Questions & Answers

Questions and Answers.

Here are a few questions which we are frequently asked by our customers.

Q: Do you have the doors in stock

A: Unfortunately we only carry a very small quantity of doors as we do not have the space to hold every single type of door that is available, we order direct from the manufacturers and aim to deliver within 7-10 working days. This applies with all external hardwood doors, external oak doors, internal oak doors and internal hardwood doors.

Q: How long for delivery and delivery costs

A: Delivery is normally 7-10 working days unless you are having a special job made up to your requirements with a purpose made frame. Occasionally we may have to put a door on back order as it may be out of stock with the manufacturers, if this is the case, it could take anything up to eight weeks, however you will be advised if this is the case. All our delivery costs are listed on the relevant page.

Q: Are your oak doors made from Solid Oak

A: All the doors we sell, whether they are internal doors or external doors are all engineered with an over veneer of solid wood. The reason for this is due to oak having a tendency to warp and split. This also allows the whole tree to be used which therefore reduces the waste and conforms to the ecological constraints. Our manufactures are happy to guarantee their durability as this makes their doors more stable.

Q: What is the difference between a Dowelled and Mortice & Tenon door.

A: On the Mortice and Tenon door the horizontal rails of the door have a tenon cut at the ends which then slots into the mortice of the vertical stiles, this is then glued and wedged creating a very strong traditional joint. This is a very good quality door which is why there is a price difference between the M&T door and the Dowelled door.

The dowelled door has a construction where the horizontal and vertical rails meet together and are linked with two or more dowels and then glued together. These doors have always been considered to be the weaker of the two but in our opinion and our experience we recognise that with today's technology the glues are far stronger than the wood itself and therefore perform exceptionally well on any manufactured door.

Q: Will any door and sidelight fit my opening.

A: Most of the external doors and sidelights fit most openings. We do offer a purpose made service if you require something on a larger scale. Please look at the menu under bespoke door frames, these door frames are frames we have crafted ourselves to match the hardwood or oak door. Please feel free to call to discuss this option.

Q: Do you have a showroom

A: We do not have a showroom as we operate on the internet which keeps costs down which is then passed onto the customer which reflects in our door prices.

Q: Can I use an internal door as an external door and vice versa

A: The answer to this question is no. Firstly the doors are a different thickness, an internal door is 35mm and an external is a 45mm. The two doors are made in different ways, the glues and moisture content differ on whether they are interior or exterior. If you have a porch built in front of the external door you may think that this would be okay to use an interior door , this would not have the required security you would need as the security locks cannot be fitted to an internal door and the door would not be covered under warranty if hung in the wrong environment.

Q: How do I fit a wooden Door.

A: We would recommend you have a qualified carpenter to hang your door but we have provided the following information for you DIY'ers.

Upon receiving your new wooden door whether internal or external, please check to make sure it is in good condition. The door should then be treated prior to hanging. The doors should then be offered up to your opening and trimmed to size if necessary, leaving a 3mm gap all the way round the between the door and frame.
It is recommended to use 2 hinges with an internal door and 3 hinges with an external door, however on an internal hardwood or oak door for an airing cupboard for a hot water cylinder we recommend 3 hinges.
To fit the hinges on a new frame and door place 1 leaf of the hinge 150ml down from the top and 200ml up from the bottom and if using 3 hinges place the third in the middle of these two and using a knife mark round the leaf where you have pencil marked it, then set your gauge to the thickness of the hinge leaf and mark between cut lines and proceed to cut out with a tenon saw about 5mil apart and chop round the edge with a chisel take out wood ready for the hinge to sit into drill holes and screw tight. Repeat on frame if new or clean up if existing frame. Then rest the door on blocks of wood and offer up to opening and frame until level with hinge housing then fix the hinges with only 2 screws at first to check how door fits and if needing to be trimmed at bottom and then re-hang and fit all screws.

Fitting Locks:

Two locks are two be fitted to an External Wooden Door, a night latch and a deadlock. If you fit these one a third of the way down and the other a third of the way up the door this will ensure better security of the door. The night latch can be fitted as per instructions and you will have to drill a 36mil hole in the door and drill from both sides so as not to break out the door. The deadlock requires a mortice in the edge of the door, do not mortice out the door where you have a rail on the door as this will weaken the door. After chopping the mortice and housing in the face plate place lock on the side of door to mark key hole. Fit both locks and try the lock. For a little bit of extra security on your front door we would recommend a sliding bolt, also for day time opening you could have a security sliding chain.

Fitting a Letter plate:

Remove the door and lay flat mark out the letter plate and cut hole in door, seal the hole and also seal the top and bottom of the door whilst it is lying flat. Fit the letter plate and check it operates correctly. If fitting to a new frame wait for the door to dry before fitting draught-excluder

THINGS NOT TO DO WITH YOUR FRONT DOOR

Do not stand your door where it has recently been plastered as the moisture will get into the doors and make them warp or the veneer will lift.

Do not lay doors on an uneven floor as the doors will mould to the shape of the floor.

Do not stack doors in front of a radiator or any other element of heat source.

Do not leave doors out in the rain or expose to extreme sunlight.

MAINTAINING YOUR WOODEN DOOR AND DOOR FRAME.

Whether you choose a hardwood door or an oak door we recommend that you follow manufactures instructions via sealing and staining your door. We would advise that you use a Sadlins or Sikkens wood preserver prior to painting or staining any wooden door. Do not use any water based products, we would recommend Sadlins or Sikkens colours for your door finish. Should you wish to use a brand paint, we suggest that you get the same make of prima/undercoat as it is imperative for adhesion. Please note that it is important to seal and paint tops, bottoms and edges, paying particular attention to the bottom of your wooden door as this would be the most likely location for any water ingress.

We do not currently feature this range on the website. Feel free to call us on 01702 421199 for more information.