Purchasing a door can be quite an investment. With some simple maintenance checks, you can improve your doors’ condition and prolong their lifespan.
Entrance Doors
Check your entrance doors every year:
- Note paint or finish problems. Repair any paint/finish cracks or blisters – these need to be repaired by scraping and recoating to ensure water does not penetrate into the core of the door causing irreparable damage.
- For glass and glazing, check that the putty is sound, still creating a seal, and that no water is penetrating around the glass.
- NEVER power wash doors! This can strip the finish from doors and put excessive pressure on glass/glazing.
Interior Doors
Check interior doors regularly:
- Watch out for scuffs and chips.
- Clear away dust buildup around the base of doors, and in door mouldings and details.
- Noisy hinges? A squirt of sprayable WD40 usually takes care of the noise.
- Clean painted interior doors with warm water, some liquid dish soap, and a soft cleaning cloth. Do not use strong household cleaners that contain bleach, ammonia, or abrasives, and do not use hot water.
- To clean wood or veneer interior doors, use warm water, oil soap, and a soft cleaning cloth.
Bathroom Doors
At Hoults Doors we find that humid New Zealand bathrooms are the #1 interior location for door problems. Twice a year, check bathroom doors:
- As for an entrance door, note paint or finish problems. Repair any paint/finish cracks or blisters – these need to be repaired by scraping and recoating to ensure water does not penetrate into the core of the door causing irreparable damage.
- Watch out for mold on bathroom doors. Clean it away as soon as it appears, using the gentle cleaning methods described.
- NEVER hang wet towels on a bathroom door. If you are using hooks on the door for storage, use them to hang bath robes or dry towels.