Timber Door Care And Maintenance

Timber Door Maintenance

Many people question us about the longevity and maintenance of timber doors and to be honest we have seen over the many years that the secret is you either love timber as a material or you don't. It is one of the most versatile of materials to work with for garage doors and external products generally and although the timber really needs to be treated to remain stable, these days if you use the right timber treatment from the outset you may sell find the ongoing maintenance to be no worse and maybe even better than a painted steel or Upvc door. Timber grows outside and is great for outside use in building if machined, cut and assembled correctly.

Timber can be refinished whenever required to a different shade, timber can be repaired if it gets damaged, have you ever tried to repair steel or Upvc before? Timber is a great insulator in natural form so will provide excellent insulation if specified correctly from the outset. Timber provides a classic and warm feel with the unique graining and shading it provides and every door is unique in some way or other when built. Timber is incredibly strong and resistant to weathering with some clients even wanting the doors untreated to cultivate a weathered look

One of the leading manufacturers of timber garage doors, Woodrite Doors, produced a leaflet recently on the treatment and care of their timber garage doors and it does offer great advice on looking after your new timber door once fitted. Every mechanical item and product installed outside needs some form of maintenance as we have such a diverse climate here in the UK. Even if it is just a gentle surface cleaning every so often it will make an enormous difference to the longevity of the door panel.

Woodrite Timber Garage Doors - Side Hinged and Up and Over - Care & Maintenance

Doors Supplied Base coated in Light Oak (Western Red Cedar only)

Preparation

Lightly de-nib all surfaces with fine grade abrasive paper, e.g P280 or P320, rubbing in the direction of the grain to produce a smooth finish and provide a key for subsequent coats of decorative stain. Wash the surface with clean warm water to remove any dirt, grease and all denibbing dust. Always allow surfaces to dry naturally.

Method of Application - Applying the Product

The stain should be applied in a full flowing coat, using a long synthetic bristle brush, laying off in the direction of the grain; using the minimum number of brush strokes necessary to produce an acceptable finish. Avoid over brushing, as this will reduce the protection afforded. Always pay special attention to any area of exposed end grain, tops and bottoms of doors and undersides of thresholds. Please remember that your door will need to be treated on both sides and all exposed timber on the sides, tops and bottoms. 

Plywood doors and Raised and Fielded Door panels

Decide on whether to start on the left or the right hand side of the door. Coat the cedar moulding around the first panel then complete the panel itself, carefully wiping excess stain from the face of the moulded section with a damp cloth. Treat each panel in the same way until all panels are coated. The faces of each of the vertical uprights between panels should then be coated, with any excess coating on horizontal rails wiped off with a damp cloth to avoid build-up of stain at each vertical or horizontal join. The top horizontal rail should then be finished and finally the bottom horizontal rail.

Tongue & Groove Door panels

Decide on whether to start on the left or the right hand side of the door. Coat the first section of boarding, leaving the outer rails till later. Brush the stain into the grooves each side of the first board then fully coat the complete board. Carefully wipe off excess stain with a damp cloth from the outer vertical or horizontal rails to avoid build-up of stain which will dry before the door can be completed. Brush stain into the next groove and finish board, remove excess as described above. Complete the full width of the door in the same manner. The top horizontal rail should be coated, followed by the bottom rail, finally finishing the vertical rails.
Two coats of topcoat stain should be applied to all exposed surfaces. The second coat should be applied to all exposed surfaces as soon as possible after the first coat has dried, but no sooner than 5 hours.

Weather Conditions

Do not apply if there is a risk of rain, high winds or when air temperatures are below 8ºc or above 25ºc during application and drying periods. Protect from frost and rain until dry, failure to meet these requirements may adversely affect the drying, visual quality and durability of the finish.

**Please note these are guidance notes only – always use a top quality water-based stain and ensure you read the stain manufacturer's instructions carefully prior to finishing your timber door**

Maintenance of fully finished Western Red Cedar doors and existing coatings

The period between maintenance applications will vary and is dependent upon the degree of exposure, elevation, design of the door panel. A lightening of colour, reduction in sheen as the coating erodes, and a loss of water repellency indicate the need for maintenance

Follow instructions for the Base coated door – if a definite colour change is chosen, more than one coat maybe required.

Doors Supplied White Primed (Western Red Cedar only)

Timber panels that have been supplied White Primed have been given one coat of a waterborne tannin blocking primer that has been spray applied under factory conditions. Western Red Cedar can be problematic when using white or light colours as a finish because of the soluble extractives contained within the timber that can leach through a waterborne coating system.

To reduce the risk of this phenomenon occurring it is recommended that a solvent-borne coating system is to be applied over the waterborne primer. The primer is compatible with most commercially available solvent-borne coating systems, but it is always advisable to try a small test area. Even using a solvent-borne system does not guarantee that it will not occur.

Irrespective of the product selected, always follow the manufactures technical instructions and pay particular attention to end grain at the top and bottom of the doors.

Doors Supplied Fully Finished RAL Colours (Western Red Cedar Only)

Timber panels that have been supplied factory fully finished have been given one coat of a waterborne tannin blocking primer and two top coats that has been spray applied under factory conditions. Western Red Cedar can be problematic when using white or light colours such as a finish because of the soluble extractives contained within the timber that can leach through a waterborne coating system. Therefore, to try and reduce the risk of this phenomenon occurring when re-treating, it is recommended that a solvent-borne coating system is employed. Always follow the manufacturer’s technical instructions and pay particular attention to end grain at the top and bottom of the doors.

Fully Finished Idigbo doors

To help optimise the life of surfaces factory treated, the following procedures should be followed:
All vertical treated surfaces should be at least annually cleaned to remove all atmospheric soiling. If you need to restain your door a fine grade abrasive paper e.g P280 or P320 should be used, rubbing in the direction of the grain to produce a smooth finish and provide a key for subsequence coats of stain. Wash the surface with a damp clean cloth or sponge and allow surfaces to dry naturally.