When it comes to door materials, metal and fiberglass have their benefits, but wood is, and always will remain, the ideal construction material for doors both exterior and interior. That’s not our opinion. It’s a consensus. Just ask our customers, and the general door buying public, and you’ll see that wood doors are our most popular and best selling. Wood transcends individual taste; no matter who you talk to, everyone digs wood. It’s beautiful, durable, classic, and modern. Wood rocks.

Here at ETO, we offer door slabs made from four different wood species, each one bringing to the table a unique visual flavor. No matter which one you pick, you’ll be more than satisfied with the look and feel of your new wood door.

Mahogany Doors

If there’s any wood that carries an unquestionable reputation for class, sophistication, and pomp, it would be mahogany. Sometimes called the King of Woods, mahogany has enjoyed a centuries-long reputation as a sought-after building wood, used historically for furniture and interior fixtures. It remains in high demand, so much so that various regulatory bodies have taken measures to limit its harvesting and trade, in order to preserve the species and diminish environmental harm from mahogany logging.

Mahogany features a straight, tight grain. A dark wood, mahogany is appreciated for its rich color, and is known to darken even more with age. While it can be used to construct just about any style of door, we love using the most impressively grained mahogany for our contemporary designs. This highly durable wood is native to the tropics, and perhaps that’s why it’s so resistant to intense humidity, which might cause warping and rot in other woods. That means mahogany is a great choice for exterior entryway doors, which are constantly in contact with the elements.

Douglas Fir Doors

Fir is one of the most used woods worldwide, and douglas fir is the most prized fir species in woodworking. Fir is one of the more abundant hardwoods, which is why our douglas fir options are typically on the more affordable side. But don’t mistake this ready availability for a lack of quality, durability, or beauty. Douglas fir is a fantastic door wood; if it weren’t, we wouldn’t use it.

Firs come in many colors, and douglas fir is known for its red-brown hue. Douglas fir features a tight, fine grain. Unlike mahogany, a hardwood, douglas fir is classified as a softwood. That doesn’t mean it’s soft, though, and douglas fir is actually considered one of the hardest of the softwoods. Douglas fir is strong, stable, and moisture-resistant, though it can be vulnerable to certain insects.

Knotty Alder Doors

One of the key qualities that make a good woodworking wood species is sustainability, and if there’s any wood that stains well, it’s alder, and we have plenty of alder on offer. Not just any alder though – knotty alder. What’s so knotty about this alder, you ask? Well, it’s riddled with knots. A knot is a natural formation in wood, left over from a branch that died or otherwise fell off. When cut for lumber, wood with knots has a distinct, often striking appearance.

Alder is naturally light brown to yellow, which is why it stains so well. With a rustic country aesthetic provided by the knots, knotty alder is a great option for farmhouse and cottage styled doors. Generally, knotty alder is a less expensive option, so the budget-conscious should find plenty to love about this charming hardwood.

Walnut Doors

Of all the American hardwoods, walnut is the most highly regarded. Best appreciated with a light, subtle stain, walnut is known for its deep brown color, conjuring up images of dark chocolate. Many examples of walnut even show hints of purple coloring. Walnut is a versatile wood used for many applications, from musical instruments to desks to door slabs.

Aside from its color, walnut is also known for its luxurious and well-developed grain, which often features swirls, spirals, and other embellishments. Those looking to paint their front door should probably pick a different wood; the value of walnut is its natural grain pattern and rich color. Walnut is also rather resistant to moisture, so it won’t warp or shrink easily, and is considered one of the more energy efficient door woods due to its insulatory qualities. It’s also great for blocking out sound. Currently, only our interior doors are available in walnut.

As always, if you have any questions about our wood products, including questions about the differences between our wood options, availability of our different wood options, door slab styles, or our rigorous environmental sustainability standards, give us a shout at ETO!