When it comes to choosing new doors, oak and pine are two of the most popular choices available. Similar in appearance, these two woods make an excellent choice across a number of homes and commercial properties.
But with differences in areas like cost and durability, how do you know which is the right choice for you?
In this comparison guide, we’re outlining the key differences between oak doors and pine doors to help you make the right decision.
Oak Doors
Many people opt for oak doors thanks to their durability, appearance and long-term cost-effectiveness.
Oak is a hardwood, making it great for doors as it will stand the test of time. In terms of its appearance oak has a close natural wood grain and can vary in natural colour from light beige tones to subtle red undertones within the wood itself.
However, many options allow for oak doors to be altered with stains and oils, not only ensuring you get the look you want without compromising on quality but helping you refresh your doors as your interior changes, with little cost.
How Much Do Oak Doors Cost?
Overall, oak doors are a cost-effective choice, especially when you compare their great durability and longevity with the price paid. Typically, oak doors cost anywhere between £90 and £150 but can be more expensive depending on style, glazing, custom sizing and other varying factors.
At Doordeals, our collection of oak doors starts at £92 (at the time of writing) with our Oak Belize, a solid core oak door with contemporary vertical panelling.
Other models in our low-mid price range include the traditional 4-panelled Oak London and our Oak LP Shaker, an oak door with glass panelling, as an alternative to the solid core doors commonly offered.
Other more expensive models include the Corsica Oak 1 FD30 Fire Door and Oak Reims Clear Glazed Pair, a pair of stylish internal French doors which divide living spaces while providing flexibility when entertaining.
As with any wood product, oak doors will need the proper maintenance to keep these looking and functioning at their best. Be mindful to consider what type of door you’re considering too as the door care advice for painted doors and natural doors will differ slightly.
Maintaining Natural Oak Doors
Maintaining natural oak doors is about protecting the natural wood as much as possible, keeping the wood supple and preventing any discolouration, rot or breakage.
Oak doors should be treated regularly with appropriate finishing products such as varnishes. Varnishes offer a great layer of protection to the natural wood and are more durable than oils. However, oil-based finishing products can help buff out scratches, scrapes and scuffs.
Maintaining Painted Oak Doors
Painted oak doors can be maintained regularly with a soft, damp cloth. As they’ve been painted this will act as a protective coating against the natural wood. However, if dust and dirt start to build up on the doors these can be removed with a damp cloth. It’s also worth noting that if painted doors get too wet this can affect the colour of the paint, so take this into consideration when maintaining doors of this type.
How Durable Are Oak Doors
Oak doors are incredibly durable and hard-wearing, making them a great investment for properties of all types, whether domestic or commercial. At Doordeals, our collection of oak doors features solid core doors, a type of door which is often more popular than solid wood doors. The structure of a solid core door means they are less sensitive to changes in temperature and weather so are less likely to warp and swell. However, the oak exterior provides a strong and sturdy finish to the door, bringing with it many of oak’s most desirable qualities and attributes.
Oak Doors: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Oak doors
Durability - Oak doors are incredibly durable. As a hardwood, oak is one of the strongest woods available making it a great choice for both wooden doors and solid-core doors.
Thermal Insulation - Oak has great thermal qualities making it a great choice for keeping homes warm and energy bills low!
Easy to Match- If you’ve opted for natural oak doors the good news is these are easy to pair with other furniture and even floors for a completely seamless look throughout your home.
Noise Insulation - Oak doors are great at reducing noise in homes too, which is good news for those with young children or home offices.
Disadvantages of Oak doors
Moisture Sensitive - Oak doors can be prone to moisture damage so they’re not suitable for use in rooms like bathrooms and kitchens where moisture from steam and water can build up. However, when treated correctly and well maintained this shouldn’t be an issue and shouldn’t affect the longevity or performance of your oak doors.
Cost - Oak can be a more expensive option when compared to similar woods which can make it more expensive when replacing several doors
Natural tone and grain - Oak’s natural tone can be darker than other woods and unsuitable for certain interiors
Pine Doors
As an alternative to oak, pine is another popular choice for internal doors.
While similar in appearance, pine is a softwood which can mean differences in areas such as maintenance, durability and insulation when compared to oak doors. However, pine is still a great choice thanks to its cost-effectiveness, the variety of styles available and its versatility. As with oak, pine can be both stained and painted and comes in a host of different styles and shades of both natural stain and coloured paints. As a relatively durable wood, this versatility means that you can refresh your pine doors as your interior changes, saving you costly replacements and keeping your home looking brilliant.
How Much Do Pine Doors Cost?
Typically, pine doors are slightly cheaper than oak doors in like-for-like styles. On average, pine doors start from around £70 and as with oak, can vary in price depending on several style factors such as glazing, panelling and different finishes.
At Doordeals, our collection starts at £79 (at the time of writing) with our Clear Pine 4 Panel (also available as a 6-panel style for the same price) and our Clear Pine Richmond Ready to Glaze doors.
How to Maintain Pine Doors
Pine doors require slightly more maintenance than oak doors thanks to the type of wood and its characteristics. As with oak doors, pine internal doors can be treated and maintained with stains, varnishes, sealants and paints but there might be extra steps needed, depending on the type of pine and its quality.
Knotting is very common in pine, which is where small dark marks appear naturally in the wood. These are part of the natural wood grain but can darken and raise over time. If your pine has visible knots you’ll want to seal these before any finishing. Using a sealant before priming will keep these knots from raising underneath the paint, varnish or stain you’ve chosen and keep a flat, uniform finish to the door’s surface. If unsealed, knots can raise upwards and cause distortion to the door’s surface.
As with most woods, regular cleaning (at least twice yearly) and application of varnishes will help maintain the wood. However, if painted, pine doors require less maintenance and cleaning with a soft, damp (not wet) cloth will rid the door of any surface dirt that collects over time.
How Durable Are Pine Doors
Pine is a soft wood so although the wood itself isn’t ‘soft’ to the touch it is more susceptible to damage than alternative materials such as oak. Typically, softwoods are slightly more sensitive to scratching and surface damage such as scuffs, dents and other cosmetic damage than hardwood alternatives.
However, that doesn’t mean that pine doors are not a durable option. Pine is best suited to internal use rather than external doors but when used in external doors it will withstand plenty of use before showing any signs of wear and tear.
Pine Doors: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of Pine Doors
Cost Effective - Pine doors are more cost-effective than oak, particularly if you’re replacing a lot of doors or fitting doors in a new home.
Versatile - As a wood, pine can be treated with stains, varnishes and paints making it a very versatile wood for doors, allowing you to create a finish that pairs perfectly with your interior
Lightweight - as softwood, pine’s structure makes it more lightweight than other woods such as oak which will make it easier to install your own doors and replace/repair things such as hinges than with large, heavyweight doors.
Disadvantages of Pine Doors
Durability - Pine is a soft wood so pine doors are less durable than hardwood doors such as oak and are more likely to accumulate surface marks such as dents or scuffs.
Imperfections - Unlike oak, pine often has surface imperfections such as knotting and knot holes which can affect the overall appearance of the door.
Maintenance - Due to its tendency for knotting, pine can require more maintenance to ensure that these knots do not rise or push up from the surface of the wood.
Choosing the Right Wooden Door
As similar woods, there are roughly the same amount of pros and cons supporting both oak and pine as choices for internal doors. However, some things like budget or performance will outrank others when it comes to your decision. Ultimately, there is no ‘best door’ and a lot of what makes a door right for your property will be personal preference, budget and personal requirement.
Before you make a choice and buy new doors take one last look at our comparison table and make sure you’re making the right choice for your home.
Next steps
Finding the right internal doors for your space doesn’t just stop with material, it involves style and even space too. At Doordeals we stock a host of different internal door styles from shaker doors to traditional panelled doors and space-saving doors like bi-folds and internal french doors.
If you’re in the process of choosing your internal doors read our buyer's guide to internal doors, a helpful, comprehensive guide on interior door styles and their benefits.