We only stock good quality doors that have been manufactured to the highest standards using the finest raw materials available. Wood is a natural product and it needs to be treated and protected against external elements. We guarantee all our doors for 12 months from date of purchase, against faulty material or manufacture provided each door has been stored and treated in accordance with the following recommendations.
CHECKING YOUR ITEMS
Every effort is made to supply the correct doors in perfect condition, but occasional errors are made or doors are not up to standard. It is therefore important to thoroughly check your doors on receipt- either before leaving our shop or on receipt of delivery. Please check for the following.
- Correct style of door has been supplied
- Correct size of door has been supplied
- Any pairs/ sets of doors are matching
- Any visible damage such as scratches or dents on doors
- Any visible damage to any glass supplied, such as scratches
- Any claim for damaged doors must be reported within 3 days of receipt of those doors. No claim will be considered after that time.
Please remember that wood is a natural material that has many variations in grain and colour. These variants can not be accepted as a reason for exchange or rejection.
In cases of pairs of doors or orders for numerous matching doors, we will do our very best to supply for the same bulk delivery – but matching the colour can not be guaranteed
BY FITTING, FINISHING OR ALTERING A DOOR IN ANY WAY WE SHALL DEEM YOU TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE GOODS AS SUPPLIED. – WE CAN NOT REPLACE A FAULTY DOOR IF ANY ALTERATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE OR ANY WORK HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT ON THAT DOOR.
STORAGE
Doors should be stored flat in a cool, dry atmosphere, well away from any heated radiators or other forms of direct heat. They should not be hung in newly plastered areas, which should be allowed to dry completely before doors are introduced.
ALTERATIONS
If the width of the door is to be reduced this is to be done equally from both sides. If the height of the door is be reduced, normally two thirds is taken off the base of the door, and the remaining third off the top. Care must be taken to ensure that the joints are not weakened by cutting. If you are unsure, please check on the maximum reductions that can be made to specific doors. Fully seal glass rebates and the back of glazing beads prior to glazing on models that require but are supplied without glass. Please also take care when fitting mortice locks – do not position these where middle rail meets the stile as this may weaken the joint and damage the door. Make sure that the lock cavity is kept to a minimum. Ensure that a weather bar is fitted to the external doors to ensure moisture droplets do not hang from the bottom of the door.
FINISHING
On all doors internal and external, the correct finishing is vital for protection and the long and trouble free life of your doors. For varnishing, we recommend Sikkens – 1 coat of the Cetol HLS basecoat and 3 coats of Cetol 7 top coat for painting, any good quality oil based paint – one of primer, two of undercoat and three of top coat. The manufacturers of pine doors stipulate that the doors should not be finished with water based finishes. Doors of Distinction believe that water based paints and varnishes should not be used on any wooden door and we only recommend oil or spirit based finishes.
CARE OF DOORS
Stain, varnish or paint needs to be applied to the front and back of the door as well as to all edges. This needs to be applied as soon as possible prior to hanging the door or immediately after fitting- not a few days later. This is applicable to all internal doors and external doors. For external doors, please ensure that the cut-outs made for locks, hinges, letter plates etc. are also sealed well with the finishing treatment.
THE SEALING PROCESS IS TO:- Ensure that there is no water penetration which in turn will ensure that the doors are protected from deterioration. Failure in protecting the doors adequately as recommended will invalidate any claim for warping, swelling or splitting. Please note that it is advisable to protect all external doors with at least an open porch and the four coats of Sikkens, however should a door be in an exposed location, we recommend a further one or two coats of Sikkens.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR DOORS
Doors require regular maintenance to prolong the high quality finish, and a little input will protect the look for years to come. Once a year doors should be lightly sanded and a further coat of finishing product added. This will help prevent any moisture from penetrating the door, which would lead to deterioration and discolouration of the timber. Should any areas require attention they need to be treated immediately to halt any further decline.
EXTERNAL TIMBER DOORS
As with all timber products manufactured for external use, performance is reliant on both initial and ongoing maintenance. If a small area of the product is untreated or if the exterior seal becomes cracked, moisture will penetrate (or escape in summer months) causing the door to expand or contract at an abnormal rate. This is the most common reason for a door to fail. Oak is a by-word for strength and durability but this must not be confused with the fact that it is most vulnerable and can easily be degraded if constantly exposed to rain or hot sun.
A South/ South Westerly elevation facing the prevailing weather is the worst scenario. To preserve the beautiful appearance and to guarantee long, trouble free service, it is essential to provide adequate shelter from the wort elements of the weather. Position them back from the front face of the building or fit a canopy/ open porchway projecting no less than 1.5m.