Canvases are produced from natural wood. For this purpose, solid or glued solid wood is used. In the latter case, set models are obtained from fragments of wood, connected with each other with glue. Lacquer is used as a coating.
The main difference between solid wood and MDF, chipboard and other similar materials is that it is produced from natural, solid raw materials. But models made of MDF, chipboard are created from what remains as a result of wood processing (sawdust, chips, etc.).
Today the market is supplied with doors made of glued array. This technology involves the bonding of wooden bars and satisfies the leading technologies for the production of door structures. With it, the constructions are not subject to the disadvantages that were inherent in the doors made of solid wood of the previous generation. Prior to that, solid wood was highly dependent on humidity and temperature. Their fluctuations changed the shape of the products. But over time, the technology faded into history. It was replaced by another — glued array. Its meaning consists in the use of special equipment, which is responsible for gluing wood. Qualitatively dried raw materials prevent deformation of the finished product. As a result of drying, it becomes inert to fluctuations in the external environment.
About wood
In the production of solid wood doors, softwood is most often used. This material is the most accessible and widespread. However, it is somewhat inferior to oak, larch, alder in terms of strength. But in set products this feature is not important. In the glued version, the bars are arranged so that the fibers look in different directions. The product becomes stronger several times.
Breeds
For the manufacture of doors, wood of different species is suitable. Each species has its own advantages and disadvantages, but all of them cope well with the task at hand, namely: endow the door with a unique textural pattern, color tonality, uniqueness. This accounts for the popularity of natural wood. Many people choose products that have an optimal ratio of price, quality and appearance. Doors made of solid wood are suitable for this as best as possible. They decorate any room, demonstrating quality and durability. It can be said about them that they are made on conscience. In confirmation of this — their impressive weight and thickness.
It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer, from which array is better doors. Let’s look at the species that are used most often and are in great demand.
Pine. One of the sought-after arrays. The wood itself is very common, it is inexpensive. In addition, it is easily processed and does not need complex care. Finished products fall into an affordable price segment. Consumers can choose among hundreds of models. We will add that until recently, models made of pine had certain disadvantages, for example, they were not sufficiently resistant to mechanical damage. However, modern technology has had a positive impact on this point. Finish coatings of the latest generation have increased the performance characteristics of pine models.
Summarizing a small summary, we can say that pine is a variant with a pronounced decor, a beautiful pattern. Its high resinousness provides good moisture resistance. At the same time, this material is capricious to drying and has a tendency to the appearance of defects.
Alder. This array is somewhat more expensive than pine. This is due to its higher indicators of moisture resistance, a small content of resins. In view of this, alder is chosen by many buyers. It can take a place in rooms with high humidity and even on the street. It can be said that alder is an intermediate option between the most affordable and the most expensive arrays. It is harder than pine, has low moisture resistance. It is dried at temperatures lower than pine. It has a homogeneous pattern and many knots.
Oak. It is the heaviest, most valuable and expensive solid wood. It is superior to others in terms of durability. Due to its density, a high level of thermal insulation and soundproofing is obtained.
Oak doors can be made in different styles and colors. They can be found in classic, modern and other directions. When choosing, it is important to choose the right hardware that will withstand the weight of the door leaf. First of all, you need to find the appropriate door hinges, as they will bear the brunt of the load.
Oak is an excellent material for durable structures. It endows doors with a beautiful pattern, is not capricious in drying. Due to its high strength, it can be used for the production of entrance canvases. In this case, the same material is used for the manufacture of the frame.
From a technical point of view, the array can be made from wood of any breed. However, the options that we have considered above are the most popular. Below we will consider two more types, which are also quite common.
Ash. This is another popular material. It surpasses oak in strength and hardness, but is not inferior in beauty. Ash is less absorbent, but it lacks resistance to adverse environments. It is therefore not recommended for use outdoors. However, it is ideal for interior doors. Its cost is lower than oak due to its faster growth. At the same time, ash resembles oak in appearance. It is not easy for a layman to distinguish between the two species.
Beech. Like ash and oak, beech has excellent characteristics. It is dense, quite hard and elastic. This wood has a homogeneous structure. It lends itself well to processing, and can be sanded and polished without fail. The surface is hard and smooth as soon as drying is finished. Because of this, beech is often used to produce objects for the home, as well as toys. Of the disadvantages of this species are noted hygroscopicity. Because of this, the door can warp. The cost of this material is lower than that of ash or oak. Together with good characteristics, this makes it a sought-after material.
Which door is better
It is difficult to give an answer to the question posed. It all depends on the style of the room, the wishes of its owners and their budget. If you compare materials in closer pairs, you can get the following:
Pine and alder. The first one has a beautiful pattern and is more suitable for a country house. Alder is more durable. It is chosen for classic premises. It can be compared with beech, as their moisture resistance parameters are approximately the same. At the same time, beech surpasses alder in strength, but the latter has a richer, more interesting pattern and lower cost. Ash and oak are difficult to distinguish from each other. You can tell by the cut. Oak has heartwood rays on it.
In general, recommendations for choosing an array under the style of the interior look like this:
Pine — Provence, minimalism.
Alder — classic and modern.
Hardwoods (oak, ash, beech) — modern, classic.
If you want to make sure that the door you like will suit your room, ask for help from a designer. He will help you to choose a canvas that will complement the room, or several canvases that will take place in all rooms of the apartment or house, will be combined with the style of their design and with each other.
Parameters of solid wood
No matter which array you choose, it will have many advantages. Among them:
Environmental friendliness. Compared to fiberboard and particleboard, solid wood is completely environmentally friendly. It does not emit harmful substances into the environment.
Sound and heat insulation. Wood has a low thermal conductivity. It does not let warm air out of the room. In addition, it absorbs sounds well.
Long service life. Solid wood structures last for decades without losing their original characteristics.
There are a few disadvantages to solid wood. First, it has a tendency to high water absorption. Absorption can reach 30%, which, in turn, can lead to deformation and deterioration of the product. This can be avoided by using an insulating primer, as well as controlling the level of humidity in the environment.
Another disadvantage is the possibility of subsidence. This is due to the heavy weight of the structures, which presses on the hinges. Therefore, the hardware may need to be replaced. In the course of operation, the hinges will have to be tightened.
To all this is added a difficult installation. A lot of effort will be required to make heavy models stand still.
About production
Quite often people have doubts that such natural fabrics can be resistant to adverse factors. In fact, this is not the case. Designs without difficulty tolerate fluctuations in humidity and temperature. This was the result of many years of work of the woodworking industry, which set out to solve the main issue: at high humidity, the wood swells and stops closing, and if the voltage becomes high, the canvas cracks.
The woodworking industry set out to make wood more stable and less responsive to climate change. It has succeeded. Quality drying of raw materials helped to solve the problem. For each species a certain mode is suitable, but the common thing is that the wood should dry for quite a long time, under properly organized conditions. You can start assembling the door when the wood is 8-10% dried. As soon as drying is completed, the material is divided into bars of the required size, glued under the press. The fibers in the layers are directed perpendicularly. Together, the layers are resistant to dimensional changes.
Surface treatment is an equally important step. Much depends on the raw material itself. For example, alder absorbs moisture more than pine. It follows that its surface should be covered with a special composition more thoroughly. There are many compositions on sale. It will not be difficult to choose the one that suits your solid wood, and at the same time the room.
How to choose a solid wood door?
What to focus on, so that the choice of a solid wood door is successful? First of all, you need to evaluate the wood. The grade is important, especially if you purchase a door without staining, plan to cover it with wax or lacquer. From the grade depends on the look, and it is better if the product will belong to the first class, which has no stains, knots and cracks.
It is not superfluous to ask the manufacturer how the cloth was dried. Normally, this process should take at least 20 days. If mistakes were made during drying, the product can be covered with cracks. It is also necessary to evaluate the lamellas from which the design is made. The wider they are, the better.
By design, the doors from the array are different. On sale are filleted designs. Traditionally, they consist of a frame and fillets, that is, relief inserts. Such canvases will fit well into classic and modern interiors.
About finishing
Two types of finishing are common: coating with oils and varnish, as well as staining. The first method allows you to preserve the natural grain of the wood. CPL-film, eco-veneer or finish-film can be used as protection. These materials are not natural, but compensate for the disadvantages of natural wood, increase its resistance to adverse effects. At the same time, the number of shades is large enough for buyers to find what suits them. Among other advantages of this method — the ability to give the pine door a noble, rich color to match the valuable species.
Solid wood doors are often produced without a decorative layer, under painting. This opens up additional opportunities for buyers, and also allows them to save money. The finished construction can be painted in any color or leave the natural texture, covering it with a transparent varnish.
Painting is the most common way of decorating a door. As a rule, preference is given to light shades: gray, white, light beige, etc. Enamel is used as a coating. Unlike oils and varnishes, it hides the texture of wood. It becomes difficult for a non-professional to determine which array was used. The exception is oak. This wood stands out noticeably among the others and it is quite easy to figure it out
Whether it needs care
How do you preserve solid wood doors for years to come? Operate them with care. Let’s add a few more important recommendations. The first concerns the optimal temperature in the room. It can be from +18 to +30°C. Humidity should be within 60%. Such conditions do not harm the wood, maintain its natural characteristics. When maintaining such indicators, the structures do not lose their appearance for years, provide rooms with good sound and heat insulation.
Another important tip concerns the protection of structures from mechanical impact. There should also be no contact of the structure with water, direct sunlight, harmful substances. Wipe the door from dust with a semi-dry cloth, with detergents with a simple composition. If you notice small cracks on the canvas, fill them with a special filler. The recommended period of renewal of the coating is once every five to seven years.
In our article we have considered a number of important questions about solid wood doors. Disassembled what the designs are made of, what advantages and disadvantages they have. We paid attention to the characteristics by which you can determine the quality of the cloth, told about the main types of coating of solid wood doors.
You can choose a model and order it in the company BARELWOOD. We manufacture dozens of doors with different characteristics. You can get more information about them, find out the terms of payment and delivery on our website.
