Installation Information

This page sets out the general installation principles that apply to the doors, frames, ironmongery, panelling and flooring we supply. It is written to help you plan the job and avoid the mistakes that cause most warranty claims. Always read the instructions supplied with the specific product as well, because manufacturer instructions take precedence over anything here and following them is normally a condition of the warranty.

Before you start

• Check the delivery against the order before you cut, plane or drill anything
• Confirm the leaf size, the thickness and the handing of every door
• Read the trimming allowance printed on the product page or the label
• Make sure the ironmongery you have bought suits the door thickness

Once a door has been altered it can no longer be returned, so all checks belong at this stage. Our delivery page explains what to do if something arrives damaged.

Storage and acclimatisation

Timber products move with the moisture in their surroundings. Store them flat and clear of the floor, in a dry and normally heated space, and allow them to acclimatise to the room before fitting. Avoid newly plastered or newly screeded rooms until the building has dried out, because a door stored in wet air will swell and then shrink again later.

Finishing

Unfinished doors must be sealed on all six faces, including the top and bottom edges, before or immediately after hanging. Sealing the faces but leaving the edges bare allows uneven moisture movement, which is the usual cause of bowing. Seal every cut out you make for hinges, latches, locks and letter plates as well.

We list 84 unfinished internal doors and 353 fully finished internal doors. Full finishing guidance is on our product care page.

Trimming

Take material off evenly, a little from each edge rather than a lot from one, and never exceed the manufacturer trimming allowance. Removing more than the allowance cuts into the structural stiles and rails of the door and voids the warranty. Fire doors have their own strict limits and must not be trimmed beyond the stated figure, because that removes material the fire test relied on.

Our guide on how to plane a door covers technique and order of work.

Hanging the door

1. Check the opening for square before you start, measuring width and height at three points each.
2. Offer the door up dry and mark the hinge positions on both the leaf and the frame.
3. Fit the hinges to the door first, then hang it on the frame.
4. Use three hinges on any door over 1981mm tall, on any solid core door and on every fire door.
5. Check the swing and the closing action before you fit the latch.

We list 358 door hinges, including 27 butt hinges, 52 fire rated hinges, 27 parliament hinges and 44 washered hinges. Our guides on how to choose door hinges and where to fit door hinges explain positions and spacing.

Frames, linings and architrave

A door is only as good as the opening it hangs in. Fix linings plumb and square, pack behind the fixings rather than pulling the lining out of line, and check the diagonals before the plaster goes on.

We list 55 door linings and frames, 2 external frames, 16 architrave profiles and 10 skirting profiles. For pairs of doors, 4 pair maker sets let two single leaves meet correctly. Read door frames versus door linings and our guide to door architraves.

Ironmongery

Check that the spindle length and the backset suit the handle you have chosen, and that the hinge size suits the weight of the door. Mortice work should be marked from a template rather than by eye.

We list 2589 door handles, 66 bathroom locks, 42 bathroom turn and release sets, 9 sash locks, 3 dead locks, 7 magnetic latches, 76 escutcheons and 39 door stops. See our door handles buying guide.

Fire doors

A fire door assembly only performs as tested when the leaf, the frame, the seals, the hinges and the latch are all as specified. Fit intumescent strips in the grooves provided, use the ironmongery the certification allows, and make sure the door closes fully into the rebate from any open position.

We list 246 fire doors and 11 intumescent strips and pads. Read our fire door guide first, and take the specification for your building from your building control officer.

Sliding, folding and pocket systems

Track based systems depend on a level, straight and adequately strong fixing surface. Check the head detail can carry the load before you order, and allow for the track length as well as the leaf size. We list 16 sliding door kit systems, 15 bi-fold doors and 4 pocket doors. See how bi-fold doors work.

Flooring

Let flooring acclimatise in the room it will be laid in, follow the expansion gap the manufacturer specifies, and check the subfloor for level and moisture before you start. We list 12 flooring products. Our guides on laminate flooring mistakes and engineered oak flooring cover the detail.

Getting help

If you are unsure about anything, call 01924 457457 before cutting. See also our door measuring guide, the door size guide and the contact page.