wooden front doors

Hardwood is a natural product and adds true beauty, texture and diversity. Hardwood doesn’t stay the same over time – it ages and develops its own distinctive appeal. You are never guaranteed the exact same door even if you do everything the same. Every tree is different and therefore the grain, the colour and the end product is fresh and unique every time.

Traditionally in the UK, most hardwood doors are made in European Oak. This is probably mainly because of the fact that it is readily available (from the UK and Europe), is a very durable wood, and is attractive working well with traditional and contemporary homes. Other hardwoods which are popular in the UK are Larch, Douglas Fir, Iroko and Walnut. 

At Urban Front we choose our woods based on a few different criteria:

• We only choose hardwood which has been quarter sawn as this gives the wood strength
• It has to have a long dry kiln time to reduce cracking and moisture in the hardwood
• How durable it is to use outdoors – ie how much maintaining it needs
• Its natural beauty and how easy it is to match to other materials

The hardwoods we currently offer are:

• European Oak
• American Black Walnut
• Fumed Oak
• Iroko
• Western Red Cedar
• Bespoke: we are happy to source other hardwoods which we have used in the past

A lot of clients are scared of the word ‘maintenance’ as they imagine hours upon hours of having to sand their door back and refinish it!

It certainly doesn’t have to be like that. Nowadays, the finishes available are a lot easier to apply and preserve. There are really two options, oiling and lacquering. In the last few years, oiling has overtaken lacquering as our main choice of finish.  This is because of two things:

• It’s easier to oil a door and to maintain it once its oiled despite needing to be done more often. (Once every 6 months to a year) It requires a light sand and applying the oil again. For one door this should take a maximum of 1 hour.
• Lacquering doesn’t allow the natural beauty of the door to shine through like oil does. It also takes a lot longer to refinish as you have to take it all off before applying a new coat. Therefore can take a lot of work. It does however protect the wood on the door for longer.

As explained above, hardwood is a natural product which evolves over time. Although there are only a few disadvantages to using it, they nonetheless exist and should certainly be taken into consideration. Knowing how to prevent issues with hardwood certainly prolongs its life span and the longevity of the door itself.  

Natural movement in the wood occurs due to the difference in the heat inside and the cold outside during the different seasons. Urban Front combat this with a ventilation system in the door. This helps to reduce the build-up of moisture (which can cause hardwood to move, crack and sometimes warp during the different seasons).

We combat warping using a steel reinforcement within the door.  However, natural movement is expected with most timbers and you will find that from season to season the small movement cracks open up and close again depending on the time of year.

There are a few other ways to protect hardwood from requiring extra maintenance:

• If it isn’t protected by a porch or set back, installing a canopy of some sort is a great way to preserve the wood for longer.
• If you are building a new house, always consider the location of the door and how it will be affected by the weather. Is it south or north facing? Does it get a lot of sun or rain?
• Ensure you’ve chosen the right hardwood for the location. Some hardwoods are less resilient and require more attention than others so always take our advice before purchasing.