Are you installing a door frame in your new home soon? Or perhaps you wish to replace the one in your home. Have you chosen the best wood for your door frame? If not, here is a guide to help you with the selection process.
The ideal wood for this project should have the following features.
- Strong: Your door will play an important role in securing your home. As such, the door and the frame should be made of the strong wood.
- Durable: If you are going to invest in a wooden door, choose a durable type of wood. You don’t want to be replacing the door frame a few months from now. Also, if you’re working on an exterior door, ensure to choose a weather-resistant type of wood. The wood should also be resistant to decay and insect infestation.
- Good workability: There are numerous types of door frames, from open door frames to glazing panel door frames. A wood with good workability will help you achieve any design without a problem. You’ll also need to decide on the look you want for your house. If you have plans of staining or painting your door frame, consider choosing wood that finishes well.
Now let’s review five types of wood you can use for your door frame
Best wood for door frames
Teak
| Property | Rating |
| Strength | Very strong |
| Durability | Very durable |
| Workability | Fairly good |
| Finishing | Finishes well |
Teak is one of the strongest hardwoods out there. It has excellent durability and can last for decades. With a Janka rating of 1070 lbf, teak is harder than hardwoods such as mahogany.
Teak has excellent resistance to outdoor weather. It has a closed grain pattern and contains lots of natural oils that make it resistant to moisture. The oils ensure that the wood doesn’t warp or shrink easily. They also protect it from decaying or getting damaged by insects.
This wood has a beautiful golden color. It is a low-maintenance wood last for long, even without a finish. When left unfinished, teak weathers into an attractive silver-gray patina.
Teak finishes well, but you may need to wipe the surface of the wood with a solvent before finishing it. Doing so helps to reduce the natural oils that could make staining difficult.
It has good workability but contains silica that tends to blunt cutting edges. All these good qualities come at a cost; this wood is one of the most expensive hardwoods on the market today.
White Oak
| Property | Rating |
| Strength | Very strong |
| Durability | Very durable |
| Workability | Good |
| Finishing | Finishes well |
If you want a durable, sturdy door frame, white oak may be your answer. It has a Janka rating of 1360 lbf and is stronger than other hardwoods such as cherry. This hardness makes it resistant to dents and scratches.
The white oak is highly resistant to rot and insect infestation. It also has a closed grain pattern that makes it resistant to moisture.
You can trust this wood to give you a beautiful door frame. Its color ranges from light beige to brown. Its grain pattern also adds to its beauty. The grain is usually straight, with rays running alongside it.
White oak has good workability with cutting tools and other machinery. It nails and screws nicely. Additionally, its smooth surface finishes well. This wood has minimal maintenance requirements. It’s also very easy to clean.
White oak is more affordable than mahogany and teak.
Mahogany
| Property | Rating |
| Strength | Strong |
| Durability | Durable |
| Workability | Good |
| Finishing | Finishes well |
A well-maintained mahogany door frame can last for over 40 years. Mahogany is very dense, a property that makes it very durable.
It’s one of the most dimensionally stable hardwoods. It can withstand outdoor elements without shrinking or warping.
Mahogany has a rich reddish-brown color. It also has a wavy grain pattern with a fine to medium texture. The irregularities in the grain make this wood one of the most beautiful hardwoods.
Mahogany has good workability; it nails, screws, and finishes nicely. Linseed oil is the perfect finish for this wood. It penetrated through the wood’s porous structure easily.
Cherry
| Property | Rating |
| Strength | Strong |
| Durability | Moderately durable |
| Workability | Good |
| Finishing | Slightly difficult to stain |
Cherry has a Janka rating of 1,150 lbf. It is softer than maple and teak, thus easier to work with. This wood works well with both hand and powered tools. It nails, screws, and finishes well.
Cherry has a straight grain with a fine, uniform texture. It has a reddish-brown color, a golden hue, and a moderate natural luster.
Cherry tends to appear blotchy when stained. You may have to prepare the wood using a sanding sealer before staining it. Alternatively, you can use a gel-based stain.
It is moderately durable regarding decay and insect infestation. Cherry retails at lower prices than mahogany, teak, and maple.
Hard Maple
| Property | Rating |
| Strength | Very strong |
| Durability | Moderately durable |
| Workability | Slightly difficult to work with |
| Finishing | Slightly difficult to finish |
With a Janka rating of 1,450 lbf, the hard maple is the hardest wood on this list. It’s stronger than hardwoods such as mahogany and cherry.
The hard maple has a creamy white color with a reddish hue. It has a straight grain that sometimes appears curly or wavy. The grain has a fine and even texture.
This wood’s high density makes it a bit difficult to work with. The wood also tends to look blotchy when stained. Staining maple may only work well if you’re using a gel-based stain.
The wood is less durable than teak or white oak since it’s more prone to decay and insect attacks.
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Best wood for door frames: Conclusion
A door frame should be made of strong, durable wood. The wood should have good workability and high resistance to decay, outdoor weather, and insect attacks. It should also be relatively easy to finish. Teak, white oak, mahogany, cherry, and hard maple are some of the woods that display these qualities. They are, therefore, the ideal woods for making door frames.