Doors made with stable woods are less affected by humidity so they re better at holding up to the elements.
Finishing alder doors.
If you have a favorite finish es for cherry the same finish es will likely look great on alder.
Wood entry door materials and finishes photo by keller keller.
Pre finishing saves time and money.
The best way to finish a knotty alder exterior door to preserve color.
It can be stained to resemble most popular wood finishes but it is a notoriously difficult wood to stain as it often results in uneven coloring without proper preparation.
At the link below i described the steps i used to finish a tv armoire that had alder doors poplar trim and birch ply panels.
With its subtle grain soft cherry like hue and decorative knots knotty alder is a preferred choice for exterior doors.
Good woods photo by manfred koh time inc.