Care and maintenance of oak doors and exterior oak doors
Caring for and treating your door is not just a chore. It is also relaxing work that produces results. Especially on older doors, the result is usually great when you have sanded away the top layers of old oak and encounter the door you once loved. In this guide, we look at how you take care of your oak door to preserve both function and appearance throughout the lifetime of the door.
Why is maintenance important?
Oak (Quercus robur) is a hard, durable and rot-resistant wood. The fact that it is hard means that oil does not penetrate as easily as for example teak. This means that you need to oil an oak door more often than other doors. But as with all wood, oak demands continuous maintenance. In this guide, we tell you how much maintenance you need to do, based on the age of the door. But first: why should you maintain an oak door regularly?
Maintenance preserves the color tone and appearance of the oak door
Oak is a light wood that fades and turns grey if it is not maintained. Oak trees also have larger pores than other woods. When the tannins found naturally in the oak oxidize and penetrate the wooden pores, black spots may occur. Similar spots occur when mold and pollen stick in the spores. Both of these are difficult to sand away once they have appeared.
Maintenance preserves the door’s function
The exterior door is the house’s boundary the between indoor and outdoor climate. On the outside of the door, there may be dry air with minus degrees, while the air indoors is above 20 degrees and humid. As a consequence, the door’s wood is exposed to great differences in both temperature and humidity. Maintaining the door makes it more responsive and avoids cracking. This makes the door last longer.
All oak doors need maintenance. Exactly how often depends on the door’s location and exposure to weather and wind. Remember that an oak door needs to be oiled to prevent it from becoming unsightly, cracking and getting black spots.
When the oak door is new – maintenance is easier
When your oak door is new, it is sufficient to wash the door once or twice a year. It is good to get into the routine of washing the door in early autumn and early summer. Dip a sponge or cloth in hot water mixed with detergent and wash off the door leaf and frame. If the door feels dry it may be necessary to place a thin layer of oil.
Our oak doors are treated with a layer of Osmo UV Protection Oil 425 Oak (pigmented) and a layer of Osmo UV Protection Oil 420 (uncolored). This means that they have a good base protection.
When should one maintain their oak doors?
"As soon as you discover that the oak door is starting to get worn, get black dots or discolorations.
Oak is a hard and durable but bright wood, therefore black mold, precipitation and dirt are clearly visible.
It is important not to allow any black mold to take hold and it must be removed before further surface treatment ”
thorough maintenance of exterior door in oak
When the door starts to get few years old, we recommend that you do a little more thorough maintenance a few times a year.
This is how you proceed:
1. If the wood fibres have lifted, start by sanding the surface with a fine sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain. Use a fine sandpaper to sand away dirt and organic material stuck to the surface.
2. Then apply a thin layer of Osmo UV Protection Oil 420 (uncolored). If you sand off the door completely, you should base with a layer of Osmo UV Protection Oil 425 Oak (pigmented) and then a layer of Osmo UV Protection Oil 420 (uncolored) as top, after sanding the surface.
3. Be sure not to leave any excess. Avoid treating your door in direct sunlight.
Wash off visible mould a few times a year
If you see that there is mold on the door in the form of small black spots, you should treat it with algae or mold spray that kills the mold.
Wash your door a couple of times a year, especially if there are many hardwood trees in the surrounding area. This will keep it fresh while allowing it to age beautifully and naturally. If you do not know which mold spray to use, ask your paint merchant so they can help you find the right one for your door.
Apply an extra layer of oil when needed
We also recommend that you add an extra layer of oil when needed. känns torr och matt. Exactly how often depends on the door’s location and exposure to weather and wind. Remember that your oak door needs to be oiled to retain its appearance and not crack and get black spots.
Remember that you should apply the oil at a time when there are not too many mold spores or pollen in the air, as these easily stick to the door.
For further maintenance, ask your paint merchant for advice or visit www.welinoco.com.
MAINTENANCE OF GLAZED OAK DOOR/FRONT DOOR
Check regularly that the silicone seal between the glass and the glass strip is intact. The silicone material is broken down by the weather and wind and allows water to penetrate into the structure and cause swelling and possibly color loss. Use silicone adapted for glass (available in building materials merchants) for maintenance. Ask your paint merchant for advice.
MAINTAINING AN OAK DOOR
Leif Karlsson is a door carpenter and has worked at Bovalls Dörrbyggeri since 1969. His hobbies are carpentry, local history and writing. Here he shares good tips and shows you how to perform thorough maintenance on an oak front door from Bovalls.
NOTE! If the oak door only requires renovation oiling there is no need to use preservative. This video shows the oil we used for oak doors made before June 2018. Newer doors are oiled with Osmo UV Protection Oil.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING BUYING A NEW DOOR FOR YOUR HOME?
You are always warmly welcome to contact us with your questions and thoughts! We help you with tips, advice and inspiration so that you can choose the right door for your particular home.
