Choosing the Best Type of Wood for Doors (And Tips)
Doors are often overlooked until the last minute, but they’re a crucial part of your home! They aid flow, structure, and design, and you’ll be using them and looking at them constantly.
Whether you want to build or buy a new home, or upgrade your current space, choosing the right doors is important.
One of the important factors when choosing a door is of course the material it’s made out of!
If you’ve decided on wooden doors, keep in mind that they are not all created equal.
There are many types of wood available. In this article, we will focus on the three main types you will likely see:
- Hardwoods
- Softwoods
- Engineered woods
Plus we’ve included tips on how to choose the right one for you! Let’s get started.
Hardwoods
Hardwood is any wood that comes from deciduous trees: trees that lose their leaves in the winter.
In general, hardwood is dark in color, dense, and heavy. This means it lasts longer and is sturdier when used in your home, as well as usually being more expensive!
Many hardwoods are naturally resistant to weather, even without treatment. This is especially true if the tree grows locally in your area.
There are many types of hardwoods that are commonly used to manufacture doors. However, here are a few of the most popular:
- Oak: Oak doors are strong and heavy. They offer good security and help keep temperatures stable. When finished well, the wood is smooth and has an even grain. This gives the doors a simple, classic look that matches many styles.
- Walnut: Walnut is a dark wood, with a rich brown color and purple undertones. This luxurious wood is very hard and keeps its shape well. This makes it a popular choice for decorative doors. Be careful when placing your walnut doors. Too much sunlight can fade them if they are not maintained regularly.
- Mahogany: Mahogany is a beautiful dark wood with a reddish-brown color. It brings a classic elegance to any space! Besides its stunning appearance, mahogany doors are also very weather-resistant and strong. This makes them a great choice for outside doors. While they also react to sunlight, the wood darkens over time – a feature that many find desirable
- Merbau: Merbau wood is a unique timber option as it possesses natural oils sometimes called tannins. These oils keep the wood spring and moist, preventing cracking and splitting with age, as well as making it very weather resistant. However, the color of the wood may bleed when wet!
- Cherry: Cherry is a bright and attractive type of wood, with red and/or pink undertones. It’s a great way to brighten up any room. It is also durable and has only minor reactions to direct sunlight. This means it may fade or darken over time.
Softwoods
Softwoods come from conifer trees – trees that have needles and remain green through the winter.
Softwood is usually lighter, both in color and weight, than hardwoods, and is slightly less durable.
However, softwood can still last for upwards of a decade and is just as weather-resistant when properly treated! This also means it’s usually a much cheaper option than hardwood.
Another thing to think about is the environmental impact of your wood choice. Evergreens grow faster than deciduous trees. They are often grown commercially, which means softwoods help reduce deforestation.
Some common softwoods used for doors include:
- Pine: Pine wood is one of the more budget-friendly timber options for your doors. It’s also readily available and comes in appealing shades of light brown and golden tan, dotted with darker streaks of grain and knots. Its coloring and grain pattern adds a homey, rustic feel to any space it’s in! It’s important to treat your pine wood properly. If you don’t, it can be weaker than other types. Untreated pine is also more likely to rot
- Cedar: Cedar is one of the sturdiest softwoods and is fairly rot-resistant even when untreated. It comes in a range of colors, from light, whitish tan to dark red-brown, and generally has a smooth grain pattern. It’s also an excellent temperature insulator and is easily painted
- Spruce: Spruce is a light and flexible wood. It can be white or pale gold in color. It has unique streaks of knots and resin channels. It’s normally very affordable and easy to shape to your needs! However, this flexibility means that it is a less durable wood type and needs to be treated to last
- Alder: Alder is another softwood known for its distinguished knots and grain pattern. It’s a light, malleable wood type that ranges from light tan with a pink undertone and a darker red-brown in color. As this wood is usually not fully uniform in texture, it can be difficult to paint. As such, it is a better option if you prefer a natural look! It can also be prone to blemishes and is less durable in the face of rough weather than many other woods.
Engineered Wood
Both soft and hardwood are sometimes termed solid wood. This means that the planks are cut from a single log.
Engineered wood is made by gluing together pieces of different types of wood. Sometimes, these pieces come from different cuts of timber
This gives engineered wood all of the strength and durability of solid woods but makes it more uniform in appearance.
It’s also often pretreated, meaning less work for the buyer as well as being significantly cheaper.
If you are on a budget, consider using engineered wood. It is a good choice if you want customizability. It is also a great option if you are not very picky about having a solid wood door.
There are many different types of engineered wood. However, the most common ones you are likely to come across are:
- MDF: Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is made from leftover wood fibers that are heated and pressed into boards or sheets. This means that MDF is more environmentally friendly than solid wood, as it reuses wood scraps. The manufacturing processes make this wood very smooth and even. This quality makes it easy to work with and customize. It is also resistant to cracking, splitting, and warping due to temperature changes. This wood is not water resistant. It needs careful treatment or should only be used for interior doors. These doors should not be exposed to moisture
- Plywood: Plywood is made from thin strips or layers of wood that are laminated and pressed together. It is often regarded as the strongest type of engineered wood. This wood is very durable. In some cases, it is even stronger than solid wood. It does not shrink or expand with heat or moisture. It comes in many different varieties, colors, and thicknesses, and is also easily shaped, painted, and cut. Due to its reliability, plywood is usually also the most expensive variety of engineered wood!
- Particle Board: Particle board is made from sawdust or wood chips that are flattened and glued together to form a cohesive sheet. This means that its manufacturing process is very environmentally friendly as it is made from waste products. It is also smooth and easy to paint or cover and works well as an insulator. However, it is not the most durable wood and has a tendency to soak up water and expand. This means it is not a great option for exterior doors or doors in moisture-rich areas like bathrooms
- Blockboard: Blockboard is formed from processed strips of softwood that are bound together to form a “block.” It is lightweight and resists deformation or cracking well. This is especially true when compared to particle board. It’s also stiffer than many engineered woods, meaning it is a better option for larger or weight-bearing doors. The manufacturing process makes this wood less effective at holding screws and nails. Since it comes from softwoods, it is not one of the strongest wood options
Choosing the Right Wood for Your Door
So now that you know all about the different types of wood available, how do you pick which one is the right choice for your doors?
At the end of the day, it comes down to your specific preferences, restrictions, and needs.
Here are some of the top things to consider when choosing the right wood for your door:
Cost
Naturally, the biggest decider for many when selecting their doors is price!
In simple terms, engineered wood is always going to be the cheapest option, followed by softwoods and then hardwoods.
This is simply due to the cost of producing these doors and the availability of materials.
If you are on a very strict budget, consider particle board or blockboard, as these are the cheapest of the engineered woods.
However, it’s also important to consider the cost of repairs and replacements. These woods do not last as long as solid woods, especially hardwoods.
Durability
Hardwoods are usually more durable than softwoods and engineered woods. They are heavy, sturdy, and resistant to weather. However, these woods often need more care to prevent cracking and fading. This is especially true for untreated woods compared to cheaper, processed options.
It’s also important to consider where your new doors will go. This is especially true for exterior doors in areas with harsh weather.
Aesthetics
Once you’ve squared away your financial and practical needs, you can consider just which doors you like the look of!
Hardwood doors are often darker in color, and seem regal and old fashioned, but are difficult to customize.
Softwood doors are usually lighter with prominent knots and grain, giving a breezy, homey, and rustic feel. They are generally able to be stained or painted to match your preferences.
Finally, engineered wood doors are smooth and even. They are also the easiest to customize. However, they may look unfinished if installed without any treatment!
Other Considerations
There are also other things that may factor into the decision depending on the person.
For example, hardwood doors are often seen as the least eco-friendly choice. The trees used for this wood take a long time to grow and may come from nature.
Another example is how long you plan to stay in your home. If you’re renting or moving soon, a cheaper, temporary option might be better than an expensive solid oak door.
No matter what you choose, there’s bound to be the perfect wood door for you out there!
