There may be times when you will need to store your internal doors for short periods. Old doors may need storing while you renovate or redecorate your house. New doors may be ordered in advance of their installation. Whatever the reason, it is important that you store your doors correctly.
Storing internal doors is not all that hard, but there are a couple of pointers that you should adhere to. In doing so, your doors will remain properly maintained and help increase their lifespan. There are many repercussions if not stored correctly, and can cause problems further down the line.
To help you get the best out of your internal doors, we have put together some advice on the correct way to store them.
Why Do I Need to Store My Doors Correctly?
When storing wooden doors, it’s important to keep them in the right conditions. If they are left in the wrong place or left uncovered, they may become chipped or stained. If kept at the wrong temperature or humidity level, they could become moisture damaged and warp.
At best, these occurrences will diminish the visual quality of your doors and shorten their life span. At worst, they’ll become too warped or damaged to fit inside their frames, rendering them unfit for purpose.
How to Store Your Internal Door
Store doors flat but off the ground
Doors are heavy and designed to distribute their weight evenly when hung from their hinges. If you leave them leaning or upright against a wall for a prolonged period (more than a day) they will start to bend.
If you do not have the space or apparatus to store your internal flat and off the ground, then it can be possible to store them on the floor. If this is the case, then make sure they are isolated from any high-traffic areas. This will reduce the chance of getting chipped or damaged while in storage.
It is also essential to keep your internal door covered in waterproof and dustproof protective sheets. This will help reduce the moisture content of the door and prevent it from warping.
Keep your doors covered
If possible, keep your door in its original packaging if you’re intending on storing it. This is designed to protect your door in storage and transit and will save you the effort of covering it yourself.
If your internal doors have come installed with glazing then protecting them is just as important as the door itself. The last thing anybody wants is to find that their glass panels are scratched, cracked, or chipped before installation. Even the slightest amount of dirt can cause damage to glazing.
Store doors away from direct sunlight
Any exposure to UV light could bleach the doors, and leave an uneven colour on their surface.
This is especially apparent for pre-finished internal doors. If your new door arrives with gloss paint already applied, it is most likely to fade or taint under direct sunlight. A shady room, ideally a dry garage, is perfect for storing your internal doors.
Remove all door hardware
If your internal doors already have hardware and accessories installed, it’ll be worth removing them and storing them separately. This will allow your new doors to lay flush on a surface and prevent them from warping.
Storing your door hardware separately will also prevent them from becoming damaged, and damaging other items in your home in the process. If you have new and expensive door handles, you do not want them scratching and scuffing before you’ve even used them!
Keep doors somewhere dry
This means away from fresh plaster, rendering, or concrete. Unless completely dry, all these substances can add moisture to the air, which may affect the doors. Once a door warps, it may not hang properly against its frame. This can lead to issues that prevent the door from closing properly and can prevent it from fitting at all.
Do not place your doors near a heat source
Placing them near a radiator or other source of heat may cause the doors to ‘sweat’. This draws moisture out of the wood which can weaken it or make it bow.
For more information on our internal doors, contact us.