When shopping for custom bi-fold doors, you’ll usually have a number of options to choose from, allowing you to create your own 100% customized doors. Before you get into deciding on the glass, door hardware, tracks, and size, though, you’ll need to pick the type of material that you want your doorframe to be made from.

The three most common materials are hardwood, aluminum, and vinyl. Of the three doorframe materials, hardwood is one of the most sought-after due to its beautiful appearance, which lends itself to a more natural aesthetic.

Most folding door manufacturers offer several different species of hardwood for customers to choose from. So, in today’s article, we’ll start by going over the most common types of hardwood used for folding doors. Then, we’ll give you our opinion on the best kind of wood for folding doors, and answer a few commonly asked questions regarding wood folding doors.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Most Common Hardwoods Used For Wood Folding Doors

When it comes to exterior wood doors of any type, it’s absolutely necessary to use hardwood. Softer woods are easily scratched, dinged, and damaged by the outside elements. While some manufacturers may only offer two or three species of hardwood for their doors, others may offer up to fifteen or more different wood species for their wood folding doors.

If having wood options is important to you, your best bet is to select a folding door manufacturer with a history in custom milling and woodwork. For example, A.G. Millworks (which we’ve also reviewed on our site) offers sixteen wood species!

For the most part, all of the following hardwoods are great choices for doors. However, a few differences in styling and appearance may cause you to lean more towards one species over another. So, with that in mind, let’s look at the six most common types of wood for folding doors!

1) Cherry

Cherry is easily one of the most vibrant woods on the market. Its natural color shade is a rich brown interspersed with hints of bright red that really make the natural wood grain pop out. Cherry wood usually isn’t stained a dark color. Instead, lighter stains or sealants are typically used to accentuate the natural beauty of this wood species.

2) Walnut

If you’re looking for a neutral-toned door, then walnut is a great choice. It has a deep brown color that’s reminiscent of coffee and dark chocolate. The grain is usually interspersed with light sand-colored grain, that accentuates the darker notes, making for a moderate door. Due to its natural dark color, lighter stains are usually used.

3) Mahogany

Mahogany is one of the heaviest hardwoods available, which makes it a good choice for larger folding door systems. Color-wise, it’s almost a combination between cherry and walnut. It features some of the vibrant red notes you’ll find in cherry, with the smooth brown-colored finish that you’d expect from walnut. Mahogany’s grain is very even, which lends itself to a solid-toned door without a lot of variety in the grain pattern.

4) Red and White Oak Varieties

Oak is one of the most popular wood varieties used in America due to its widespread availability. Both red and white oak trees have a very similar fine-grained appearance. The main difference between the two species is the shade of the wood.
Red oak tends to have a light nut-colored brown color, with hints of red in the grain. Conversely, white oak features caramel coloring with notes of white and grey in the grains.

5) Pine

Pine is another popular wood found in the U.S. and contributes to a classic, retro-styled appearance. Pine is most notable for its strong grain pattern and features a caramel or red-colored shade inlaid with dark brown or even black grains. Pine also has a distinct, sharp smell that’s reminiscent of Christmas trees.

6) Teak

Teak is one of the most durable hardwoods on the market and is commonly used for wooden boat-building or for the trim on boats. As long as it’s properly stained, you won’t have to worry about it absorbing too much water or succumbing to the outside elements.

Color-wise, teak has a light nutty-brown shade that’s interspersed with fine grains of dark coffee-brown. Overall, it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a neutral-shaded, durable wood folding door system.

What’s The Best Wood For Folding Doors?

All of the hardwoods we mentioned feature a similar level of durability. The main difference is the natural shade of the wood and its grain pattern. So, that being said, our “favorite” wood would have to be walnut. Due to its neutral brown tones, it can contribute to both modern and classical design, making it an extremely versatile wood species. It also has an incredibly smooth finish that you’ll notice every time you open and close your doors.

Wood-Clad Vs. All-Wood Folding Doors

As you’re shopping, you may notice that some manufacturers offer the option to purchase wood-clad doors as well as all-wood folding doors. So, what’s the difference?

An all-wood doorframe is made out of 100% wood. Of course, the door’s hardware and track are going to be metal, but the doorframe itself is all-wood.

Wood-clad doors, on the other hand, feature an aluminum skeleton that’s layered with thin wood panels on the outside. The main advantage of a wood-clad door is that it’s lighter-weight than an all-wood door system. You also won’t have some of the reliability issues that an all-wood door may cause.

Do Wood Doors Require A Lot Of Maintenance?

All-wood folding door systems typically require a fair amount of maintenance, which is why they’re not quite as common as aluminum or vinyl folding doors. As an exterior folding door, the doorframe is going to be exposed to the elements such as rain, ice, snow, humidity, and direct sunlight.

All of these can degrade the structural integrity of the door over time, meaning that you’ll need to stay on top of the door’s stain (which is its only protective layer). This means that you may need to touch-up or re-stain the doors completely every four to five years, depending on the climate they’re installed in.

Are Wood Folding Doors Expensive?

Compared to aluminum and vinyl/PVC doors, hardwood folding doors are a bit more expensive. This is mostly due to the fact that wood isn’t as readily available as aluminum and vinyl. The wood must be sourced from sustainable wood farms around the globe and must survive the rigors of shipping and elemental exposure.

Once the wood is delivered to the manufacturer, they must carefully inspect every plank for damage before precisely milling it down to create your doors. Overall, the process is lengthier and more labor-intensive, which makes for a more expensive folding door system.

Do Wood Folding Doors Come Factory Stained?

Yes! Almost all wood folding doors come stained from the factory. Manufacturers will typically offer customers a choice between several different shades of stain which can be applied to any of the wood species that they offer.

There are a couple of manufacturers that may offer unstained wood doors for those wishing to stain the doors themselves. However, we recommend getting them factory-stained whenever possible. This will help protect the doors from any moisture they may come into contact with during the shipping and delivery process.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing the best kind of wood for your folding doors, it can help to request wood samples from the manufacturer. This will allow you to hold up the different types of wood and see if they go well with your existing home decor and house color. Also, don’t forget that the stain you choose can significantly alter the natural appearance of the wood.

Whatever species of wood you end up choosing, though, just make sure that it’s something you’ll enjoy looking at every day. Wood folding doors can easily last up to a decade or longer, so make your decision based on the overall color scheme you’re going for in your home.