SIMPSONDOOR.COMCARE & FINISHING GUIDE
Care and Finishing
Your Simpson® door has been handcrafted to last for years to
come. And like any piece of ne furniture, it needs proper
nishing and periodic maintenance to keep it performing at its
best. For a long-lasting, beautiful Simpson door, please follow
the instructions as outlined in the appropriate section below.
Failure to follow Simpson's care & nishing recommendations
will void the door's warranty.
FINISHING OPTIONS
Because Simpson doors are crafted with only the nest materials, you
can choose from a wide variety of stain or paint possibilities. Paint
dealers have a broad selection of color chips on hand to demonstrate
the look you can achieve when staining ne wood such as Douglas Fir,
Western Hemlock or Red Oak used in Simpson doors.
If you choose paint instead of stain, you can apply either oil-base or
acrylic resin-base paints over an oil-base primer. However, take care
in following the nishing instructions provided here. Also, be sure to
evaluate the conditions your Simpson door must endure, such as direct
exposure to severe climates, before deciding on the specic nish to use.
All Simpson doors must be nished within 72 hours after installation
to meet manufacturer’s warranty.
CAUTION: If during the nish process you are having issues and/
or identify problems with your door, stop nishing immediately and
contact the company from where you purchased your doors.
HANDLING
1. Do not walk on any door units. Some units contain glass.
2. Avoid dragging doors across one another and keep doors clean.
3. Store at on a level surface in a dry, well ventilated building.
4. Doors should be conditioned to average prevailing relative humidity of
the locality before hanging.
5. Doors should not be subjected to extreme or rapid changes in heat or
humidity. Avoid sudden changes such as forced heat to dry out a building.
6. If the doors are to be stored on the job site, all surfaces including ends
and edges must be sealed with an eective quality oil-base sealer in order
to prevent undue moisture absorption.
PREPARATION FOR FINISHING
1. Before applying the rst coat of nish, remove all handling marks, raised
grain and other undesirable blemishes by sanding all surfaces with 180
grit sandpaper. For doors with shaker sticking, lightly ease the outside
edge of the sticking with sandpaper. To avoid cross-grain scratches, sand
with the grain. Note: small amounts of grease, oil, or pitch can be wiped
clean with denatured alcohol or turpentine.
2. Adjust or align components if necessary before nishing. Wood panels
“oat” and may be knocked into alignment with a wood block and
hammer. Be careful not to damage door.
3. After sanding, clean the door thoroughly with a cloth to remove all dust
or foreign material. Do not use caustic or abrasive cleaners.
4. Hang door before nishing, and then remove to nish properly. Doors
must be properly sealed prior to installation of hardware and exposure to
moisture or weather. Properly nish door immediately before prolonged
storage.
5. All surfaces of the door must be properly nished. e edges (top,
bottom and sides) should be coated with each and every coat of nish
that is applied to the exterior surface of the door. Doors must be dry
before nishing.
6. On doors that are glazed with clear glass, the nish used should be owed
from the wood slightly onto the glass. is will provide assurance against
water leakage and protect the glazing compound “putty” from drying out.
If you see excess putty, please view the short video on how to remove the
excess putty.
7. NOTE: It is the nisher's responsibility to protect glass prior to and
during nishing. If using tape, conduct a test of the tape being used on
a small area of the glass before applying to a large surface. After nishing,
remove the tape as soon as possible.
8. On doors that have plastic lm protection on glass, removal of plastic
lm protection immediately after applying the nish is required. Failure
to remove the plastic lm at this time may cause harm to the glass and
will create diculty in removing the lm at a later time. Do not use
razor blades or sharp objects to remove the lm or clean the glass.
ese items will scratch the glass.
EXTERIOR FINISHING
Stain-and-Clear Finish
e recommended process for nishing Simpson doors is a 3-step
process. Step 1: application of a wood conditioner. Step 2: application
of a stain. Step 3: application of at least three top coats of a clear nish.
When selecting the nishes for these three steps, select products that
have been designed to work together.
A wood conditioner prepares the wood to accept nish uniformly and
helps to spread the nish evenly. When selecting a wood conditioner,
the type of conditioner needs to match the stain. For example a water-
based conditioner for a water-based stain or an oil-based conditioner
for an oil based stain.
Stains are available in a wide range of colors. Whatever color you select
should have an alkyd-resin base. Under no circumstances should a
lacquer-based nish system be used on exterior doors.
e three (minimum) top coats may be a solvent-borne (oil-base, alkyd
resin-base, polyurethane resin-base) or a water-borne (acrylic resin-
base) clear nish. See notes (1) and (2) below.
e advantages and disadvantages of solvent-borne vs. water-borne
clear nishes are as follows:
1. Solvent-Borne Advantages: Cures faster, harder and more water resistant.
May be applied under variable weather conditions. Disadvantages:
Subject to ultraviolet degradation and not as exible or durable as water-
borne clear nish.
2. Water-Borne Advantages: Very exible, greater ultraviolet resistance, and
good exterior durability. Disadvantages: Cannot be applied below 50ºF,
long curing period required, and may not fully cure for several weeks.
Water-sensitive until cure is complete.
NOTE: Do not sand between coats of clear acrylic. All stain-and-clear
nishes will perform measurably better if protected from the direct
eects of sunlight and weathering, and renishing will not be required
as frequently.
Paint Finish
Either oil-base or acrylic resin-base exterior grade paints may be used
with success on panel doors. Oil-base paints oer more resistance to
the passage of water (liquid and vapor) than acrylic resin-base paints,
but the latter have better durability and color retention.
Doors should be sealed with a good quality oil-base primer followed by
two top coats of either an oil-base or acrylic resin-base paint. Of course,
both primer and top coat should be made by the same manufacturer
and designed to be used as a combination.
SIMPSONDOOR.COMCARE & FINISHING GUIDE
NOTE: Where possible exposure to direct sun or rain is a factor, to
keep your wood doors beautiful they require periodic resealing or
painting dependent on weather or moisture exposure. Do not use
dark colored stains or paint on doors exposed to sunlight, as some
expansion and contraction of door parts may occur. Further, a dark
colored stain or paint can void the door’s warranty.
CAUTION: Simpson Door Company cannot evaluate all the available
paints and stains, nor the customers' specic application requirements.
Your paint dealer should know of suitable nish systems that give
satisfactory results in your region. It is highly recommended that top
quality nishes be selected, and the application instructions on the
container be followed explicitly.
PPG ProLuxe Wood Finish (formerly Sikkens Cetol Door & Window
nish products) are not to be used in nishing Simpson doors. is
product has resulted in poor performance in the eld. Use of these
products will void Simpson’s warranty.
High Exposure Finishing
1. Use an oil-base primer followed by at least three top coats of a high quality
oil or acrylic-based paint on the exterior. Acrylic is more durable and has
better color retention.
2. Use a silicone or caulking bead (must be compatible with paint) around
the perimeter of each glass pane. is will seal the putty and prevent any
moisture from running directly into the door.
3. Ensure all nish coats are allowed to ow into the glass area at least ".
4. Ensure all coatings that go on the surface of the door are also applied to
the top and bottom. Coat all six sides of every door, or your warranty will
be voided.
5. Silicone the door bottom sweep onto the bottom of the door and apply a
surface mount drip cap to the bottom of each door to allow for moisture
runo onto the sill.
6. For outswing units: Prior
to nishing the top of
the inactive door, be sure
to ll the mortise pocket
around the ush bolt prep
with silicone or caulking.
Moisture has a history of
pooling up in this area on
outswing units. Consider
a thin layer of metal across
the top of the door to
keep moisture from direct
contact with the wood.
7. Storm or screen doors may
be mandatory to completely
eliminate moisture problems. Storm doors must be vented to eliminate
temperature build-up.
8. Performance Series® upgrades are recommended for high exposure door
openings. Request WaterBarrier® and UltraBlock® technologies from
your Simpson retailer to get the most life out of your door. And if you
are selecting a French door, we strongly recommend specifying Simpson’s
WaterBarrier® Technology.
Paint Finish Specics
1. “Bridge” nish from face of door to moulding, ensuring there is no gap
between moulding and surface of the door.
2. “Bridge” nish as noted above on inside of panel area where moulding
meets panel and/or glass.
3. Ensure all moulding miters are well-coated, leaving no gaps.
Jamb-to-Sill Specics
1. Caulk at sill-to-jamb leg connection.
2. Use corner pads where sill meets jamb.
3. Flood ush bolt hole in sill with caulk or silicone.
INTERIOR FINISHING
Stain-and-Clear Finish
A solvent-borne or water-borne nish system can be used for interior
doors and may be a lacquer-based system. If a brush application is to be
used, it is recommended that a presealer be used prior to staining. For
best performance, a minimum of two clear top coats should be used over
stains.
Paint Finish
Doors should be sealed with a good quality bare wood primer followed
by two top coats of a solvent-base or acrylic enamel.
FITTING AND HANGING
1. When hanging door, allow adequate clearance for swelling of door or frame
in damp weather. Allow approximately " clearance for swelling when the
door is installed in fully dry conditions. Jambs must be plumb.
2. Do not cut doors down in height by more than 2" (1-1/2" maximum
from bottom or 1" on doors with UltraBlock® technology, 1/2" maximum
from top). Care should be taken in cutting doors down in width to avoid
exposing engineered components. Use a sharp ne-tooth saw for trimming
ends of doors.
3. Caution must be used to avoid impairing the strength of the door when
tting for locks. Allow at least 1" of wood
back of mortise.
4. Use three hinges on doors up to 7' in height
and four hinges on doors over 7'. Hinges must
be set in a straight line to prevent distortion.
5. Jambs and stops must be set square and
plumb.
6. For best performance and to meet the
standard Simpson warranty, any exterior door
should be installed under an overhang or
with sucient protection. Adequate overhang
depends on typical weather conditions of the
area where the door is installed, but at the
minimum means an overhang projecting a
distance from the structure equal to one half
the distance between the bottom of the door
and the bottom of the overhang (see gure 1).
7. If an adequate overhang is not feasible,
Simpson oers a selection of products
warranted for this application, including a
ve-year limited warranty on doors featuring
WaterBarrier technology and ten- and
ve-year limited warranties on Nantucket®
Collection doors.
8. Do not use dark colored stains or paints.
9. Immediately after cutting and tting (before hanging), seal all cut surfaces
and ends of door with an eective quality sealer. See exterior and interior
nishing recommendation for complete instructions.
10. Prior to exterior exposure, doors must be nished with complete nish
system.
11. To minimize heat loss and save energy, use weather stripping.
X
X = 1/2 Y
Where X is the length of the overhang
required and Y is the distance from
the bottom of the door to the base
of the overhang.
Y
Figure 1
SIMPSONDOOR.COMCARE & FINISHING GUIDE
MAINTENANCE
Your Simpson door's nish will require some simple, periodic
maintenance to keep it looking great and provide proper protection
against the elements. Regular nish maintenance is also a requirement
of the warranty that's included with every Simpson door.
Here are some signs to watch for. ey indicate that it's time for some
simple, easy-to-perform maintenance:
• Hairline cracks in the top coat of
nish.
• Changes in the color of the nish.
• Changes in the texture of the
nish, such as aking or scaling.
• Dullness or chalkiness in the nish.
If you live in a severe climate or your entry receives a lot of direct
sunlight from a southern or western exposure, you'll want to examine
your door's nish often. Depending on the conditions, you may also
need to maintain the door nish more frequently.
It is important to note that wood has inherent dynamic qualities.
Over time, small surface “imperfections” may appear, and the door
may shrink or swell slightly as it “breathes” with climate changes.
ese characteristics are perfectly normal, reecting the natural aging
process of a wood door, and they should not be considered defects. To
minimize these occurrences, protect your door with the right nish
and an adequate overhang.
CHALKBOARD PANEL DOOR
CARE AND FINISHING
Breaking in a new chalkboard door:
1. Remove surface lm before starting the “breaking-in” process.
2. Wash the surface daily with cool water for one week.
3. Wash only a small section at a time, immediately rubbing dry with a
lint-free cloth.
4. Repeat until the entire surface of the door has been washed.
5. After washing, hold a stick of chalk at on the board and cover the entire
surface.
6. Erase evenly. e chalkboard is now ready to use.
Maintenance tips:
1. Clean erasers frequently.
2. Use white chalk rather than yellow or colored chalk, as the pigments can
make them more dicult to erase.
3. Wash the chalkboard weekly if necessary.
4. Look for high grade chalk (95% chalk with a 5% binder), as inferior
chalk may permanently mark the chalkboard.
RESIN PANEL DOOR CARE AND
HANDLING
Handling
All doors with resin panels come standard with a protective lm that must not
be removed until after door nishing is complete and the door is fully installed
in its nal location. To remove the protective lm, peel from a corner edge
towards the center of the panel. e protective lm should easily pull o.
Cleaning and Maintenance
1. Use warm water, mild soap or detergent, and a soft sponge, cloth, or
chamois to clean the resin panel. A resin cleaner, such as Novus or Gel-
gloss, may also be used.
2. An anti-static guard may be used to minimize accumulation of dust on
the panel surface.
3. Do not use glass cleaning products (such as Windex), acetone, gasoline,
benzene, lacquer thinner, chlorinated solvents, gritty abrasive scouring
compounds, or alkaline cleaners to clean the resin panel as damage to the
insert will occur.
4. Do not use a squeegee, scraper, or synthetic rags that may scratch the
surface of the panel.
5. Never scrub the resin panel. Gently wipe surface with a soft, scratch-
free cloth.
