If you need to upgrade or replace the doors to your home, going for wood is still one of the best choices. Wooden doors are beautiful and can add a sense of coziness in a home that cannot be given off by a metal door or a PVC substitute. The material is highly versatile, as one can make decorative carvings depending on your style, and add stains or paints to match a range of interior design styles. Solid wood doors are also sturdy, can add insulation, and can reduce external noises.
Here are some of the most appropriate types of woof for doors:
1. Oak
Native to the Northern Hemisphere, oak trees give a highly stable wood. It can be used as both an external and internal door. Oak has high tannin levels that make it fungus- and insect-resistant. It’s also known as a waterproof wood, as it has been the main material for making ships since the 9th century.
Oak comes in many varieties, including red oak and white oak. Red oak has open capillaries and can soak up moisture unless the wood is cured. Red oak is appropriate as interior doors in rooms that don’t deal with humidity and moisture. White oak, on the other hand, is one of the strongest doors in the market and is highly resistant to water damage and cracking. Because of these properties, white oak makes a great option for exterior doors, as well as bathrooms, children’s rooms, and recreation rooms. The grain of white oak has no significant knotting, making it suitable for painting and staining.
2. Pine
One of the most commonly used types of wood used for door construction, pine doors are usually cheaper than oak. It isn’t as sturdy as oak, but it’s incredibly easy to work with, lightweight, and fairly rot-resistant. Pine doors are often constructed as panel doors, and sometimes with glass sections. To make it more sturdy and stable, pine doors are usually over veneered. There are many different species of pine, ranging from hardwood to softwoods, but softwood versions are more commonly constructed as doors.
3. Mahogany
Mahogany is another durable material that is perfect for use as doors. It’s a thick, hard and stable wood that resists rot and moisture, making it suitable for use as both exterior and interior doors. It’s the perfect door material if you live in an area with a hot, wet or humid climate.
When shopping for mahogany doors, make sure it’s genuine, as most red-brown woods care labeled as mahogany even if it isn’t. Look for the labels “Genuine mahogany,” “Swietenia macrophylla” (American mahogany), and “Khaya ivorensis” (African mahogany). American mahogany, or any mahogany that originated from Latin and South America, is the most sturdy and durable type of mahogany species. African mahogany is also a high-quality wood, but not as durable as American mahogany.
4. Maple
If you want a wooden door with a unique design, go for maple. This wood can be easily recognized due to its warm, mellow, nearly white to an off-white color with dark streaks. It is a dense wood known for its smooth texture, even grain, strength, and longevity. However, it has poor resistance to insects and can be brittle, so it isn’t recommendable for use as exterior doors.
5. Poplar
Poplar is one of the most common types of wood that doors are made of because it’s easy to work with. It’s as strong as medium-density wood that makes them great heat and sound insulators. It’s also a cost-effective choice for a solid wood door. The color of this wood ranges from light cream to greenish yellow to yellowish brown, with infrequent streaks of gray. It responds well to both painting and staining.
6. Cherry
A hardwood with beautiful wavy grains, cherry is one of the aesthetically desirable choices for decorative doors. Sometimes, the wood features blonde streaks, making it a unique wood material for doors. Its color ranges from light reddish brown to rich reds, and the color darkens over time, especially if exposed to sunlight. It absorbs stains very well, so you can apply a wide range of finish. Cherry is considered as a medium-strength wood, but it’s known to be resistant to damage and warping.
7. Walnut
Walnut is a versatile type of wood that absorbs polishes and finishes very well. This hard and dense timber is tight-grained and can be found in a variety of colors such as cream white, dull brown, chocolate brown and purple-brown. Since it’s a good absorber of finishes, you can stain it using a whole lot of other colors. However, this porous characteristic means it would need to coat it with lacquer and treat it with preservatives to prevent rot caused by water damage, especially if you would use it as an exterior door or bathroom doors.
8. Redwood
The wood that has a strong, distinguished red hue, redwood surely gives off an exceptional look. It absorbs finishes and coatings very well and ages nicely, making a door still look brand-new even if it’s there for two decades already. Looks aside, redwood also has great qualities that make it great for use as doors, such as its ability to resist shrinking and warping.