Woodwork Institute of California

STORAGE, HANDLING, JOB FINISHING AND INSTALLATION OF WOOD DOORS

I. DELIVERY, STORAGE AND HANDLING
A. The delivery of all items of architectural doors shall be as required by a progress schedule furnished by the general contractor, and subject to conditions as follows:

1. Delivery of architectural doors shall be made only when the area of operation is enclosed, all plaster and concrete work dry, and the area broom clean.
2. A clean storage area, well ventilated and protected from direct sunlight, excessive heat, rain or moisture, in which the relative humidity is between 45% and 65% at 60ºF, 90ºF, and EMC (Equilibrium Moisture Content) conditions between 8% and 12%, shall be provided and maintained at the building site by the general contractor. The air conditioning or heating system shall be on and functioning, and the architectural doors shall be acclimated to these conditions for 72 hours prior to installation.
3. Doors should not be subjected to abnormal heat, extreme dryness, humid conditions, sudden changes in temperature, or direct sunlight.
4. Wood doors should be stored flat on a level surface at least 4" of the floor, is a dry, well ventilated building. Use protective covering under the bottom door and cover the top to keep clean, but allow air circulation under and around the stack of doors. Doors should be handled with clean hands, care taken not to drag one over the other, and when primed or sealed, properly re-stacked by the painter when dry.
5. If the above paragraphs are not adhered to, severe damage could result to the doors. The supplier of the doors shall not be held responsible for any damage that might develop by not adhering to the above paragraphs.

II. FINISHING

1. Prior to finishing, insure that the building atmosphere is dried to a normal, interior relative humidity.insure that the doors have been allowed to equalize to a stable moisture content.
2. Before finishing, remove handling marks or effects of exposure to moisture with a complete, thorough, final block sanding over all surfaces of the door, using at least 150 grit sandpaper, and clean before applying sealer or finish. Deep scratches must be steamed out before sanding. Sharp edges must be eased by sanding.
3. Certain species of wood, particularly oak, contain chemicals which react unfavorably with certain finishes causing dark stain spots. Where possible, the species/finish combination should be tested prior to finishing the doors. Notify your finish supplier or door supplier immediately if any undesirable reaction is noticed. Do not continue with the finishing until the problem is resolved.
4. In order not to induce warpage, avoid dark stains or dark colored paints on door surface exposed directly to sunlight.
5. In order to prevent blemish magnification, avoid extremely dark stains in light colored wood species.
6. Water based sealer or prime coats should no be used. Water based top coats should only be used over surfaces that have been completely sealed with a non-water based sealer or primer.
7. A First coat of a thinned clear sanding sealer, followed by light block sanding, will minimize subsequent handling marks and promote the uniformity of subsequent stain coats.
8. All exposed wood surfaces must be sealed, including top and bottom rails.
9. To achieve the desired results of color uniformity, finish build, gloss and reduce the frequency of refinishing, obtain and follow finish manufacturer’s recommendations.
10. Be sure the door surface being finished is satisfactory in both smoothness and color after each caot before applying the next coat.
11. Certain wood fire doors have edges, and possibly cross bands under the face veneer, which contain fire retardant salts. These salts are usually hygroscopic and will take on excess moisture in a damp atmosphere. The salts will concentrate at the surface and form whitish crystals that can interfere with the finish. Before finishing, remove the salt crystals with a damp cloth, followed by drying and light sanding.

WIC 420-R 1-1-88