Why Choose Wooden Exterior Doors: What You Need to Know

Published: January 28, 2022

By the Estate Millwork Design Team | Craftsmen since 1997

Today doors come in many shapes, sizes, colors and materials. Popular big box store doors are constructed from materials like steel, fiberglass and uPVC. There are several factors to consider when it comes to choosing what material is best for you. As technology has advanced the exterior door market has expanded to accommodate a wide range of customers, however wooden doors are still king.

Whereas metal, fiberglass and uPVC doors are only suitable as exterior doors; wooden doors are able to be used as both exterior and interior doors allowing you to keep a uniform design throughout your home. Wooden exterior doors offer strength and security while their interior counterparts give the sense of a high end feel to your home.

Solid wood doors are constructed of several pieces of the same type of wood using stiles, rails and wooden panels, glass or louvers in the middle of the door. One of the biggest benefits of a wooden front door is how great they look to guests and those passing by, the traditional style of wooden doors will provide much more curb appeal over other door materials. The craftsmanship of a wooden door is clearly visible unlike the factory premolded stamp of the other door types, which adds to their overall appeal.

Since wood is a natural and versatile material, wooden doors come in a far wider range of designs and sizes than their metal, fiberglass and uPVC counterparts. This versatility means your wooden door can be tailored specifically to your home and its aesthetics, and since no two pieces of wood are the same your wooden exterior door will be completely unique to you and your home. A benefit of wood doors is you have the options of light or dark wood, painted or unpainted, tighter or wider grain and simple or intricate design work, anything is truly possible when it comes to exterior wood doors.

A key benefit of wooden doors are their external security, they are incredibly strong and the developments to the design and construction over the hundreds of years they have existed lends to the belief that they can outlast some of their counterparts. Wood is malleable and easy to work with meaning wooden doors are one of the few door types that can be repaired. All of the aforementioned qualities of wood are important but a continued financial benefit of wood exterior doors are their fantastic insulation properties that with minimal maintenance can improve your home's thermal efficiency.

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Selecting the Perfect Custom Wood Door

A well-chosen wood door does more than fill an opening; it sets the tone for an entire room or entryway. Interior doors influence how spaces flow together, while exterior doors establish the first impression of your home. When selecting a custom door, consider three primary factors: the architectural style of your home, the functional requirements of the opening, and the wood species that best complements your existing millwork.

For traditional and colonial homes, raised-panel doors with six or eight panels create a classic look. Contemporary and transitional homes lean toward flat-panel or Shaker-style doors with clean lines. Louvered doors are ideal for closets, laundry rooms, and utility spaces where airflow matters. French doors with glass panels open up sightlines between rooms while maintaining the ability to close off spaces for privacy or climate control.

Wood species matters both aesthetically and structurally. Red Oak and White Oak are among the hardest domestic species, making them excellent choices for high-traffic exterior doors. Mahogany offers superior dimensional stability and a rich grain pattern prized for front entries. For interior doors that will be painted, Poplar provides a smooth, affordable substrate. Estate Millwork builds every door using mortise-and-tenon joinery with hardwood dowel pins, ensuring joints that will not loosen over a lifetime of daily use.

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