Door Care & Handling
STORING1. Store flat on a level surface in a clean, dry, well ventilated area protected from sunlight. (Certain species such as cherry and mahogany are extremely sensitive to light and require extra protection.)2. Doors should not be subjected to extremes .of heat and/or humidity conditions. Relative humidity should not be less than 30% or more than 60%.3. Cover to keep clean and protected from sunlight, but permit air circulation.4. Seal at the earliest possible moment. If doors are stored at the jobsite for more than 1 week, all edges must be sealed. Edge seals are particularly important (see field finishing).5. Handle with clean gloves. Do not drag one door across another.6. Deliver doors to jobsite only after plaster, texture and cement is dry. Deliver doors in clean truck under cover.7. Inspect and report damage at time of delivery.
HANGING1. Allow doors to become acclimated to finished building heat and humidity before hanging. Relative humidity must not be less than 30% no more than 60%.2. In fitting for width, trim equally from both sides. Fire rated doors shall be trimmed only from the lock edge and shall be trimmed no more than 3/16".3. In fitting for height, do not trim top or bottom rails more than 1/4". Fire rated doors shall be trimmed ONLY from the bottom rails and shall be trimmed no more than 1/4" on 45, 60 and 90 minute doors. 20 minute doors shall be trimmed no more than 3/4" from top and bottom rails, unless ordered with oversized bottom rails, i.e. 6", 12", etc.4. Threaded-to-the-head wood screws are preferable for fastening all hardware on non-rated doors and required on all rated doors. Pilot holes must be drilled for all screws.5. All 45, 60 and 90 minute doors may be hung with either half surface or full mortise hinges. Throughbolts must be used with half surface hinges and all other surface mounted hardware.6. Use two hinges for doors up to 60" in height, three hinges for doors up to 90" in height, and one additional hinge for every additional 30" of door height or portion hereof.7. DO NOT REMOVE labels from fire doors.8. Allow the fitting clearance of 1/8" at sides and top of doors.
FIELD FINISHING1. Just prior to staining, sealing and finishing, doors must be completely block sanded, with not less than 150 grit sandpaper, to remove all handling marks, scuffs, scratches, raised grain and burnishes that may occur during handling, unloading and storage.2. Top, bottom, opening, and hardware recess edges must be sealed after fitting with at least two coats of oil-based paint, varnish or lacquer.3. Water-based stains, paint or latex primers should be avoided whenever possible because they raise the grain, may cause veneer splits and have a tendency to highlight veneer joints.4. Avoid dark colors on exterior doors in direct sunlight.5. Do not use steel wool on oak veneered or fire rated doors.6. A wash coat (thin sealer) must be applied prior to the use of a dark stain to avoid a blotchy appearance and/or sharp contrast in color.7. Manufacturers warranties do not cover appearance of field applied finishes.8. Sanding and finishing must be done with the door in a horizontal position. The duration of sanding and surface prep required to achieve a final finish acceptable to the owner is the responsibility of the contracted painter.9. Use a flat or satin finish. High Gloss finishes over 40 degrees are not warranted and may cause telegraphing.10. Doors prefinished at the factory should be checked against approved control finish sample prior to hanging. (Hanging of prefinished doors shall constitute acceptance.)
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