INSTALLING YOUR DOOR

When installing a door, it is best to seek advice from professionals, such as Statesman Doors or the stockist from which you purchased the product – often they will have an installation service or can offer you essential tips to help you to get it right.

Our doors are beautifully crafted using the highest quality, sustainably sourced materials, however timber needs some protection from the elements to ensure its longevity and to maintain its appearance. Ideally any external door should be positioned back from the front of the building. If this is not possible, then to provide some protection, a canopy or open porch should be fitted which extends out at least 1.5 meters. Taking these measures will provide shelter from the rain and hot sun, something that’s particularly important when the door is facing north or west.

It’s seems a little bit obvious, but the way a door swings and what side the lever and lock is placed can make a big difference to its practicality. You should consider:

• Which side of the wall can you sacrifice a bit of space to accommodate the swing of the door?
• Which side of the door is best for the handle and lock? Make sure that hardware positioning isn’t too close to the jamb or affects accessibility of a person’s hand holding a key.

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Solid timber doors, like the majority of those in Statesman’s range, can weigh up to 50 kg or more. It is important therefore that consideration is given to the type of hinges required and how many you may need. For external doors we recommend fitting 3 high quality 100 mm hinges and at least 2 for internal doors. Remember that door thickness can vary from 35 to 45 mm so make sure the appropriate hinges are selected.

When measuring a door’s frame or jamb dimensions, it’s important to make sure that the door’s measurements are not exactly the same. You need just a little bit of space between the door’s edges and the frame, to allow the door to freely open and close, and to allow for any slight variance in dimensions due to heat related expansion. Of course, there are standard door and frame sizes, but if in doubt, always ask your stockist. The normal clearance is 2-3 mm on both the stiles and top of the door. The clearance required on the bottom of the door will be determined by whether it is an external or internal door, what floor coverings are fitted and whether a weather seal is also to be installed.

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Our doors are designed to allow you to trim the stiles and rails when required to fit into a non-standard opening. This will often be the case with older home renovations. We don't recommend trimming more that 5 mm off the stiles and top rail or 10 mm from the bottom rail. Our doors are not designed to be reduced excessively and you could compromise the door’s stability if you do so. Please seek advice if you need to trim more than our recommendations or consider having a custom door made. Once the door is trimmed make the appropriate cut-outs for hinges and door furniture. Most locks or latches will be supplied with instructions and/or templates to show you the correct position in which to place them on the door’s edge. In the case of panelled doors, take care to avoid rail joints as this could significantly weaken the joint.

This is a vital step in the process, especially for an external door as this treatment will be your external door’s only protection against the elements. To choose the correct type of treatment or sealant for your door, make sure you take note of our advice in our Door Care & Maintenance section. Before you begin to treat your door, the door should be removed from the frame and all hinges and hardware should also be removed to enable a full protective treatment to be applied to ALL exposed faces edges and cut-outs.