Tips on fitting internal doors from Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery

Once you have bought your new internal door you can install it. Always follow any specific instructions included with individual doors. The following are some general tips for installing internal doors from Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery.      

As soon as your doors are delivered it's vital that they are handled correctly and properly treated to maintain the appropriate moisture content and so they are not damaged. You should not store your doors for longer than necessary and they should be stored in a clean area that's undercover, with good ventilation. They should be stored flat, and never on their end or edge, on level bearers. Use at least three level bearers and ensure they are longer than the width of the door. Do not remove any shrink wrap until you are ready to work with the door. 

Trimming new internal doors

For an exact fit, most doors will require a small amount of trimming. While fire doors , bi-folding doors , and rebated door pairs  cannot be trimmed, other internal doors  can. Our doors can have a maximum of 12mm trimmed from both their height and width. Any amount you remove from the door must be taken equally from each door edge. This means that if you want to remove 10mm from the height of the door you must take 5mm from the top edge and 5mm from the bottom edge.

Ensure you fully treat any edges you trim, even if they are pre-finished doors, as trimming will expose the timber.

Door hardware

You should use at least three hinges to hang doors. This is especially the case if the doors are heavyweight, such as glazed doors  or fire doors , or if there is a chance of significant differences in humidity or temperature occurring, like in a kitchen or bathroom. All screw holes for door hardware should be pre-drilled to prevent the timber splitting. Door hardware, such as latches or locks, should not be fitted on the door where a joint might be compromised, such as adjacent to door mid-rails. You can buy internal door handle packs with hinges, latches and handles that give you all the hardware you need to fit a new internal door. 

Glazed internal doors

Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery glazed doors  use a Paint ‘N’ Peel system. They all come with a protective glass film over the glazed panels to make it easier to apply the final coat of finish, so this film should not be removed until painting or staining of the door is complete. Care should always be taken when finishing glazed doors to ensure the finish does not get on the glass. A secondary protection of something like masking tape is recommended if necessary, even with the Paint ‘N’ Peel system. Once the door is fully finished the Paint 'N' Peel film is easily removed.

If installing your own glass into an unglazed door , make sure the glass is safety glass and that it is appropriate for doors. Make sure you use an appropriate sealant to seal the glazing rebates and the backs of glazing beads.

Fire doors

Fire Doors  must comply with current regulations, this includes the entire door assembly and how it is installed. You should ensure the installer is up to date with current legislation. Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery fire doors are certified FD30, so they offer 30 minutes of protection from heat and smoke, as long as they are fitted in accordance with their individual instructions (included with every door).

You must ensure all hardware, such as hinges, locks, latches, and closers, are compatible with the certification of the door leaf. The parts of the door frame, and smoke and intumescent seals must also be fully compatible with the door. Fire doors must be fitted correctly and firmly fixed in place, with no missing screws etc, with top and side clearance gaps of 2-4mm. They cannot be trimmed more than is expressly permitted on individual doors and they should not have any new apertures cut into them, such as for glazing or air vents, as this will void any certification. Fire doors must also have closers that will shut the door automatically into a latch from any position.

Other internal doors

The track and folding hardware are supplied with any bi-folding doors  from Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery. These doors should not be trimmed. Rebated door pairs  have their own, separate installation and finishing instructions included.

Finishing internal doors

Pre-finished doors will be ready to install, and don’t usually need finishing onsite. However, any areas of timber that are exposed by trimming or fitting hardware must be properly finished before any door is fitted. All timber surfaces must be fully finished before they are installed. Failure to properly finish any surface can cause problems such as swelling or shrinkage, which can cause distortion and splits to occur, as exposed edges may lead to changes in the moisture content of the door. You must pay particular attention to sealing the tops and bottoms of doors and any exposed end grain of the timber.

You should refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for any finishing products for specific details of the number of coats that must be applied and how compatible certain products are with each other. It is generally recommended that interior doors receive 1 coat of preserve and 3 coats of stain or paint, and varnish is not recommended. Frames should also be treated a fully finished before fitting any doors.

White Primed and most White Moulded doors must have a final top layer of paint applied, as stain and varnish are not suitable. Some White Moulded and all plain White doors are Pre-finished, but always remember cutout areas and edges must be fully treated before fitting.

Wonkee Donkee's top tips for finishing internal doors

• Always use a high-quality preserve, paint, or stain. Paints and stains must not be thinned or mixed, and doors must have the same product used on all surfaces, so if you paint one side you must not stain the other.

• Check that the finishing products you use are suitable for use with veneered doors of engineered construction.

• You must never use products that produce a hard or brittle finish and you should not use thin penetrating oils, waxes, dyes, or seals. 

• Apply at least one coat of finish as soon as you can once the door has been unpacked, and store new doors carefully.

• You must apply the finishing coats to all edges and faces of the door and apply the same number of coats to each surface, including any cut-outs.

Installation

Always closely follow any manufacturer's instructions included with doors as they will be the relevant guidelines for that specific project. Never hang a door until it has had a protective coating applied to all unfinished surfaces and to any exposed edges due to trimming or cutting out hardware apertures or grooves. Make sure that the door is fitted so it is plumb, square, and true so that it will operate correctly.

XL have a short, easy to follow video you can watch that will guide you through the full processes you should follow when your internal door arrives, including how you should finish it and how to install it. You will also have instructions that come with your specific door that you should read and ensure you understand.