Caring for unfinished wood exterior front doors

Take care to follow a few suggestions, and your door installation will proceed without a hitch! To begin, remember that your unfinished wood door is much more susceptible to environmental factors than are, say, fiberglass doors. It's important to keep unfinished wood products away from excessive heat, dry air, direct sunlight, or humidity. Handle them with clean gloves and never drag them across each other or the floor. Always store exterior front doors squarely on the edge, supported vertically-that is, not leaning. Interior doors must be stored flat, in a clean, dry environment. It's best to deliver the door to the job site after the plaster is dry, rather than storing it there. If a door is to be stored on-site for more than one week, all of the edges must be sealed. Before finishing, remove any handling marks with 150 grit sandpaper, and be sure to remove all dust. When finishing exterior front doors, be sure all exposed surfaces are sealed, including the top, bottom, side edges, and hardware cutouts. The time to apply sealer, primer, or first coat of finish is immediately after fitting, cutting for hardware, weatherstripping, etc. When it's dry, it's time to install hardware.

Remember that all hardware locations and preparations must be appropriate for that particular door. If you have any questions about which hardware you need, please feel free to contact our customer service professionals via phone or email. Each of our representatives has over ten years of experience in the industry, so you know you're always dealing with a competent, experienced staff member. Remember that any doors over 7' tall must have four hinges; doors under 7' are fine with three. Browse around WoodHavenDoors.com for more general information and advice pertaining to each type of door, whether your need to know about fiberglass doors, patio doors, or any other application or style.