SamG340
Established Member
Could anyone help me identify what type of wood this door is made of pls ?
What wood
- Thread starter SamG340
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An educated guess would be sapele, if you remove the handles you may get a better idea as your door looks heavily stained- I hung a door like that several years ago and the wood was as hard as nails and didn’t like being planed cut or drilled 
SamG340
Established Member
An educated guess would be sapele, if you remove the handles you may get a better idea as your door looks heavily stained- I hung a door like that several years ago and the wood was as hard as nails and didn’t like being planed cut or drilled
Sounds promising
SamG340
Established Member
Seller has told me they're mahogany
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
No chance. Just a cheapo modern door made of sapele or something similar.
Usualy find some parts hard some related to balsa you can see from the center rh panel two disimilar woods joined causing the dark / light effect i used to buy these doors for cheap quick replacment on old houses cost about £70 to £80 quid
Richard_C
Established Member
Almost certainly sapele, sometimes confusingly called "sapele mahogany" by some sellers.
All of the internal doors in my house are just like those, house built 1986 ish. I can live with them but wouldn't choose them, I've stained with a high build dark woodstain a few times over the years (been here 25) but the end grain on the chamfers is still pretty rough and nasty and it took a few coats to get anything like an even colour.
There are many varieties of mahogany so its not impossible I suppose but I doubt anyone paying for 'real mahogany' would accept what look to be inexpensive handles.
All of the internal doors in my house are just like those, house built 1986 ish. I can live with them but wouldn't choose them, I've stained with a high build dark woodstain a few times over the years (been here 25) but the end grain on the chamfers is still pretty rough and nasty and it took a few coats to get anything like an even colour.
There are many varieties of mahogany so its not impossible I suppose but I doubt anyone paying for 'real mahogany' would accept what look to be inexpensive handles.
JimB
Established Member
Used to see something similar across here described as Philippines mahogany. It is related to meranti I think.
SamG340
Established Member
SamG340
Established Member
Thanks everyone appreciate the help . Got them for £40 each, they'll do for the now
whitty
Established Member
I am sure it will be Meranti, fitted loads on the 70s. They will be quite light unlike Sapele which is much heavier. We used to call it pink Balsa.
thetyreman
Established Member
had a very similar door myself, it was meranti definitely not sapele, you can tell the difference if you go over with a scraper or plane and get it back to the natural colour.
SamG340
Established Member
Collecting them on Friday will post pics
Orraloon
Established Member
Meranti can vary a lot but sometimes there are nice bits of wood in the mix. Its used a lot for doors and windows as its quite stable so movement issues are reduced. If you ever get the chance to pick the good boards it can be quite good.
Regards
John
Regards
John
Paul t
Member
Usualy find they are of dowel construction so if used externaly prone to failure on joints unless well protected
Keith 66
Established Member
Meranti is one of a closely related group of timbers that used to be known as Philipine mahogany, Luan is another name & was often used for doors & window frames. It can be as soft & nearly as light as balsa, Often has many thundershakes in it.
At the other extreme is Dark red meranti, I have two 18ft boards of this stuff, a rich deep red with an almost purple tinge.
It is enormously heavy & very hard.
At the other extreme is Dark red meranti, I have two 18ft boards of this stuff, a rich deep red with an almost purple tinge.
It is enormously heavy & very hard.
Sam how wide is the door in the picture only looks about 27" or is it an optical illusion
Doug71
Established Member
Hard to say what wood it is under all that dust, can't tell if they are stained or not?
As said most likely Meranti or Sapele but you never know as Mahogany was used for stuff a lot more back in the day
Off the wall suggestion here, I fitted a few Cherry doors maybe 25 years ago which looked like that, they had the narrow lock rail which I think just looks wrong. The other thing is the difference in colour in the panel and also in the right hand stile, a lot of the Meranti ones were very bland colour wise. Probably not but you never know.
As said most likely Meranti or Sapele but you never know as Mahogany was used for stuff a lot more back in the day
Off the wall suggestion here, I fitted a few Cherry doors maybe 25 years ago which looked like that, they had the narrow lock rail which I think just looks wrong. The other thing is the difference in colour in the panel and also in the right hand stile, a lot of the Meranti ones were very bland colour wise. Probably not but you never know.
