How to care for interior doors

Service life of an interior door explicitly depends on service provided to its surface and fittings.

We will tell you how to properly service the doors having various finishing surfaces, how to extend door fittings’ service life, what materials to use for routine care.

Observance of trivial rules will not take up a lot of time.

One of basic and well-known rules - avoid contact between door surface and mortars, mixes, adhesives and other material of this kind.

Therefore, prior to painting or repair operations commencement make sure to adequately protect the doors:

1. Remove the door trims.
2. Cover the door leaf and the door casing by polyethylene sheet.

Do not use glue-based painter's tape to protect leaf, casing and trim surfaces: if you try to remove it afterwards you may damage the structure’s exterior.

In order to preserve the door’s attractive appearance and adequate operability observe simple rules as follows:

• It is not recommended to install conventional interior doors in premises characterized by increased humidity and rapid temperature variations, i.e. in saunas, steam baths and others.
• Don’t allow locating the doors in close proximity to heating devices.
• Don’t allow direct impingement of water and fire.
• Protect the doors, specifically glazed ones, from draught: abrupt door slamming may fracture the glass panel and degrade door structure rigidity.
• Avoid linen drying on the door surface.
• Any door is exposed to domestic animals’ impact: the door may get chewed by the pet and the door surface may get scratched.
• Protect the door leaf from mechanical shocks given by heavy and pointed objects.

While selecting the detergents, sponges and door care rags adhere to simple rules as follows:

• Never use appliances like scrapers, metal containing sponges or rigid plastic items.
• Avoid using abrasives and liquids like oil, solvent, alkali, acid, chlorinated solution etc.
• Never use rags, sponges and gloves impregnated by agents not designed for furniture, wooden items or door finishing materials care.
• Use appropriate glass care materials for door glazing servicing.

Service recommendations depend on what material is used for your door finishing.

Servicing of doors with natural wood veneer finish

Everyday care and dust removal requires the use of soft, clean and dry rags.

Cleaning of dirt contamination requires the use of special cleaning agents designed for furniture and wooden items which do not contain abrasives. Treat the door by wax polish thereafter.

Furniture polish will improve the doors’ exterior, add surface luster and flatness, increase color saturation. Polish will also obstruct deposition of dust on the door surface.

Where small scratches or micro cracks occur on the door surface use special polishing waxes intended for varnished surfaces - they will mask the smaller damages and prevent defects from spreading.

Servicing of doors with plasticated coating.

Interior doors coated by plasticated materials (HDPL, CPL and other laminates) are less sensitive to mechanical impacts, temperature and humidity variations.

While servicing these doors observe the same recommendations as for the doors coated by natural wood veneer.

Servicing of enamel paint-coated doors.

Routinely remove deposited dust by soft, clean and dry microfiber rag.

Clean considerably contaminated surfaces by soft, wet and squeezed-out rag.

Wipe the surface by the dry rag thereafter.

Servicing of the door hardware.

Door fittings also require proper servicing.

Door hinges should be routinely lubricated and cleaned from dust - thus you will avoid squeaking and ensure ease of door leaf movement.

Hinges should be lubricated minimum once every year.

Door lock should also be serviced. All lock components should be lubricated minimum once every year. Regular lubricating of lock components allows to avoid corrosion attack.

Door handles should be wiped by clean dry rags.

Considerably contaminated handles should be cleaned by cleaner-impregnated sponge.

While selecting the cleaning agent mind that acid, alkali and abrasive containing detergents may damage the handle lacquer protecting the handle from corrosion.

Make use of neutral detergents capable to perfectly clean the metal surfaces. Wipe the cleaned surface dry thereafter.

Handle may get loosened in the course of use. This can be remedied by tightening up the tapered bolt (with the use of hex drive) located under the handle.

Observe the aforementioned door servicing rules to ensure the doors attractive exterior and trouble free usage for years.