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Can I cheat on the interval between maintenances? |
The obvious answer is "Of Course". However, there are consequences.
Compare to the maintenance of your car. If you do your oil changes every 3000
miles as recommended, your engine runs better for a longer period. If you don't
do your oil change, your oil breaks down and the wear rate on the internal
parts of your engine increase and the total life of the engine decreases.
In the case of your door, each surface maintenance renews the UV
inhibitors of your door's finish. When you do the maintenances on schedule, the time
period between full refinishes is extended and the life of your door is multiplied
many times. Each time you delay a maintenance you shorten the total life
of your door by allowing the UV inhibitors to break down. And as you know,
replacing a high quality wooden door is very expensive.
As an added bonus, when you do a maintenance on your door, you get to enjoy
its refreshed beauty.
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Can the job be done with the door closed? |
A maintenance can be done while the door is closed. This is because the only
area of the door that cannot be reached with the door closed is the edges.
The edges do not have the same exposure to the sun as the rest of the door
since they are protected from the sun by the doorjambs. Which results in the
formation of shadow lines around the edges of the door.
When doing a refinish of a door, the door must be opened to do the job.
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What is a Shadow Line? |
A shadow line is the more darkly colored area of your door around the edge.
It was caused by the lack of exposure to the sun and its UV radiation. This
area of your door was protected by the doorjamb from exposure to the sun. This
shadow line is generally very close to the original color of your door.
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Will a storm door protect my wooden door? |
NO! A storm door creates a greenhouse effect between the storm door and your
wooden door. This results in higher temperatures and higher humidity between
the doors resulting in faster deterioration of the finish on your door. Worse
yet, a storm door will increase the difference in temperature between the temperature
of the outside surface of your door and the temperature of the inside surface
of your door. This can result in warping, cracking and splitting of the glue
joints of your door. In fact, a storm door will void the manufacturer's
warranty on most wooden doors.
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Should I use furniture polish, oils or waxes on
my door? |
NO! First of all they are unnecessary. A wiping with a soft damp (with water)
cloth is sufficient to keep the door looking good. Oils, waxes, and silicone-based
products provide a medium for molds and mildews to grow. Customers often polish
right over deep-seated molds and mildews actually sealing them in instead of
out. Finally, some of the silicone-based polishes are nearly impossible to
remove from the door, and can interfere with new finishes giving less satisfactory
results.
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My door is in a location where mold and mildew are
likely. What do I do? |
Some doors are in locations that are shaded and humid. These conditions encourage
mold and mildew growth. If mildew appears, try simply wiping it off with the
soft damp cloth. If that fails, try some Windex or equivalent. This will remove
the mildew and not negatively affect the finish of your door.
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Can a maintenance be done when a refinish should
have been done? |
The answer is "In some cases". Generally a maintenance
can be done if there is minimal flaking or chipping on the raised molding of
the door.
Keep in mind that the color throughout the door will not be the same. This
is a temporary solution to keep your door protected, for the results will not
last as long as a refinish.
If the chipping has spread to the flat surfaces of your door, neither you
nor The Door Refinishing Company would be satisfied with the results of a
maintenance. If the chipping has spread to the flat surfaces of your door
The Door Refinishing Company will only do a refinish and not a maintenance.
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