When choosing a wooden exterior door made from African Hardwood it is important to make sure about the quality of the wood. Ask your dealer about the wood and especially what process was used to dry the wood. Kiln dried hardwood is much better because you will be sure that the wood is perfectly dry inside out.
Good exterior wooden doors are usually made of a solid hardwood like Kiaat, Rosewood, or Rhodesian Teak. These hardwoods are very heavy and special care need to be taken to ensure that your newly purchased door is treated well. The sun can damage a wooden door very quickly; in fact in can be worse than water.
Treating a Wooden Door is a very simple process. You just need to understand that a good quality exterior pivot door will need lots of nutrition. A clear floor polish wax is usually the best to seal your door after it has been treated with a good sealer like Woodoc. A Woodoc wax can also be applied to ensure that the door lasts longer.
Good Craftsmanship will indicate to you which door to choose, but how do you decide whether it is good craftsmanship if you do not know the difference. Something that you can look at, which is a good indication, is to have a look at the joints where the panels meets the rails and styles. A door panel should always be able to “breath”. Wood is alive and need some space to move, otherwise it will crack.
A Special hinge needs to be used to hang a large entrance door. These hinges are called pivot hinges and are fitted on the top and at the bottom of the door. A Good Pivot hinge is made of brass and runs on roller bearings. There are various makes on the market but make sure you use a good quality hinge.
Buying a pre fitted wooden entrance door is better if you do not have the skill to fit it yourself. Fitting a Pivot door can be very tricky and if you do not know what you are doing you might end up with a door which does not want to open at all. Make sure that the door is 100 percent square when you install it.
Transporting a large wooden door can be a problem because the weight of the door can damage the hinges before you get to your destination. The easiest way of transporting a large exterior door, especially if it is pre-fitted into a frame is by placing it on its side. This helps to distribute the weight of the door.
Another factor to bear in mind when purchasing an African hardwood pivot door is to make sure that you get a guarantee on the workmanship. Problems with woodwork are not always visible on the surface and you might only find out that there is a problem with your door a few months after the purchase.