Wooden doors are practical, stylish and durable. And with a wide range of colours, styles and finishes available, they’re a highly customisable way to update your decor and add value to your home. But what happens when your internal doors or external doors have been delivered but you’re not ready to install them?
The natural beauty of wood adds a premium feel to your home. But as a natural product, wood can warp or crack if stored incorrectly. So when it’s time to install internal doors, the damage could be irreversible, and you’ll have wasted your money.
Once your internal wooden doors are delivered, the clock is ticking. Realistically, you should aim to install your doors within two weeks to avoid damage and reduce the stress of storing them correctly!
Luckily, storing your doors after delivery isn’t difficult if you follow these few simple tips.
Store your doors flat and off the floor
If you won’t be installing your doors within 24 hours, it’s essential you store them flat and off the floor. It might be tempting to stand them upright. After all, that’s the way they’ll be installed, right? But this places undue pressure on the joints and can lead smaller pieces of wood to split or warp.
Ideally, store your doors flat to evenly distribute its weight and keep it on a raised surface – keeping them off the floor reduces the risk of damage, including spills.
Keep them dry and cool
If possible, store your doors in a cool, dry space with plenty of ventilation. Why is this important? Unfortunately, heat causes wood to sweat, which you’ll notice as condensation inside the packaging. So it’s best to keep your doors away from radiators or other heat sources – and this includes direct sunlight. As well as the heat element, the sun’s UV rays can bleach the timber’s colour, causing aesthetic damage.
Avoid moisture
We’ve discussed how heat and sunlight are bad news, so you might be tempted to store your new doors in an exterior garage or shed. But all that dampness and humidity can damage your newly purchased doors, too – it can cause the wood to swell and warp.
However, it also helps to choose indoor spaces with care. For example, it’s best to avoid keeping your doors in a newly plastered or painted room – again, the moisture in the air can wreak havoc with your doors. It may damage any veneer and affect the door’s joints and hinges.
Leave packaging intact
You’ll need to inspect your solid oak doors when delivered to ensure they haven’t been damaged in transit. But remember to replace any protective packaging after your checks. It’s also important to note you shouldn’t remove the wrapping on the actual door if you want to store it successfully.
Here’s why: the packaging helps to prevent external damage, but it also keeps the moisture in the doors at a constant level. As we’ve seen, too high, and your doors can warp; too low, and they can dry out and crack.
While it might be tempting to take a sneak peek at your doors before installing them, try to be patient – it’ll be worth the wait!
Handle with care
When the time comes for installation, handle your doors with care. Whether you’ve chosen sleek white internal doors or on-trend external bi-fold doors, the last thing you need is fingerprints all over the glazing or dirty marks on the finish. Wearing gloves will protect the material for a flawless installation.
Beautiful doors from A Wood Idea
New internal and external doors are an investment, but one that’s worth it. If you’re starting a renovation project and need help, check out our advice, guidance, and inspiration.
Otherwise, browse our collections of beautiful internal doors and external doors to add the perfect finishing touch to your home. If you’d prefer to see the doors in person, rather than online, you can always pop into our Blaydon showroom. And if you need more help, feel free to get in touch with our team of experts today.
