HANDLING & CARE
RECOMMENDED HANDLING , JOB FINISHING AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Inspect door upon receipt and deliver door ( s ) to building site after plaster cement is dry . If doors are stored at job site for more than one week , all edges should be sealed .
Handle with clean gloves and do not drag doors across one another or across other surfaces .
Store flat on a level surface in a dry , well ventilated building . Cover to keep clean , but allow air circulation .
Doors should not be subjected to : abnormal heat , extreme dryness , humid conditions or sudden change therein . They should be conditioned to average prevailing relative humidity of the locality before hanging .
The utility or structural strength of the door must not be impaired in the fitting of the door , the application of hardware , or cutting and altering the door for lights , louvers , panels or any other special details .
For all doors use three hinges , except two hinges may be used for hollow core doors weighing less than 50 pounds or 6 ' 8 " or less in height . All doors 7 ' 6 " or higher require four hinges . Allow a fitting clearance of 1 / 16 " on the hinge side and 1 / 8 " on the lock side .
When light or louver cutouts are made in interior doors , they shall be properly protected to prevent moisture from leaking into the core . Where installed for outward swing with no protection from the elements , doors must be properly protected by flashing or other suitable means .
Immediately after fitting , or cutting for closure , weather-strip and / or threshold , and before hanging any interior or exterior door on the job , the entire door , including the top and bottom edges , must receive an application of a primer and two coats of a good grade of paint , varnish or lacquer . Adequate drying time must be allowed between coats . For job-site finishing , do not use a water-thinned paint unless an oil base prime coat is first applied . Exterior finishes shall be used on the exterior face and all edges of exterior doors .
Interior doors will generally have approximately the same temperature and humidity on one side as on the other , in which case warp will seldom occur . In cases where the door separates a heated from an unheated space , or a humid space from a dry space , some bowing may be expected if the temperature or humidity differential is large .
After the doors have left the factory every possible effort should be made to hold moisture changes to a minimum during the process of shipping , storing and installation . Doors should either be stored flat on a level surface or vertically on the bottom edge . Storage area should be clean , dry and well ventilated . When stacked solid in a damp area they should be stacked to permit free circulation of air ; otherwise the four edges and the exposed side of the top panel will pick up moisture rapidly while the parts in the center of the pile will change very slowly . The stresses developed by such unequal changes may cause the top panel to bow upward and the other doors to twist .
If stops and jambs are not set plumb and in a true plane , or if jambs are not properly squared , opening and closing the door will result in stress , and cause distortion . Similarly , if hinges are not set in a straight line , the door will be constantly under stress . As stated previously under the subject of door hardware , three hinges will restrain distortion better than two ; but these must be set with greater care to have all three in perfect alignment . stevesdoors . com
November 1 , 2014