Hardwood doors are the traditional choice internally and externally in the home. A vast range of styles are available in a number of standard sizes (see table below). Doors, especially your front entrance door, makes a statement and they should match the style and period of your home.
There are many species of hardwood available for example oak doors. Hardwood is a natural material and sourced from many parts of the world. Each species of wood comprises different textures, grain patterns and colour. Hardwood trees are mainly broad leaf or deciduous trees. These trees shed their leaves in winter time and basically fall into two groups:
- Temperate
- Tropical
The term ‘hardwood’ and ‘softwood’ do not have anything to do with the hardness of the wood itself. There are hardwoods e.g. balsa wood which is by nature softer than softwoods but still referred to as a hardwood.
The most common species used for hardwood front doors are:
- Mahogany
- Poplar
- Ash
- White and red oak
- Hickory
- Cherry
- Walnut
- Meranti
- Beech
- Maple
Engineered Doors
Most external hardwood doors for the home manufactured nowadays are known as “engineered” doors. One type of door to benefit from this process is an oak front door. These doors may be made up from solid hardwood timbers but each section of the door is not one solid piece of wood, it consists of a number of pieces glued together. Traditionally a hardwood door was made from solid pieces of timber but was prone to warping and twisting depending on the weather conditions. The engineered process involves cutting the wood up into strips. The strips are then set side by side with the grain of each opposing each other. Glue is placed on the surfaces of the strips and they are then glued back together under pressure and heat to form one piece. This piece is now the inner core of the door (see section photograph below). The outer core is then covered with a selected wood veneer as the outer surface of the new door. The final wooden exterior door is considerably more stable than a door made entirely from solid sections of wood.
Example of laminated engineered door core
List of Standard Door Sizes
|
Door Size (mm) |
Door Size (Inches) |
| Imperial Sizes | |
|
457 x 1981 |
18 x 78 |
|
533 x 1981 |
21 x 78 |
|
610 x 1981 |
24 x 78 |
|
686 x 1981 |
27 x 78 |
|
711 x 1981 |
28 x 78 |
|
762 x 1981 |
30 x 78 |
|
838 x 1981 |
33 x 78 |
|
915 x 1981 |
36 x 78 |
| Additional Sizes | |
|
813 x 2032 |
32 x 80 |
|
864 x 2083 |
34 x 82 |
|
915 x 2134 |
36 x 84 |
| Metric Sizes for Internal Doors | |
|
526 x 2040 |
2011/16 x 80¼ |
|
626 x 2040 |
24½ x 80¼ |
|
726 x 2040 |
28½ x 80¼ |
|
826 x 2040 |
32½ x 80¼ |
|
926 x 2040 |
367/16 x 80¼ |
Tips on Staining Your New Hardwood Front Door
These tips apply to unfinished doors. You can buy pre-finished doors which require no painting or staining after installation.
All hardwood doors whether they are interior, exterior, hardwood French doors or hardwood patio doors need a protective finish in order to ensure longevity. A well maintained hardwood exterior door will provide many years of service.
Applying a finish to your hardwood exterior doors is not just for decoration purposes, it also protects the doors from the elements, particularly with external doors. Unprotected doors will absorb moisture whether it is condensation, humidity or rain and this can have a damaging effect on a door. On an external hardwood door it is preferable to apply a few sealing coats prior to hanging so that the door is never exposed at any time. Even internal doors need protection early on, especially if the house is just newly built. Newly built houses retain a lot of moisture during the building process and they take quite a while to dry out.
Before any coats of finish are applied ensure that the door is well sanded down to a smooth finish and that any marks or remaining dust particles are removed.
Always refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines for treatments as they may have special requirements in accordance with any warranties provided with the door.
It is important that all exposed surfaces are treated even below the hinges, in the cut outs for the locks, top, sides and bottom. Remember you want to stop any excess moisture getting into the door.
Mahogany exterior doors – avoid using very dark stains or finish because under direct sunlight the veneer of the door may crack or even warp the door. An engineered door will only be successful if the door is properly finished and sealed.
Between coats additional sanding may be required in order to achieve a smooth glass feel like finish. Always allow sufficient time for drying between coats. Do not rush the drying, give it a chance.
When all coats, as recommended by the manufacturers, are applied the door is complete. Keep a look out for any damage to the door and reapply additional finish as required.
You are now ready to enjoy your new door for many years.
What about installing a beautiful set of exterior French doors.