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The Beauty of Pennsylvania Hardwoods: Ideal Choices for Entry Doors

Steven Edwards • Mar 27, 2024

Pennsylvania’s native hardwoods offer a rich palette of options for homeowners and designers looking to create entry doors combining beauty, durability and local charm.

a close view of a hardwood

Pennsylvania, with its rich forests and diverse ecosystems, is home to a variety of hardwoods that are not only aesthetically pleasing but durable and practical for crafting entry doors. Explore some of the most popular hardwoods native to Pennsylvania favored for making entry doors, highlighting their unique characteristics and benefits.


White Oak: The Stalwart Choice

White oak is a staple in Pennsylvania’s hardwood selection, renowned for its strength, durability and resistance to weather elements. Its dense grain and subtle, attractive patterning make it an excellent choice for entry doors. White oak’s natural resistance to moisture and decay is a significant advantage, ensuring doors made from this wood withstand the test of time and varying climatic conditions. The wood’s light color and grain texture enable versatile design options, fitting both traditional and contemporary styles.


Cherry: Rich and Warm

Cherry wood, with its rich, warm tones, brings an air of sophistication and elegance to any entryway. Native to Pennsylvania, cherry is valued for its smooth grain and unique color, which deepens to a reddish-brown hue as it ages. While slightly softer than oak, cherry is still a durable choice for doors, offering moderate weather resistance and a striking appearance that makes a statement in both modern and classic home designs.


Black Walnut: Distinguished and Robust

Black walnut is another hardwood native to Pennsylvania, and it is highly sought after for its deep, dark color and strong grain patterns. Known for its robustness and excellent workability, black walnut creates entry doors that are not only beautiful but also exceptionally sturdy. Its rich color palette ranges from light brown to dark chocolate, providing a luxurious and distinctive look that can enhance the curb appeal of any home.


Hard Maple: Light and Durable

Hard maple, often found in the cooler regions of Pennsylvania, is known for its light color and fine, even grain. It is a hardy wood that resists wear and tear, making it suitable for entry doors that endure heavy use. Maple’s natural light hue offers a fresh and clean look, ideal for contemporary designs that emphasize brightness and simplicity.


Hickory: Tough and Textured

Hickory stands out for its exceptional hardness and distinctive grain pattern, featuring pronounced contrasts between its light and dark wood fibers. This toughness makes hickory an excellent choice for entry doors, particularly in high-traffic areas or homes that require extra durability. Its varied coloration, from creamy whites to medium browns, adds a rustic charm that is perfect for country-style or traditional homes.


Pennsylvania’s native hardwoods offer a rich palette of options for homeowners and designers looking to create entry doors combining beauty, durability and local charm. Whether you prefer the robust and timeless appeal of white oak, the elegant warmth of cherry, the distinguished presence of black walnut, the light and durable nature of hard maple or the tough and textured character of hickory, these woods provide the perfect materials to craft doors that welcome guests with style. Choosing hardwoods native to Pennsylvania for entry doors brings a piece of the state’s natural heritage into your home.

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