When choosing a timber door for your home, the type of wood you select affects everything from its appearance and durability to how well it handles the Australian climate and suits your home’s style. Timber can also be combined with glass for a more modern look, making it suitable for both traditional and contemporary homes.
There are several types of wood used for doors, each with its own strengths. In this blog, we explain the most common timber species used for entry and interior doors, highlight the key characteristics of each, and help you choose the right timber for your home.
Pacific Ash
Pacific ash is one of the most popular timber choices for Australian homes, and for good reason.
It has a distinctive appearance with an attractive natural grain that looks great with both light and dark stains. This makes it a versatile option. You can stain it to suit a heritage home or paint it for a modern interior. It is also easy to sand and finish, giving you plenty of design options.
Pacific ash is durable. It provides good thermal and sound insulation and resists bending and warping, making it well suited to the changing temperatures and humidity found across New South Wales and the rest of Australia. It looks great from the day it is installed and works well with or without glass panels.
Cherry Wood
Cherry wood is known for its attractive natural red colour, ranging from a light pink tone to a rich reddish-brown. It has a fine, straight grain that creates an elegant appearance, making it an excellent choice for formal interiors and heritage-style homes.
A clear or light stain is the best finish for cherry wood, as it highlights the timber’s natural beauty without covering the grain.
Cherry wood darkens over time when exposed to sunlight. If an entry door in Sydney receives regular sun and moisture exposure, this timber needs careful consideration, as long-term exposure can affect its appearance and durability. Cherry wood is better for interior doors or protected entryways.
Walnut
Walnut is a dense hardwood with a rich, dark colour. Its grain features natural swirls and knots that give the timber plenty of character, making it a popular choice for interior doors where its warmth and depth can enhance a room.
Walnut suits traditional, colonial, and modern interiors. Its dark colour can add contrast and create a striking feature, especially in minimalist or monochrome spaces.
Walnut looks best with a stain rather than paint. Painting covers the natural grain that makes this timber so appealing. Walnut also provides good thermal insulation and is less likely to warp from moisture than some other timber species, making it a practical as well as attractive choice.
Maple
Maple is a hard, stable timber known for its strength and durability. These qualities make it a good choice for both interior and entry doors, including busy areas and rooms exposed to moisture, such as bathrooms and laundries. Maple is less likely to crack or warp with temperature changes than some softer timbers.
Its grain is more subtle than that of many other hardwoods, so if you want a bold natural grain, it may not be the best option. Maple is an excellent choice for painted doors because its smooth, even surface produces a clean finish. If you want your doors painted to match a specific colour scheme, maple is a reliable option.
Juniper
Juniper is a dense softwood with a distinctive grain pattern that includes knots and swirls. Its colour ranges from light to dark brown and takes stain well.
Like cherry wood, juniper darkens over time with age and sun exposure. As a softwood, it dents more easily than hardwoods, although some homeowners like the weathered appearance it creates over time.
Juniper is a moderately priced, low-maintenance timber. It is also more stable than many other softwoods, with minimal expansion and contraction from temperature changes, and it handles humidity reasonably well. This makes it a good option for sheltered entry doors.
Hickory
Hickory is one of the hardest and densest timbers used for doors. Its strength makes it a durable choice for both interior and entry doors that experience heavy daily use.
Solid hickory also provides excellent thermal and sound insulation, making it ideal for external doors and rooms where noise reduction is important.
Its deep red-brown colour gives it a classic, elegant appearance. A clear or light stain brings out the natural grain, while paint still allows some of the grain to show through. However, staining is generally the preferred finish because it highlights the timber’s natural character.
Pine
Pine is a lightweight softwood that is best used for interior doors. It has a light colour with a fine grain and works well in country-style and rustic homes.
A clear or light stain suits pine, although painted finishes are also popular. If you plan to paint pine doors, sanding the surface first will give the best result.
Pine is less likely to shrink, warp, or swell than some other timbers, but it dents and scratches more easily than hardwoods. For interior doors in lower-traffic areas, it is an affordable option.
Conclusion
The best timber for your door depends on where it will be used, the finish you want, and the style of your home. For entry doors, durable hardwoods such as Pacific ash and hickory are excellent choices, while for interior doors, options like walnut, maple, cherry, juniper, and pine are better.
If you’re unsure which timber is right for your project, our team at Sydney Woodworkers can help. Contact us on 02 9938 4999 to discuss your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of wood is best for front doors in Australia?
The best timber for a front door should be able to handle heat, UV exposure, humidity, and daily use. Stable hardwoods are the preferred choice. Pacific ash is a popular option because it resists warping and works well with both stained and painted finishes.
What is a door leaf?
A door leaf is the moving part of the door that opens and closes within the frame. In French or bifold doors, each panel is considered a separate door leaf. The timber species and construction of the door leaf affect its weight, strength, and insulation.
What is the difference between solid timber and engineered timber doors?
Solid timber doors are made from solid pieces or joined sections of natural timber. They are heavier, provide better insulation, and offer greater security. Engineered timber doors have a structural core with a timber frame and veneer to improve stability and maintain the appearance of natural timber. Both options use real timber. The main difference is how they are built internally.