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Door Handling & Care Guidelines

Learn more about the best ways to take care of your new products from Upstate Door. Learn the best practices for handling and care, installation and finishing, and long-term maintenance.

General Door Handling & Care

  • Once your door(s)/unit(s) are delivered, be sure to carefully inspect the entire delivery for any visible defects. (if you find an issue, please contact your Upstate Representative immediately)
  • DO NOT drag or slide one door across another door or along any other hard surface that could damage the door.
  • Doors should be stored flat (NEVER lean doors against a wall) or on a flat surface that is well ventilated.
  • Cover door(s)/unit(s) to help keep them clean, ensuring that they have adequate air-flow to all sides.
  • Door(s)/unit(s) should not be exposed to extreme heat, dryness, humidity or drastic changes in conditions.
  • DO NOT store door(s)/unit(s) in direct sunlight.
Handling & Care Manual

Long Term Care

  • Finishes that cover the entire door and are maintained properly will ensure a lifetime of beauty in your product(s).
  • Stains and clear finishes should be protected from sunlight and excessive weathering to prolong the finish of the product.
  • Inspect your door(s)/unit(s) on a regular basis (minimum annual inspection is recommended) for imperfections or wear to the finish.
  • During inspection, pay close attention to high-wear areas such as around the handle set, the door edges and the bottom of the door where people are most likely to run their feet into the door inadvertently.
  • When refinishing is required, removing the door from the unit and removing all hardware from the unit(s)/door(s) is required.

Preparation for Finishing

  • All door(s)/unit(s) should be given a few days between delivery and finishing to acclimate to the relative humidity of the location.
  • Door(s)/unit(s) must be sealed/finished within 24 hours of the product installation (this must fall within the one-week limitation stated in Upstate Door Inc.’s standard warranty).
  • Before applying any type of finishing agent, lightly sand the product with 180-grit sandpaper (always sand in the same direction as the grain direction). Make sure to remove any and all scuffs, dings, fingerprints, scratches and unevenness of grain (that may have occurred during wood acclimation to the relative humidity of the location).
  • Before finishing the door(s)/unit(s), install the product and then remove the door from the unit (also remove all hardware) to properly finish the product as stated in Upstate Door Inc.’s standard warranty.
  • If the door(s)/unit(s) have glazing, be sure to apply a generous amount of top coat/finish to bridge between the wood and the glass. If you are painting the product, apply paint with a 1/16" lap onto the glass to provide adequate moisture protection.

Finishing the Product

  • Upstate recommends using a sanding sealer or a conditioner to be applied to the product(s) before finishing helping in the ease of finishing the product(s).
  • Please use only high-quality stain and/or paint to finish your door(s)/unit(s), and carefully follow all of the stain/paint manufacturer’s instructions regarding application of the product.
  • If your door(s)/unit(s) are going to be placed in the structure with direct exposure to sunlight, Upstate recommends avoiding dark stains/paints. Excessive heat buildup will push moisture out of the wood, causing your door(s)/panel(s) to shrink and check/crack.
  • Pay careful attention to detail and make sure you seal all surfaces of the product(s) including front and back faces, top/bottom/left/right edges, hinge pockets and all areas that have been machined for hardware (i.e., flush bolts, mortises, multi-point’s, etc.)
  • Upstate Door recommends applying a minimum of three (3) finish coats of high-quality varnish/paint.
DO NOT use lacquer or polyurethane-based sealers that do not have a U.V. inhibitor (applies to exterior applications only)

Disclosure

  • Failure to follow and comply with these recommended guidelines may forfeit the validity of warranty claims.
  • All warranty claims will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Upstate reserves the right to deny any warranty claim due to improper handling and/or care.
  • When an item is replaced or repaired under a warranty claim, Upstate is only responsible for replacing the item in the original state of “finished” condition that the product(s) were originally delivered in.

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26 Industrial St. Warsaw, NY 14569
P: (800) 570-8283
F: (585) 786-3888
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