Oak Door Care - How to Treat Your Newly Delivered Doors

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Oak Door Care - Things to Consider

We take great pride in our brand here at UK Oak Doors and that shows in our customer feedback, achieving an average approval rating of 9.1 out of 10 stars on Trustpilot. We have found from reading hundreds of frank and honest customer reviews that some of this praise is due to our customer service and reliable shipping.  But we know the real heroes are the doors themselves and more specifically the oak trees that gifted us with the wood in the first place. So, as quoted throughout our site we cannot stress enough the importance of oak door care - treating and maintaining oak doors correctly to preserve the beauty and strength of the wood.
All our internal and external doors are supplied untreated but the quality of the treatment is a moot point if the door is not correctly cared for prior to treating and hanging. This article describes essential oak door care and what vital precautions must be taken regarding the packaging, storage, treatment and maintenance of your door.

Inspection – Reseal and Retain in Original Packaging Afterwards

Once you have received your doors please check them thoroughly. It is extremely unlikely that you’ll experience any problems but it’s best to check to be sure. The doors are well sealed at the factory to ensure no moisture can come into contact with the oak. Once you have checked your delivery you must reseal the plastic wrapper so it is still airtight and place door back in the box.

All doors must be kept in the original packaging to stop any moisture in the air penetrating the oak unless you are going to treat the door immediately. If the oak is exposed to moisture before treating then the water will become sealed in the door after treatment. This could cause the door to warp as it eventually dries.

Storage – Flat and Dry Only

A common mistake when new doors are received is to store them upright against a wall. This takes up less room so is an understandable choice but the doors are still new and their considerable weight should only ever be stressed across its structure vertically or horizontally. Leaning a door against a wall requires it to be leant at an angle or it will fall over. Not keeping it flat may cause it to sag or bend. Plus a heavy oak door falling to the ground could not only damage the door but possibly anyone passing by.

If you are storing the door it must be kept on a flat dry floor.

Any untreated doors must be stored in a dry room, free from any damp. This also applies to any recently plastered rooms. When you see the colour of wet plastered walls change as they dry you are seeing the effects of water moisture leaving the wall and becoming absorbed by the room atmosphere. Our oak doors are unfinished so customers can choose their preferred finish but this does mean they can be susceptible to absorbing any moisture in the air before being treated. Leaving oak doors in a wet plastered room will cause the doors to warp as they absorb the excess moisture in the environment.

Make sure walls and floors are completely dry and packaging is air tight when storing doors.

Oak Door Care - Treatment & Maintenance

All doors must be treated before they are hung, not after. It is important not to miss areas where the door has been cut for the hinges or any other door furniture but particularly where the door has been trimmed to fit the frame (this applies to internal doors that are received pre-treated where trimming down will expose untreated wood). Treat the doors as soon as they have been removed from the packaging and only in a dry environment.

Use only high quality treatments such as Treatex Hardwax Oil or Impranol for exterior doors.

Remember to be vigilant against any damage through use after door is hung. Our doors are extremely tough but if they become scratched are left untreated, then the wood is susceptible to warping where moisture has got in, particularly in external doors.

Follow these simple rules for oak door care and your doors will comfortably last beyond a lifetime.

Information is accurate at time of publishing, however, may be subject to change.