Installation & Treatment Guide

Internal Doors – How to Install

HANDLING & STORAGE

Doors should always be stored flat, ideally in the same room where they are to be installed. They should be protected from damp and dirt and located in an area where they will not be damaged during storage. Leave the door in its protective packaging until ready for treating and fitting.
Doors should not be fitted where extremes of temperature or humidity may occur, e.g. in a newly plastered room. In new build situations the doors should only be fitted when the property is ready for final decoration. Gentle internal heating and good ventilation of the building will greatly reduce the problem.

INSTALLATION

When trimming a door to fit, 6mm can be removed from each edge of the door to a maximum reduction of 12mm in both the height and width. Any reduction must be removed evenly from each edge of the door, (Excludes Fire Doors – See below).
Three hinges should be used to hang doors, particularly on glazed, heavyweight & fire doors or where large differences in temperature or humidity may occur, such as bathrooms.
Latches and locks should not be fitted adjacent to door mid-rails where the joint may be compromised.
All hardware screw holes should be pre-drilled to prevent splitting of the timber.
Paint and Peel should be left in place until painting or staining has been completed. Some glass styles are smooth on one side and
obscure on the other: Please check that the obscure glazed faces of multiple doors are orientated in the same direction, e.g. if installing 2 glazed doors side by side.
Fire doors have individual fitting guidelines and the installer must refer to the Global Assessment Report referenced on the front of the Label.

FINISHING

Bare timber doors will require a light sanding prior to finishing. Take care when finishing glazed doors to ensure that the finish does not go on the glass. Secondary protection such as masking tape may be necessary, including on Paint and Peel protected doors.
All timber surfaces should be fully finished. When applying the finish pay particular attention to sealing the timber end grain on the tops and bottoms of the doors: Ensure that all lock, latch and hinge cut-outs are also fully treated. Refer to the finish manufacturer’s
instructions for number of coats to be applied. Failure to treat all the timber surfaces may lead to excessive changes in moisture content which will cause the timber to shrink or swell,
possibly causing splits and distortion. White Primed doors require a top coat after fitting. They are only suitable for painting.
Factory finished doors will require any bare timber areas caused by trimming and hardware fitting, to be adequately treated before final fitting.

FINISHING SUMMARY

DO

  • Use a good quality paint, stain or varnish.
  • Apply to all faces and edges.
  • Apply the same number of coats equally to the face, edges, lock, latch and hinge cut-outs.
  • Apply at least 1 coat of finish as soon as possible after unpacking the door
  • Check that the finish manufacturers’ product is suitable for veneered / engineered doors


DO NOT

  • Use thin penetrating seals, oils, wax, dyes or hard, brittle finishes.
  • Use thinned / mixed paints or stains.
  • Mix incompatible products, e.g. paint on one door face and stain on the opposite face.


MAINTENANCE


Regular maintenance of the finish must be carried out to ensure the long term protection of the doors.
Note: Storing, installing or finishing the product in a manner not detailed in these instructions may invalidate the warranty.

External Doors – How to Install

 

HANDLING & STORAGE

Doors should always be stored flat, ideally in a similar environment to where they are to be installed. They should be protected from damp and dirt and located in an area where they will not be damaged during storage. Doors should not be fitted where extremes of temperature or humidity may occur. A building which has been recently built or renovated, using processes such as concreting, plastering, rendering, etc., will have a very high humidity level until dried and ventilated. Gentle internal heating and good ventilation of the building will greatly reduce the problem. Doors should remain in their packaging until ready for preparation before hanging

INSTALLATION

When trimming a door to fit, 12mm can be removed from each edge of the door to a maximum reduction of 24mm in both the height and width. Any reduction must be removed evenly from each edge of the door. External doors must have a weather bar or rain deflector fitted to ensure that water runs away from the face and bottom edge of the door. A drip bead should be fitted to prevent moisture ingress to the top edge of the door, e.g. fitted to the door frame head. Three hinges should be used to hang the door. Stable doors require 4 hinges and a weather seal fitted between the 2 leafs. All hardware screw holes should be pre-drilled to prevent splitting of the timber. Locks should not be fitted adjacent to door mid-rails where the joint may be compromised.
Some glass styles are smooth on one side and obscure on the other: Please check that the obscure glazed faces of multiple doors are orientated in the same direction, e.g. if installing 2 glazed doors side by side.
In areas of severe exposure, external doors should be protected by a canopy or porch in addition to recommended finishing.

FINISHING

Bare timber doors will require a light sanding prior to finishing. Take care when finishing glazed doors to ensure that the finish does not go on the glass. Secondary protection such as masking tape may be necessary. All timber surfaces must be given a total of three coats of high performance wood- stain or paint. It is important to apply the treatment to the door before final installation.
When applying the finish pay particular attention to sealing the timber end grain on the tops and bottoms of the doors and any grooved areas within the door design: It is recommended that 2 coats of an end grain sealant are used on the top and bottom edges of the door prior to final finishing of the door. Ensure that all lock, letterbox and hinge cut-outs are also finished to the same degree as visible surfaces. Failure to treat all the timber surfaces may lead to excessive changes in moisture content which will cause the timber to shrink or swell, possibly causing splits and distortion. Clear translucent coatings are not recommended as the timber may discolour through UV degradation.

PRE-FINISHING SUMMARY

DO

  • Use a “High Build” tinted wood-stain or good quality exterior paint
  • Apply a minimum of 3 coats to all faces and edges (in severe exposure conditions apply extra coats)
  • Apply the same number of coats equally to the face, edge, lock, letterbox and hinge cut-outs.
  • Apply at least 1 coat immediately upon unpacking the door
  • Check that paint or stain manufacturers’ product is suitable for veneered/ engineered doors


DO NOT

 

  • Use thin penetrating seals, oils, wax, dyes, preservatives or hard, brittle varnish finishes.
  • Apply stains or paints in damp / wet weather
  • Use thinned/ mixed paints or stains
  • Mix incompatible products, e.g. paint on one door face and stain on the opposite face.


MAINTENANCE

To ensure the long life and appearance of the door, all coatings should be washed down annually to remove any surface pollution. Periodically check the finishing treatment and touch up as necessary. Fully retreat the door every few years as required and depending on degree of exposure.
Note: Storing, installing or finishing the product in a manner not detailed in these instructions may invalidate the warranty.