Door Care

STORAGE

  • Doors should only be delivered to site immediately prior to fixing.
  • Timber will react to major fluctuations in temperature and moisture. Precautions must be taken to prevent this.
  • The storage area should be well ventilated and not recently plastered.
  • Doors should not be stored against external walls.
  • Moisture content of timber doors should be kept even during storage and installation.
  • Extra care should be taken in centrally heated and air-conditioned buildings.

 

 

HANDLING AND STACKING

    • Store doors perfectly flat on level supports the full width of the door.
    • One support must be laid across the centre and two others 300mm from each end.
    • Bottom supports should be covered with cardboard and/or padding to prevent marking to the door.

 

 

INSTALLATION

  • If trimming doors, equal amounts of material should always be removed from each edge.
  • Avoid the fitting of locks at rail joints.
  • For double glazed units or leaded lights, Low Modulus Neutral curing (LMN) silicone must be used.

 

 

PROTECTION

  • Doors which are supplied in their raw (unpainted) state must be sealed, knotted, primed or lacquered
    immediately after delivery. This sealing must be applied to all six surfaces – front/back face and all four edges.
  • Doors which are supplied primed must be further treated as detailed below. The primer is applied for transit
    purposes only and is not a waterproof coat. 
  • It is imperative that further coats of high quality finish be applied to manufacturer’s guidelines before the door
    is exposed to the elements. This is particularly important in respect of the tops and bottoms of the door stiles
    where the grain is exposed. Failure to do this will lead to moisture ingress and swelling/warping. 
  • Edges of doors and other surfaces which have been cut must be sealed, particularly when exposing the end
    grain. This also applies to apertures caused when letting in hinges, locks, letterplates etc. 
  • The door must be coated equally on all faces to allow a balanced movement of any moisture. 
  • We do not recommend polyurethane varnishes for external doors or the use of water-based finishes on
    internal or external doors.

 

 

Wood is a natural product and minor swelling or shrinking is not a defect but a normal characteristic of the
material. This may occur due to variations in climatic and atmospheric conditions such as temperature and
humidity. Adherence to the above points will help minimise these effects and ensure years of pleasure from
your new door.