Care & Finishes

PRE-FINISHED DOORS AND FRAMES

All pre-finished oak, white and grey door sets have been factory finished using a high build microporous wood coating system and are ready for installation. This finish not only enhances the beauty of the wood, but more importantly offers superior protection.

Each pre-finished external door set undergoes a 3-coat finishing process, using a High Build Microporous Coating System, comprising a Base Coat which is applied to every part of the frames and doors, to ensure they are fully protected. 

Then, special sealers are used to completely seal the end grain of the wood, at the top and bottom of the Door Stiles and at all joints. 

Finally, two spray coats of High Build Microporous Topcoat is applied, again on all surfaces and faces, inside and out, so every part of your Vufold timber doors are protected. 

The final result is a fantastic finish, which looks good, fully protects your Vufold timber doors, and is easy to recoat. Best of all you don’t have to get out the paintbrush on installation! 

All pre-finished Vufold door sets must be well maintained and re-coated as and when necessary, before the coating breaks down. Moisture must not be allowed to penetrate the timber. The length of time between re-coating depends greatly on exposure to weather and the direction the bi-fold doors face.  

You would normally be expected to re-coat the doors between 2 - 5 years. The coating will last longer in a sheltered or north facing site. However, if the site is south facing, or in a heavy weather exposure area, the finish will need maintaining more frequently.

Please note: the use of steel wool or allowing steel or iron fragments to come into contact with oak timber or veneers may cause oxidisation resulting in black staining.  

IMPORTANT: The finish on your Vufold door set must be checked every six months for deterioration, and re-coated if necessary. This will maintain the decorative finish and ensure that no moisture enters the timber of the doors and frames during the life of the product.  

Vufold now offer maintenance kits, under the Vufold sigma brand, which contains everything you need to maintain the factory applied finish. The regular use of Vufold-sigma Wood care milk 3 to 4 times a year will prolong the period before re-coating is necessary. See our maintenance - refinishing and repair kits 

We do not recommend re-finishing with any finish other than a medium to high build microporous opaque wood finish finishing system as this will invalidate your warranty. The RAL (colour match) paint code for the white finish is 9016 - Traffic White, and the grey finish is RAL 7016 - Anthracite grey. 

UNFINISHED DOORS AND FRAMES

If you have chosen one of our external unfinished oak products, each component must be fully finished according to our guidelines BEFORE the door set is installed.

Bare timber if left open to the elements will contract and expand due to temperature changes and will absorb moisture. Oak naturally contains tannins and will react if it comes into contact with water, steel or iron fragments. This can cause oxidisation resulting in black staining. 

We recommend finishing external unfinished door and frame components with a medium or high build microporous wood coating system. This will usually consist of one coat of base stain and two coats of topcoat, in a wood colour of your choice, to ALL faces and edges of the doors and frame components to ensure the product is fully sealed, including the tops and bottom edges of the doors and frames.  

You can purchase the Vufold-sigma High Build microporous Wood Coating system from Vufold or alternatively use a proprietary brand such as Dulux, Sadolin or Sikkens. We recommend that you the suitably of the finish with your chosen supplier before applying to your door set. Please note: The clearer the finish the more regular maintenance will be required.   

IMPORTANT: We do not recommend using any oil, wax, quick drying products such as Ronseal or any finish other than a medium to high build microporous wood finishing system. 

The chosen finish applied to your door set must be checked every six months for deterioration, and re-coated if necessary. This will maintain the decorative finish and ensure that no moisture enters the timber of the doors and frames during the life of the product. 

POWDER COATED COMPONENTS

All our Aluminium finished components are supplied powder coated providing a high quality and durable finish. 
  
Our standard range of colours are Anthracite grey – RAL 7016, Hipca white – RAL 9910 (Status only), and Jet black – RAL 9005. If you have selected an alternative custom colour option and require the colour and RAL code, please contact a Vufold team member and they will provide this for you.  
 
To maintain the external aluminium powder coated finish, wash regularly with soapy water, and then dry off with a soft lint-free cloth. As a minimum, the external surfaces must be washed at least every three months, and monthly if within five miles of the sea or in an industrial area. Our general recommendation would be to wash the external aluminium every time you clean your windows, which should normally be more regularly than the minimum requirement.  
 
The powder coating is not guaranteed unless installed at least 800 metres away from the sea.   

IMPORTANT: Immediately following installation, remove all protective tape from the powder coated aluminium components and glass, including any labels. Due to moisture and temperature changes, this can affect the adhesive properties and cause issues when trying to remove the protective tape and labels. 

PRE-FINISHED DOOR SETS

All fully finished oak internal door sets have been factory finished using a polyurethane wood coating system and are ready for installation. This finish not only enhances the beauty of the wood, but also offers good protection against natural moisture in the air, temperature changes and general wear and tear. 

The door sets must be checked every 2 – 5 years for deterioration in the finish and re-coated as and when necessary. Moisture must not be allowed to penetrate the timber. The length of time between re-coating depends greatly on the environment / location the doors are installed in. The coating may require more regular attention if installed say between a kitchen and living area or separating a lounge and dining area with a log burner, or directly next to a radiator due to regular varying temperature changes and moisture rich environments.  

IMPORTANT: We do not recommend re-finishing with any finish other than a polyurethane finishing system.

Our stocked pre-finished oak doors have been finished using a clear PU (polyurethane) finish, if you are looking for a clear durable finish to maintain the existing coating, we recommend using Dulux Trade clear polyurethane varnish in a satin finish. It is important that you have tested and checked that you are happy with your choice of finish before applying to your door set.  

Primed plus door sets

Our primed plus black and primed plus white door sets go through a 2-stage finishing process, providing a much better finish and coverage than a standard primer / base coat. This offers full protection for the wood and means you do not have to add a final topcoat should you not wish to do so - saving you time and money. 

Should you wish to apply a final coat, we recommend using a polyurethane finishing system. The RAL (colour match) paint code for the base coat black finish is 9011 - Graphite Black or 9016 - Traffic White.  

IMPORTANT: Do not use any oil, wax, quick drying products such as Ronseal or any finish other than a polyurethane finish as this will invalidate your guarantee.    

We recommend the coating is checked every 2 – 5 years and recoated if necessary. The coating may require more regular attention if installed say between a kitchen and living area or separating a lounge and dining area with a log burner, or directly next to a radiator due to regular varying temperature changes and moisture rich environments.  

UNFINISHED DOORS AND FRAMES

If you have chosen one of our internal unfinished oak products, each component must be fully finished according to our guidelines BEFORE the door set is installed.

Bare timber if left untreated will contract and expand due to internal temperature changes and natural moisture in the air. Oak naturally contains tannins and will react if it comes into contact with water, steel or iron fragments. This can cause oxidisation resulting in black staining. 

We recommend finishing internal unfinished door and frame components with a polyurethane wood coating system. This will usually consist of three coats, to ALL faces and edges of the doors and frame components to ensure the product is fully sealed, including the tops and bottom edges of the doors and frames.  

If you are looking for a durable and more natural finish, we recommend using Dulux Trade solvent based, clear polyurethane varnish, in a satin finish. It is important that you have tested and checked that you are happy with your choice of finish before applying to your door set. Please note, even clear finishes will darken the timber from its original appearance.

IMPORTANT: We do not recommend using any oil, wax, quick drying products such as Ronseal or any finish other than a polyurethane wood finishing system. 

The chosen finish applied to your door set must be checked every 2 - 5 years for deterioration in the finish and re-coated as and when necessary. This will maintain the decorative finish and ensure that no moisture enters the timber of the doors and frames during the life of the product. 

LOCKS, HANDLES, HINGES AND MOVING MECHANISMS 

By cleaning your door and window hardware on a regular basis, they are likely to last for many more years. In general, they are low maintenance, and as long as you clean them properly, you’ll be well on the way to keeping them operational well into the future.

Multi-point lock mechanisms are operated by lifting the handle and turning the key. The lock is secured by top and bottom bolts and a central deadbolt engaging with the lock keeps. The lock should operate just as smooth with the access door in the open position as what it does when it is fully closed.  All moving parts should be lubricated using a silicone spray.

Handles should be regularly cleaned with a soft damp microfibre cloth to remove any dust or grime taking care not to scratch the surface.  

Hinges and bolts should be wiped down using a microfibre cloth and warm soapy water and then wiped dry using a clean cloth. Applying a thin film of light machine oil or silicone spray, wiping with a dry cloth to remove any excess, will help to maintain the original lustre of the metal finish.

The top and bottom moving mechanism on bi-fold doors should be regularly cleaned and then lubricated using a suitable silicone spray. Adding lubricant in this way reduces wear, improves smoothness, and gives additional protection against corrosion of tracks and bearings. 

Stainless steel bearings are made from hardening grade stainless steel, and although this material performs much better than plated steel, it can corrode unless it is maintained as shown above.

Tracks and thresholds

Properly cleaning the tracks and thresholds is important to keep your doors operating smoothly. Always look out for any small stones or other debris that could fall into the runners or tracks and remove them immediately, as they could cause damage to the hardware. 

Make sure you vacuum the tracks, door runners and thresholds thoroughly, using the relevant attachment, at least once a month to avoid a build-up of debris and dust that could affect their smooth operation. 

IMPORTANT: Immediately following installation or if you have not opened your doors and windows for a prolonged period of time, thoroughly clean any areas where there has been a build-up of any dirt, debris and swarf before fully operating. 

After cleaning the tracks, using a microfibre cloth, apply a small amount of lubricant such as silicone spray to the inner lip of each side of the track. Make sure that the wheels pass through the lubricant and that it spreads evenly along the track. Adding lubricant in this way reduces wear, improves smoothness, and gives additional protection against corrosion of track and bearings. In addition, remove all surface contamination by wiping all visible track surfaces with a soft, damp cloth and mild detergent, then wipe with a clean cloth. In severe environments, apply a thin film of corrosive preventative such as silicone spray, and wipe with a clean microfibre cloth.

Single, Double And Triple glazing 

Regardless if you have single, double or tripled glazed units, toughened or laminated glass or frosted glass - your doors and windows will always look much more appealing with glass in pristine condition. 

Keeping your glass clean will enhance visibility, maximise light and add to their life expectancy.

When it comes to properly cleaning the glass, you need to use the correct cleaning products and techniques to prevent them from being streaky or cloudy. It’s also important to get it right to avoid small scratches on the glass that can lead to a dull appearance over time.

You can either use a standard shop-bought window cleaning product or make your own solution of vinegar and water, an old-fashioned, but effective glass cleaning product. Simply spray the solution onto the glass and wipe it clean with a microfibre cloth.

You can also use a squeegee to remove any residue of cleaning solution off the glass. Make sure your squeegee blade is soft and in good condition to avoid scratching the glass.

Once you’ve cleaned your windows, buff the glass dry with a dry, clean lint free cloth. Buffing the windows gives them a new, shiny appearance and keeps them looking like new.