Replacing Your Front Door: Which Wood Species is Best?
You love the curb appeal a beautiful wooden door adds to your home, so you’re ready to replace your plain metal door for a luxurious wood alternative. However, with all the types of wood available in door designs, which one is best for you?
Use this guide to help you choose the best wood door for your home by differentiating various wood species common in door construction. Your door and window installation specialist will help you decide which wood door style is best for your home.
Mahogany
If you want a durable, thick, and hardy door that will last, mahogany is a wise choice. Mahogany is one of the hardest hardwoods around and will not rot or warp when exposed to prolonged moisture like other wood door types can. Remember that any wood door should be properly sealed to protect the natural material from water damage.
As a bonus, mahogany is very adept at accepting a stain, so if you don’t like the original hue of this dark wood, then you can stain your door nearly any custom color you wish for beautiful results.
Cherry
Cherry is a popular hardwood used in entry door construction because the grain is soft and the natural tone of this wood species adds curb appeal. Furthermore, cherry wood gets darker as it ages, which means this door solution will only improve in appearance over time rather than fade or become weathered.
A cherry wood door is meant to stay natural and is not a wood species you want to paint over. To retain the door’s natural beauty, don’t stain the door, but do properly seal the door with a UV-protecting sealant as instructed by your door installation expert to protect the hardy wood against weather and sun damage.
White Oak
Dense and long-lasting, white oak is an ideal choice for a wood door if you live in an all-seasons climate. Keep in mind that the grain of white oak is not very porous, which means that the material may not take to staining as well as other wood species.
An alternative to white oak is red oak, which is slightly more porous (so staining or painting won’t be a problem) and slightly less dark in its natural appearance. Whether you choose red or white oak for your home’s entry door, make sure the wood used in construction has been properly cured to prevent wood rot from moisture exposure.
Walnut
For a truly glamorous finish that comes in a variety of naturally beautiful tones, consider walnut as your wood of choice for your front door. Walnut comes in a variety of hues, from a purplish tone to a light, nearly white hue. Walnut is a porous hardwood, which means you can stain or finish the door any way you wish if the natural tone of the door doesn’t match the rest of your home’s exterior.
No matter what type of wood species you choose for your entry door, remember that all woods are susceptible to sun and water damage to some degree, so curing, sealing, or painting of your door is necessary to protect the wood surface.
Before you install a wood door on your home, consider the normal weather patterns in your area – for example, a humid climate may not be best for a walnut door – and remember that regular maintenance is key to keeping your wood door looking amazing for years.
You can customize a wood door by having windows inserted into the upper or side panels of the door, or you can have laser etching placed in a solid door’s design to add custom appeal. Our window and door specialists at Arch Design will help you choose a wooden entry door that is ideal for your home. Call us to schedule an appointment today.