Available Materials

Mahogany is probably the most elegant hardwood, especially for furniture quality work and traditional appeal. Estate Millwork can fabricate louver doors from imported African Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany, Santos Mahogany and other special varieties. The natural shades of Mahogany run from a light reddish brown to a chocolate brown, and generally the louvered doors look best if stained dark, with a high gloss finish. For customers looking for an artistic personalization, we can manufacture the louvered door frames in one species of mahogany, and the fixed or operable louvers in another species for a stunning but subtle contrast. It is an excellent selection for either interior or exterior louvered doors.

Cherry is a domestic and lighter hued hardwood with excellent grain and a long tradition of use in interior millwork and cabinetry. We use American Black Cherry predominately, and it can be stained with lighter tones, or heavier tones to bring out the reds in the cherry. Although there are exterior stains that can be used, cherry is best suited for interior applications where its softness and richness of tone can enhance libraries, studies, or bays of louvered closet doors or custom cabinetry. We even have customers and boat builders who use our cherry louvered cabinet doors and passage doors on boats because it makes an excellent compliment to teak.

America is full of many varieties of Oak, and much of the Red Oak and White Oak which we use to produce our louver doors is harvested locally, within 20 miles of our plant. Oak is a very strong and stiff wood, but also elegant. It is commonly used in furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and rustic exposed beam construction. Red oak has a very slight red coloration when it is harvested and a wider, less straight grain structure than white oak, but both varieties make for stout, attractive doors. Both are an excellent option for interior or exterior (painted) applications.

Estate Millwork uses top grades of Hard Maple for door construction. Maple is a light toned wood, with delicate grain and which finishes beautifully. Maple louvered doors are ideal for contemporary construction, modern homes, and casework. Because of its hardness, Maple will give many lasting years of service.

Poplar is an abundant and economical choice for a premium grade louvered door. It is a light yellowish shade with hints of green in its natural state, but can be easily stained both light and dark because of the moderate nature of its grain. Poplar is definitely the hard wood of choice for paint-grade applications since it is smooth, finishes well and easily, and is the most economical of all of the hardwoods. Estate Millwork procures and inventories large quantities of poplar because it is such a high demand and versatile product

Imported Teak is one of the hardest woods available and is an excellent option for marine or exterior applications where weather will put high demands on the wood. In it's natural state, Teak is a light grain, but is often stained with deep reds and browns to create an effect of timeless elegance. The wood is extremely dense and strong, and makes for a very heavy louvered door. Because of its natural resiliency, it is in high demand for exterior applications, even in an unfinished state it can withstand the elements. In addition to traditional standard applications like cabana doors, pool doors, loggia cabinetry, and marine applications, it is used for exterior furniture and even for interior cabinetry.

Estate Millwork imports Spanish Cedar from South America, and offers FSC certified varieties. Spanish Cedar has a very high content of tannic acid, and as a result is resistant to insects, fungus, and moisture. With a reddish, straight grain, it is very similar to Mahogany, but is probably a slightly better choice for exterior applications. It can be stained or painted, and although not as hard as teak, is a very good choice for either an exterior or interior louvered door.