Care, Storage & Finishing

Finishing & Aftercare

Timber doors need correct storage, careful fitting and suitable finishing. This guide explains how to protect your doors before, during and after installation, including painted, factory-finished and Primed+ products.

Before Fitting

  • Inspect all doors on delivery before trimming, drilling, painting, machining or fitting.
  • Store doors indoors, dry, flat or correctly supported.
  • Keep doors away from wet trades, plaster dust, direct heat, damp areas and unsuitable site conditions.
  • Allow timber products to acclimatise where site conditions have changed.
  • Report any transit damage or visible workshop concerns before installation begins.

Timber Movement

Timber is a natural material. Grain, colour, knots, figuring, shade and veneer pattern can vary from door to door.

Timber can also expand, contract, bow, cup or twist due to moisture, heat, dryness, storage, humidity and site conditions. Correct storage and finishing are essential.

Treatment & Sealing

  • All faces, edges and exposed timber areas must be correctly sealed or finished.
  • Cut-outs, hinge recesses, lock pockets, drilled holes and trimmed edges must be sealed immediately.
  • End grain is especially vulnerable to moisture and must be fully protected.
  • Failure to seal exposed timber can cause swelling, splitting, movement or coating failure.

During Installation

  • Dry-fit carefully before final fixing.
  • Do not force, wedge or twist doors into openings.
  • Use suitable tools, sharp blades and correct fitting methods.
  • Protect lippings, corners, edges, glazing bars and ironmongery areas during fitting.
  • Do not install a door if you believe it is damaged, incorrect or faulty.

Painted, Factory-Finished & Primed+ Doors

Factory-applied paint, primer and Primed+ finishes are supplied as fit-ready finishes for clean, careful installation. They are not a guarantee that no final site decoration, touch-in or adjustment coat will ever be needed after fitting.

Lipping lines, joint lines, edges, corners and ironmongery areas are part of normal timber door construction. Fine hairline cracks, paint film breaks, lipping paint splits or localised marks caused by fitting, forcing, wedging, trimming, drilling, handling or site conditions are site touch-in items rather than manufacturing faults.

Any cut, planed, drilled, machined or exposed timber area must be sealed or touched in immediately using a suitable coating system.

After Fitting

  • Check edges, corners, lipping joints, hinge areas, handle areas and glazing bars.
  • Apply local touch-ins where doors have been adjusted, drilled, trimmed, handled or knocked.
  • Clean with a soft cloth and mild cleaner only.
  • Avoid abrasive cleaners or harsh chemicals.
  • Maintain the finish regularly to protect the timber.

Acceptance

Fitting, trimming, drilling, painting, machining or installing a product will normally be treated as confirmation that the product has been checked and accepted for installation, except where a hidden defect could not reasonably have been identified beforehand.

Damage, handling marks or coating cracks caused during or after fitting are the responsibility of the customer and/or installer.

Important: this page should be read alongside your order confirmation, our Terms & Conditions, Return and Refund Policy, Shipping Policy and any product-specific fitting or finishing guidance supplied by WDC.
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