Mahogany exterior doors have been used for many years as the entrance doors to homes. Mahogany is also used in many other door designs e.g. exterior French doors and windows. It is considered to be very hardwearing and if properly maintained will provide many years of service. Mahogany is a relatively light coloured wood prior to staining. After staining the wood changes to a rich, deep, red/brown colour. Mahogany is one of the most commonly used timbers for doors and furniture. Over time the wood will darken.
So what is mahogany the species?
Mahogany the word is one term covering many species of timber. It is used when referring to a number of dark woods. There are many species of mahogany and can be broken down into:
Swietenia Genus – These are considered to be the true mahoganies. They grow mainly in the Central and South America and Caribbean. This group contains four species:
- Latin America – Caribbean mahogany referred to as Swietenia mahogani and known as ‘TRUE’ mahogany, Caribbean or Cuban
- Honduran or the Pacific Coast mahogany referred to as Swietenia Humilis and known as Honduran mahogany
- Big leaf or big-leafed mahogany referred to as Swietenia Macrophylla found in the Veracruz to Mexico also in Colombia, Bolivia and Peru
- Venezuelan mahogany referred to as Swietenia Candollei
Most mahogany used is for the ‘big leaf’ species
Khaya Genus – These are found in Africa and are considered as a substitute for the TRUE mahogany. Sapele is well known species of African mahogany.
Mahogany is straight grained with very little voids and pockets. It is ready. easy to work, heavy and long lasting and for these reasons it is used widely in fine furniture and musical instruments. Solid mahogany, like many other hardwoods, is now very expensive in plank format and becoming rare due to over deforestation. For this reason mahogany is now more commonly used in the manufacturer of veneer products. These veneer products have a core of an inferior wood covered with a thin veneer of the mahogany hardwood. The mahogany wood veneers work well with glues in the manufacture of these products.
Some samples of mahogany doors
Engineered Doors
Most wooden exterior door types these days are manufactured using an engineered construction. An engineered mahogany exterior door consists of a laminated hardwood core of a lesser quality, overlaid with the finished species wood to build up the structure of the wooden door framing. These engineered doors are generally more stable than solid mahogany exterior doors as they are less prone to warping and twisting.
Example of laminated engineered door core
If you require additional security from your doors you may be interested in reading the about exterior metal doors and exterior steel doors.