How do I know my door needs maintenance?

Unless your door is under a large canopy and gets no weathering at all, your door will need some attention. Maintaining regularly, even when the door looks good, prevents more work later when you may have to sand more heavily.

Please note that maintenance is required regularly on the exterior side of your door, while the interior side is entirely up to you. Read on for our guidance and advice.

If your door is oiled: Oiling should be done at a minimum of once a year, twice a year if the door is exposed to daily rain and sun. You'll need to increase that to three times a year if the property is by the sea or if the bottom of the door and cill are very exposed.

If your door is lacquered: Lacquering should be redone once every 4-6 years, depending on exposure. Earlier maintenance might be required towards the bottom of the door and the cill if these areas are very exposed.

If your door is waxed (bronze): If the desired effect is for bronze to oxidise and weather, the only maintenance required is wiping the surface clean with a damp cloth. If less oxidisation is preferred, then waxing should be done once a year.

If your door is painted (RAL): Painted doors should be refinished once every 4-6 years, depending on exposure.

If your door has a partial overhang: If your overhang or canopy is smaller than 1.5 metres, then the bottom of the door will be exposed to the weather. In this case, we advise you to maintain your door regularly.

An example of door maintenance

Signs your door needs maintenance

Your door needs frequent light maintenance as per the information sent with your door. By the time you see either bare or grey wood, your door requires thorough maintenance. Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch our maintenance video.
Any black lines, spots or degradation of the wood means that your door has been left for too long without maintenance. However, it's still fixable: your door can be sanded and refinished. This can be clearly seen in the image on the left: the Porto door in European oak is in need of thorough maintenance. You can see what the door should look like on the right-hand side of the picture. Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch our maintenance video.
Thin splits in hardwood are a standard occurrence, but large splits may mean that your door is getting too much moisture in the wood, coupled with strong sun exposure. To address this issue, consider adding an overhang if you don't have one.

A sizeable canopy or porch is the best way to minimise wood door maintenance

Is your door covered by an overhang or porch and where is it located?
Does your door get a lot of rain or sun? A door with no overhang will undoubtedly experience more weathering than one with cover. However, some overhangs only cover part of the door, so there may be some weathering in certain areas. Some doors are so set back or covered that they can last many years without needing any maintenance. The location of your door also makes a difference – a south-facing door will get more sun than a north-facing door, for example.

Where is your house?

Is your house by the sea or in a town? Doors on houses by the sea will be exposed to sea air, which can cause erosion of the applied finish, and more regular maintenance will be needed. Some doors in a harsh environment, such as extreme cold or hot climates, will also be exposed to more rain, snow, sun and heat, and will therefore need higher protection on their surface.

WATCH: how to maintain your Urban Front door

For more on how to refresh and maintain your Urban Front door, watch this short, informative video. And if we haven't answer all your questions, give us a call on +44 1494 778 787 or contact us here and we'll be very happy to help.

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