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This external door image shows timber that has been lacquered with a clear coat, the oak has discoloured as the lacquer has no UV protection.[/caption]
I have covered the subject of finishing timber doors in previous Blog but we are still finding that occasionally our customers have problems with timber doors. Customer will often consider that they have finished them correctly however, we generally find, upon investigation, that something within the finishing process has been done incorrectly, a stage has been missed or the wrong varnish has been applied.
As with all DIY processes there is a right or wrong way to do things. Through many years of supplying doors we have developed guidelines for finishing all types of internal and external timber doors. The last 10 years has seen many changes within our industry which includes a change in manufacturing techniques and more importantly a major shift in the rules regarding paint and varnish products based on new EU environmental guidelines.
Modern construction techniques used to manufacture doors allows them to be stronger however timber is a beautiful and natural commodity which needs to be treated with care in order to last and give many years of good service with appropriate maintenance. Many previous techniques and finishing products used are now totally unsuitable for finishing timber doors. Our door website contains a search button on Door Finishing which is a must read for all our customers purchasing unfinished doors, also its a good idea to read this section if you are buying finished doors as you are likely to be trimming a little off the door during fitting so the raw edges will need additional protection.
Some problems occur when a customer purchases doors for their joiner or builder to finish and fit, time is a very expensive commodity and if the fitter is unaware that recent finishing techniques need to be used for these modern doors then they may use inappropriate finishes and techniques which may have worked for them in the past without a problem but are not suitable nowadays. To save money it may be a good idea to do the finishing yourself using our guidance, the joiner or builder is then able to concentrate on the fitting process. You will then be able to touch up the trimmed areas to your satisfaction. Alternatively employing a painter/decorator to do this for you with the guidelines we suggest and the products most suitable.
If you need assistance in choosing the correct finishing products for your timber doors please contact our sales team who will give you additional help and suggestions.
Please Note: order your doors in plenty of time to allow for finishing and fitting, some styles may be out of stock but more importantly you need to factor in the finishing process time. Often its the processes missed out or rushed which cause later problems
