Are External Wooden Doors Right For Your Project?

Wooden doors can provide clear visual and structural benefits when installed externally, with their natural look complementing both modern and traditional buildings. When choosing the ideal exterior doors for a building project you’ll need to consider the benefits offered by composite models, and the many different designs available, from standard front doors to wood-framed patio door sets.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of External Wooden Doors

Wooden doors offer a great look and long-term performance for both commercial and domestic buildings. It’s worth knowing their many benefits and few crucial drawbacks when considering them for a project.

The Benefits of Wooden Doors

• Beautiful Look: Wooden doors have a fantastic natural look, with many opting to varnish the wood rather than paint it. The complex and varied look of the wood grain can give a rustic charm to a countryside property, or a striking contrast with a more modern urban location. Hardwood external doors have a timeless elegance compared to other material options.
• Easy to Paint: Wood can be painted and repainted in any colour, letting you choose the look of your external door. Other external door options either cannot be painted or are far more difficult to paint.
• Long-Term Performance: Solid wood doors offer a great level of strength over time. Outside doors need to withstand all that nature can throw at them, from wind to rain to snow, alongside the physical knocks and bumps that will come with regular use. Wood is up to the task, providing it is properly maintained, as we’ll explain below.
• Insulation: Solid wood is a fantastic insulator, offering both thermal and acoustic resistance. This can help to keep a property warm and private and to reduce energy bills.

The Drawbacks of Wooden Outside Doors

• Maintenance: While other door types will require little long-term maintenance to keep their look, wooden doors will require consistent levels of care. Wood can be warped and deformed through contact with water, and will need to be stained regularly and monitored to ensure it retains its great natural look. Untreated doors are also likely to change size due to heat, which will return to normal over time but can cause issues if the door is a tight fit within the door frame.
• Door Sagging: Wooden doors can naturally sag over time, which can require reinstalling them on new hinges to remedy.

Solid Wood vs Composite Doors

Composite doors offer a convincing wood look thanks to their veneered finish, but are actually made from a combination of materials, including plastic, insulation, and metal. When determining the best option for you, there are a few key ways to compare them to external timber doors.

• Price: While exterior wooden doors are not the budget choice (uPVC will be the cheapest option), composite doors come with a higher price tag.
• Maintenance: As we’ve covered wood doors require far more maintenance than composite, which can be largely left as is.
• Decoration: Wooden doors are easy to repaint, allowing you to rejuvenate or change the look of your door when needed. Composite doors are not designed to be repainted.
• Lifespan: Both doors will be sturdy and offer long-term performance, though wood tends to last longer, providing of course you have fully maintained it.

What Types of External Wooden Doors Are Available?

The external wooden doors around a property can be split into a few categories, with standard doors like front doors sitting alongside patio doors like bifold, sliding, and french doors.

Front Doors

Wooden front doors are available in both classic and modern styles. Classic front door designs tend to feature panelling, with 4-panel or 6-panel looks popular. They can also involve glass panels, which tend to be smaller and at the top half of the door. These panels can be clear or decorative, with stained or patterned panels sometimes used. Modern front doors tend to be flush in design or to have fewer indents.

View All Wooden Front Doors

French Doors

French doors are double doors that feature large glazed panels. They’re a popular choice for the back doors of a home, letting in light without the complex mechanisms of sliding or folding doors. You’ll find many options for wood-framed French doors, including some with glass sidelights to further maximise light. French doors can be built from large panes of glass with a border frame, or from smaller glass panes crisscrossed by wood beams, called grilles or mutins.

Bifold Doors

For those looking to create a wider border for their garden, bifold doors are a great choice. Made of large panes of glass framed by wood, these panels are hinged together and designed to fold along a track to occupy a small space on either one or both sides, creating an open and wide entrance from a garden. Bifold doors can be part of a striking garden space, allowing a full view of your garden from inside, and flooding a home with natural light.

Sliding Doors

Offering comparable benefits to bifold doors with a different design, exterior sliding doors will feature huge panes of glass that can be slid together to create an entryway. These will be a stylish choice, but won’t make as large an opening as bifold doors.

Exterior Wooden Door Prices

In terms of standard wooden front doors, Myjobquote lists the following rough price ranges:

• Solid Oak: £500 - £1300
• Mahogany: £400 - £1200
• Pine: £150 - £800

Pine will offer a great cheap front door option, while external oak door sets will be a luxury item with a higher price tag. It’s worth noting that this won’t include labour costs if you are hiring someone to install your wooden door. For reference, a composite front door will cost between £400 and £2000.

For larger wooden framed doors, the prices will climb dramatically. Windows guide lists the following price ranges for external wooden patio doors:

• Bifold Door (4 panels): £2250 - £2750
• French Doors: £850 - £2000
• Sliding Doors: £900 - £2050

These door sets will come with a complex installation process that is likely to add to the cost.

Beautiful External Wooden Doors For Sale Across the UK

Building Materials Nationwide works with professionals and skilled DIYers across the UK, selling a comprehensive selection of products through our website. Through our door category, you’ll find a wide range of external doors that can be delivered to you across the UK, alongside internal doors. 

For customers within the industry, we offer trade accounts, giving access to a dedicated account manager, who can organise whatever products you need, delivered to you at competitive trade prices. Whether sourcing doors for a large construction project or refurbishment jobs, sign up today and tell your account manager what you need.

Want to view our range?

View All External Doors