FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS

Wood stile and rail doors are a reflection of quality and good taste. In order to ensure that the final consumer obtains maximum enjoyment and utility from these products, we strongly urge you to read and follow the guidelines detailed below. Failure to follow the guidelines below will invalidate our Limited Warranty. It will be the discretion of Rogue Valley Door or its representative to approve or reject any claim due to poor handling, application, installation or finishing.

1. Handle all doors with clean gloves and equipment.
2. Avoid dragging doors across one another or across other surfaces. Avoid leaning at a steep angle.
3. Store on a level surface in a dry, well ventilated building. Avoid stacking on end.
4. Cover doors to keep clean, but allow air circulation.
5. Doors should not be subject to abnormal heat, dryness, or humidity for prolonged periods. Avoid sudden changes such as forced heat to dry out a building.
6. Deliver doors in a clean truck and under cover from wet weather.
7. Deliver door to building site only after plaster, stucco, and/or cement is dry.
8. If the doors are to be stored for long periods or on the job site, the entire door including the top and bottom edges must be sealed in order to prevent undue moisture absorption.
9. Door shall not be exposed to excessive moisture (above 55% RH), excessive heat (90 degrees F), and dryness (30% RH)

1. All wood doors should be conditioned to average prevailing relative humidity of the locality before hanging.
2. When hanging door, allow adequate clearance for swelling of door or frame in extremely damp weather.
3. All exterior glazed doors should be hung with the removable wooden bead facing the interior side of the opening.
4. Avoid cutting doors down in size, use designated sizes. If width trim is necessary, do not trim more than ¹/₄" per side. Top of door may be trimmed ¹/₂" and the bottom no more than 1-¹/₂" Use a sharp, fine tooth saw for best results.
5. Caution must be used to avoid impairing the utility or structural strength of the door when fitting for hardware, lites, louvers, panels, and/or any other special detail.
6. Be sure the jambs and stops are set perfectly square and plumb.
7. Immediately after fitting, cutting for closures, weather-strip and/or threshold and before hanging any interior or exterior door on the job, the entire door including top and bottom edges must be sealed to prevent undue absorption of moisture.

1. Adjust or align components if necessary.
2. All doors manufactured by Rogue Valley Door require sanding prior to finishing. The degree of pre-sanding will depend upon the owner’s selection of stain and whether or not they are spraying or wiping on the stain.
3. Remove all handling marks, instruction labels, stamps and effects of exposure to moisture with a thorough, final light sanding over all surfaces of the door, using 180 grit sand paper. Note: Small amounts of grease, oil or pitch can be wiped clean with mineral spirits.
4. Clean door thoroughly after sanding to remove all dust or foreign material. Avoid using chemical cleaners that react unfavorably to certain wood species and finishes. Consult a finish expert. Note: Some hardwood species can have an adverse reaction with certain chemical cleaners and finishes.
5. Apply finish as soon as door is fitted, but before final hanging. Cutouts for hardware must be sealed prior to installation. Rogue Valley Door will not warrant product that has been hung prior to finishing or that shows deterioration of wood or swelling due to finish breakdown.
6. Make sure all surfaces are sealed and finished, including top, bottom, and side edges of the stiles and rails.
7. It is the finisher’s responsibility to cover the glass during the finishing process. On doors ordered with plastic film, removal of the film immediately after finishing is required. Failure to remove the film in a timely manner may result in difficulties in removing the film at a later date. Do not use razors or other sharp object to remove the film or clean the glass. These items may scratch the glass.

Caution: If during the finish process you are having some issues with your door, stop finishing immediately and contact the company from where you purchased the doors. The top coats should be a solvent-borne (oil-base, alkyd resin base, polyurethane resin-base) or a water-borne (latex resin-base) clear finish. The advantages of a solvent-borne clear finish is they are faster drying, harder, and more water resistance. The advantages of a water-borne clear finish is they are very flexible, ultraviolent resistance, and have good exterior durability. Note: Lacquer-base toners or finishes should not be used on exterior doors.

1. Depending on the type of stain being applied, the door may need to be prepped with a wood conditioner or sanding sealer prior to applying stain. Verify with the stain and top coat manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Doors should be sealed with at least three coats of a good quality exterior solvent-borne or water-borne clear finish.
3. Sand lightly between top coats, making sure that all surfaces and edges are covered every time a coat is applied. Clean door of dust before applying the next coat.
4. To minimize moisture penetration where wood parts or glass and wood come together, be sure enough top coat is applied to form a bridged film across any voids. Make sure that the finish does not prevent movement of the floating panels.
5. You can make sure all coatings in the finish system are compatible by using products from the same manufacturer. Finish manufacturers will be able to tell you which of their products may be successfully applied in combination with each other. Finishes should be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Dark colored stains should not be used on doors exposed to sunlight, as expansion and contraction of door components may occur.
7. A substantial overhang and protection from the elements will minimize component movement inherent in exterior wood doors.

Oil-base or latex resin-base exterior grade primer and paints may be used on wood doors. Oil-base primer and paints offer more resistance to moisture penetration, and latex resin-base primer and paints will offer better durability and color retention.

1. Doors should be sealed with a good quality exterior primer followed by at least two topcoats of either an oil-base or latex resin-base exterior paint.
2. Sand lightly between coats, making sure that all surfaces and edges are covered every time a coat is applied. Clean door of dust before applying the next coat.
3. To minimize moisture penetration where wood parts or glass and wood come together, be sure enough paint is applied to form a bridged film across any voids. Make sure that the finish does not prevent movement of the floating panels.
4. You can make sure all coatings in the finish system are compatible by using products from the same manufacturer. Finish manufacturers will be able to tell you which of their products may be successfully applied in combination with each other. Finishes should be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Dark colored paints should not be used on doors exposed to sunlight, as expansion and contraction of door components may occur.
6. A substantial overhang and protection from the elements will minimize component movement inherent in exterior wood doors.

1. Use silicone caulking around the perimeter of each glass pane. This will seal the putty and prevent any moisture from penetrating the door.
2. Use silicone caulking around the perimeter of each panel. This will seal the panel joint and help prevent moisture from penetrating the door.
3. Allow any finish to flow onto the glass area at least 1/16 inch.
4. Storm door may be required to completely eliminate moisture problems. If storm door is used, it must be ventilated to eliminate heat build-up.

Your Rogue Valley Door will need some periodic maintenance to help insure that it has adequate protection against the elements. This regular maintenance is required for the warranty that is provided with every Rogue Valley Door. Some of the following signs are indicators that it is time to re-finish your Rogue Valley Door: chalkiness in finish, flaking of finish, hairline cracks in the finish, and changes in the color of the finish.

Caution: If during the finish process you are having some issues with your door, stop finishing immediately and contact the company from where you purchased the doors. A solvent-borne system is recommended for interior door applications, and may be that of a lacquer-base.

1. Depending on the type of stain being applied, the door may need to be prepped with a wood conditioner or sanding sealer prior to applying stain. Verify with the stain and top coat manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Doors should be sealed with at least two coats of a good quality exterior solvent-borne or water-borne clear finish.
3. Sand lightly with 220 grit sandpaper between top coats, making sure that all surfaces and edges are covered every time a coat is applied. Clean door of dust before applying the next coat.
4. You can make sure all coatings in the finish system are compatible by using products from the same manufacturer. Finish manufacturers will be able to tell you which of their products may be successfully applied in combination with each other. Finishes should be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Oil-base or latex resin-base primer and paints may be used on wood doors. Oil-base primer and paints offer more resistance to moisture penetration, and latex resin-base primer and paints will offer better durability and color retention.

1. Doors should be sealed with a good quality primer followed by at least two topcoats of either an oil-base or latex resin-base paint.
2. Sand lightly between coats, making sure that all surfaces and edges are covered every time a coat is applied. Clean door of dust before applying the next coat.
3. You can make sure all coatings in the finish system are compatible by using products from the same manufacturer. Finish manufacturers will be able to tell you which of their products may be successfully applied in combination with each other. Finishes should be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Your Rogue Valley Door will need some periodic maintenance to help ensure that it has adequate protection against the elements. This regular maintenance is required for the warranty that is provided with every Rogue Valley Door. Some of the following signs are indicators that it is time to refinish your Rogue Valley Door: chalkiness in finish, flaking of finish, hairline cracks in the finish, and changes in the color of the finish.