Which Wood is Better: Rustic Alder or Eastern White Pine for Western-Style Saloon Doors?

Looking for new swinging wood doors? Or are you interested in bringing your favorite saloon doors home?

Adding Western-style swinging doors to your kitchen adds personality to your home. This addition is an element your guests won't forget! Rustic Alder vs pine wood is great for interior doors and furniture making. You can determine if a dense wood species is preferred over a softer wood. Both wood options are available in a light brown color.

But, you may be asking yourself, "Which wood should I get?" It can be hard to know which wood to pick when you're beginning to look.

Two popular wood choices are Rustic Knotty Alder and Eastern White Pine. Below, we'll outline the benefits of each to see which wood is best for your swinging doors!

Personal Preferences

When it comes to buying wood for swinging doors, you need to think about your preferences. You can choose any type of wood, but first evaluating what you need saves time and energy!

Think About the Usage

You also need to think about where your swinging wood door will go. Will your swinging doors be in an area of the house with a lot of traffic? Do you have young children who will frequently use the doors?

Thinking about these things will help you decide if you'd like to use hardwood or softwood. It can also help you decide on what doors you want to build!

Think About Your Style

Does your kitchen have a theme? Or do you have lots of light brown wood in your home?

These are a few things to consider before picking a wood! Many kinds of wood can be stained darker, but you cannot lighten naturally dark wood. If you would like a lighter look, choose a wood that is consistent. This means you don't need to stain it and the finish is the same all over the wood. If you want a darker look, go for wood that absorbs stains easily. This information should be supplied by the seller when you go to buy your wood.

The Differences in Knotty Alder and Eastern White Pine

To pick the best wood for your swinging doors, you need to know the available options! Rustic Alder and Eastern White Pine are two prominent choices.

Rustic Alder

In summary, Rustic Alder wood is a type of wood that is known for its durability, versatility, and natural beauty. It is a hardwood species that is commonly used in cabinetry, furniture, and flooring and has a light color that ranges from pale yellow to reddish-brown. It is known for its knotty appearance and has a medium density, which makes it easy to work. Alder is a hardwood that grows in the Pacific Northwest region of America. Alder wood is light brown and has an even finish. It gives a classic look and is a popular choice for furniture.

Advantages of Rustic Alder

One of the main advantages of Rustic Alder wood is its ability to take stains and finish well. This allows it to be stained to match a variety of different design styles, from traditional to modern.

This wood also holds stains well. To add a rustic look, use any stain that fits your home or a light coat of white paint. The stain will bring out beautiful grain patterns and knots.

Alder swinging doors will be durable and ideal for homes with many people. The characteristics of alder wood vary depending on the external conditions of the wood species

Eastern White Pine

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a type of wood that is commonly used in construction, cabinetry, and flooring. It is a softwood species that is known for its light color, straight grain pattern, and natural beauty, it's a soft lightweight wood.

Eastern White Pine wood has a light color that ranges from pale yellow to creamy white, with a straight grain pattern that is sometimes interspersed with small knots. The wood is relatively lightweight and has a low density, which makes it easy to work with. It's also known for its stability, it doesn't warp or twist easily. 

Advantages of Eastern White Pine

One of the main advantages of Eastern White Pine wood is its versatility. It can be used for a wide range of applications, including construction, cabinetry, flooring, and millwork. The wood is also relatively inexpensive wood compared to other species of wood. Eastern White Pine is a renewable resource that is harvested in managed forests, making it an environmentally friendly option. However, it's important to note that because it is a softwood species, it's not as durable as hardwoods, and may not hold up as well in high-traffic areas or in areas that are exposed to moisture.

Eastern White Pine wood is also good for interior use because of its natural knotty appearance and ability to absorb stains and paint. It's also used for creating a rustic or country-style look.

Pine is a beautiful softwood from the Eastern United States. It tends to have a more natural rustic look than Alder woods. Pine wood is more varied than alder and does not hold stains well.

Especially the Eastern White Pine, this wood can have a pale white tone, with green hues throughout. It is often used in log homes to provide a raw look and many woodworking projects. Easy to source and affordable wood species.

Pine swinging doors may work best in lower-traffic areas since the softwood dents easily.

Which Wood Will Win?

Ultimately, the choice of which wood is better is up to you!

Alder wood is a hardwood species that is known for its durability, versatility, and natural beauty. It has a light color ranging from pale yellow to reddish-brown, with a straight grain pattern that is sometimes interspersed with small knots. The wood is relatively lightweight and has a medium density, which makes it easy to work with. Alder wood takes stains and finishes well, making it a cost-effective option.

Pine wood, on the other hand, is a softwood species that is known for its light color, straight grain pattern, and natural beauty. It has a light color ranging from pale yellow to creamy white, with a straight grain pattern that is sometimes interspersed with small knots. The wood is relatively lightweight and has a low density, which makes it easy to work with. Pine wood is also known for its stability, it doesn't warp or twist easily.

Great Deciding Points

When it comes to durability, Alder wood is stronger and more durable than Pine wood, due to its hardwood classification. But Pine wood is also stable, and it's not as prone to warping or twisting as other softwoods.

In terms of cost, Pine wood is usually less expensive than Alder wood.

In terms of appearance, both kinds of wood can have a natural knotty look, but Pine wood is often used for rustic or country-style projects, while Alder wood is more versatile and can match different design styles. For the best bet when picking wood options, determine the overall design preferred, finish (stain or paint), grain pattern or uniform texture, and dense hardwood option to select the best material for your kitchen cabinets, furniture, or interior or exterior front doors. Learn about other ash, cherry and oak wood  here. 

Both alder and pine have benefits that add character to your home additional a beautiful grain pattern. Contact us today to get a quote on your custom swinging doors!