- Fitting a mortise lock outside the lock-block area.