A solid timber door is a single heavy leaf — usually meranti or chengal in Malaysian homes — hung on a proper frame with three stainless hinges. It feels different from a hollow or laminate bedroom door: more mass, more sound control, and a face you can sand and refinish later.
Direct answer: KL Servis Rumah supplies and installs solid meranti or chengal doors from RM 550, including a meranti frame when needed, three SS304 hinges, architrave, and a basic mortice lockset.
Choose this when you want a main-door or room-door feel that can be maintained for years. Choose a laminate door when you want a lighter, more dimensionally stable leaf for an air-conditioned condo bedroom.
What the solid-timber package includes
The published starting price covers a standard opening with:
- Solid meranti or chengal leaf (species confirmed on the quote).
- Meranti frame if the existing frame cannot be reused.
- Three SS304 hinges — stainless, not untreated mild steel in wet openings.
- Architrave on a new frame.
- A basic mortice lockset with keys.
Glass vision panels, decorative carving, premium handles, and smart locks are extras.
Meranti vs chengal — a practical view
| Meranti | Chengal | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Interior and many house main doors | Heavier, more durable exterior-adjacent doors |
| Weight | Heavy, workable | Heavier still |
| Workability | Easier to plane and hang | Harder, slower to work |
| Expectation | Needs sealing on all six faces | Still needs sealing; does not make it “maintenance free” |
Species names on a WhatsApp message are not a grade certificate. We confirm what is actually being hung before you pay the balance.
Humidity, clearance and finishing
Solid timber moves. In the Klang Valley that means:
- Finish all six faces (including top and bottom edges). Unsealed end grain drinks monsoon air.
- Leave a planned clearance over the finished floor. Too tight and it will scrape after rain. See door scraping the floor.
- Do not hang a raw interior leaf in a wet bathroom and expect it to stay flat.
A leaf that only scrapes because hinges have dropped is a hinge job, not a reason to throw the door away. Check loose door hinge and hinge and lockset repair.
Keeping your existing frame
If the frame is solid, square, and the rebate matches, we hang the new timber leaf on it. That saves paintwork and cost. We still check:
- Hinge screw hold — stripped timber at the hinge needs plugs or a new frame.
- Reveal consistency — a twisted frame will make a good leaf look “warped”.
- Lock rebate alignment with the new mortice.
Fire-rated openings are different: you cannot put a solid decorative leaf on a fire frame and keep the rating. That is the fire-rated door item.
How we hang a solid door
- Measure the rebate and finished floor height.
- Confirm swing, lock height and whether the frame stays.
- Fit hinges (three on a full-height leaf), hang, and plane the meeting edges for an even reveal.
- Cut the mortice, fit the lock and strike.
- Fit architrave if the frame is new; seal edges.
- Cycle the door and latch with you present.
How much does a solid timber door cost?
| Item | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Solid timber door installation | From RM 550 |
| Laminate door alternative | From RM 250 |
| Planing & adjustment only | From RM 120 |
Full frame replacement, exterior sealing systems, and digital locks add to the quote. Workmanship on hanging and hardware is covered for 12 months.
Common mistakes
- Buying a leaf from a hardware store by “opening size” instead of rebate size.
- Two hinges on a chengal main door.
- Painting only the faces and leaving the top and bottom raw.
- Installing before new tiles or SPC go down.
- Forcing a swollen bathroom door shut until the lock bursts the stile.
Frequently asked questions
Can you refinish my old solid door instead of replacing it?
Sometimes. If the leaf is flat, the stile is not split, and the rot is local, sanding and resealing is cheaper. A banana-warped leaf should be replaced.
Will a solid door stop noise from the corridor?
It helps because of mass, but the frame gap, seal and the wall matter too. It is not a studio-grade acoustic door unless specified as one.
Can I add a smart lock later?
Yes, if the stile is thick enough for the mortice. Tell us the lock model before we cut the case. See smart lock installation.
How long does install take?
A single leaf on an existing frame is often a same-visit job once the door is on site. New frames and multiple openings take longer.
Book a solid door installation
If you want a meranti or chengal door hung properly — not just “screwed on two hinges” — KL Servis Rumah installs solid timber doors across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. WhatsApp the opening photo and width — request a solid timber door quote.