Use and Care Manual

DOOR WARRANTY AND POLICIES
F2
Care and Finishing Procedure for Wood Doors
Handling
1. Do not walk on any door units. Some units contain
glass.
2. Avoid dragging doors across one another and keep
doors clean. Handle with clean gloves.
3. Store flat on a level surface in a dry, well ventilated
building. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
4. Doors should be conditioned to average prevailing
relative humidity of the locality before hanging.
5. Doors should not be subjected to extreme or rapid
changes in heat or humidity. Avoid sudden changes
such as forced heat to dry out a building.
6. If the doors are to be stored on the job site, all
surfaces including ends and edges must be sealed
with an effective quality oil-base sealer within 72
hours to prevent undue moisture absorption.
7. Use three hinges on doors 7’0” in height or less, and
four hinges on doors over 7’0” in height.
Preparation for Finishing
1. Before applying the first coat of finish, sand the
entire surface lightly with (180 grit) sandpaper. This
removes fingerprints and handling marks, as well as
opening the wood grain to enhance the stain
penetration. For doors with square shaker sticking,
lightly ease the outside edge of the sticking with
sandpaper. To avoid cross-grain scratches, always
sand with the direction of the grain.
1. SPECIAL NOTE: Douglas Fir doors should also be
wiped down with Acetone prior to sanding. As
Douglas Fir has a heavy sap content, this extra step
will clean the surface of any sap stain.
2. Adjust or align components if necessary before
finishing. Wood panels "float" and may be knocked
into alignment with a wood block and hammer. Be
careful not to damage door.
3. After sanding, clean door thoroughly with a cloth to
remove all dust or foreign material. Do not use
caustic or abrasive cleaners.
4. Hang door before finishing, and then remove to
finish properly.
5. All surfaces of the door must be properly finished.
The edges (top, bottom and sides) should be coated
with each and every coat of finish that is applied to
the exterior surface of the door. Doors must be dry
before finishing.
6. On exterior doors that are glazed with clear glass,
the finish used should be flowed from the wood
slightly onto the glass. This will provide assurance
against water leakage and protect the glazing
compound "putty" from drying out.
In areas exposed to occasional rain, a secondary
“CAP BEAD” caulking must be applied between glass
and molding. See Figure 1
Figure 1: Caulk between Exterior Glass and Molding
*Note: It is the finisher's responsibility to protect
glass prior to and during finishing.
7. On doors that have plastic film protection on glass,
removal of plastic film protection immediately after
applying the finish is required. Failure to remove the
plastic film at this time may cause harm to the glass
and will create difficulty in removing the film at a
later time. Do not use razor blades or sharp objects
to remove the film or clean the glass. These items
will scratch the glass.