Warranty Service

Warranty Service Program

Doors

The doors and door frames in your home are made of painted or varnished wood, fiberglass or metal products. These doors are subject to expansion and contraction due to local weather conditions such as heat and humidity. The result can be warping and sticking. This is normal and may correct itself as conditions change. You should allow your home to go through at least one dry and one damp season before you plane the wood or make other permanent changes.

Small cracks may also develop during a dry season, and again, they may disappear during wet, winter months. If the cracks do not disappear over time, they can be easily filled with wood putty or filler, obtained at your local hardware store or home center.

Warped doors require the attention of a professional craftsman. However, sticking doors can be corrected by removing small amounts of wood. In most cases, it is not necessary to remove the door. Usually, this can be done with sandpaper. Remove a small amount of wood at a time until the door no longer sticks. Use touchup paint on the exposed wood promptly.

The hinges and locks on your doors may require lubrication from time to time to prevent squeaks. Remove the hinge pin and rub it with a graphite tube or lead pencil and then replace it. Do not use oil as a lubricant because it accumulates dust and grease.

Door knobs that are used frequently can become loose. Tighten any screws that are loose as soon as you notice the problem.

Teach children not to hang on the door knobs or swing back and forth. This will cause the door to sag and the hardware to loosen. Interior doors with locks are designed to be opened with a small screwdriver or knife blade.

Remove finger smudges by washing with warm water and a soft cloth or sponge. Dry the surface thoroughly with a soft cloth or towel.

Postpone making permanent adjustments until after at least one dry and one wet season.

Do not use oil to lubricate door hinges and locks.

Teach children not to hang or swing on the door knobs.

Always dry the surface of the door after cleaning.

Closet Doors

If your closets feature sliding doors, keep clothes and other items away from their path. The rollers and tracks require periodic adjustment. Do not slam a sliding door closed or force it to move should it stick. This may damage the door or its rollers.

Exterior Doors

Check the finish on your exterior doors several times a year. If you notice that the finish is beginning to crack or peel, refinish the door promptly. Doors that receive direct sunlight or are exposed to wind and rain will need to be refinished more often. Unattended, cracking and peeling will rapidly destroy the surface of the door. Water can damage wood surfaces severely. Reposition sprinklers that spray doors and other wood surfaces.

Inspect the weather-stripping on exterior doors frequently. Weather-stripping should form a reasonably tight seal to prevent air and water from entering. Normal contraction of wood doors can leave a small gap in the weather-stripping. The small gap may close when the humidity increases and the door expands. French-opening doors or double doors do not weather seal as well as single-opening doors. Wind and rain are more likely to penetrate the weather-stripping on double doors, particularly at the top and bottom. This is normal and cannot be avoided. Adjust or replace weather-stripping that has worked loose.

Check the finish on exterior door hardware frequently. Metal surfaces exposed to outside elements will tarnish and corrode. Clean with a soft cloth to remove dirt and dust. Polish or wax to further protect the finish.

Refinish exterior doors at the first sign of deterioration, or annually.

Reposition sprinklers away from doors.

Be careful when washing your walkways not to get exterior doors wet.

Adjust or replace weather-stripping that is loose.

Polish exterior door hardware to prevent corrosion.

Garage Doors

Close your garage doors during rain. If the garage door is left open during rain, water will collect on the door and cause severe warping and damage to the door and the door hardware. Lubricate the hardware on your garage doors every three months.

Use a light lubricating oil and wipe away the excess oil. Do not lubricate with spray lubricants which contain solvents.

After the first year in your home you should tighten the hardware on your garage doors. If needed, you can adjust the tension on the upper and lower rods to compensate for any warpage of the door.

Sectional garage doors that are equipped with automatic openers require adjustment after the first few weeks of operation and every six months thereafter. Observe the operation of the doors and make adjustments as indicated in the booklet that is provided by the manufacturer.

Automatic garage door openers should be installed by a professional. In most cases, the tension springs must be re-adjusted to operate properly without excessive chatter. Modern automatic garage door openers are designed with a safety feature to automatically reverse if the door hits an obstruction. Garage door springs are under great tension and should only be adjusted or replaced by a professional.

Do not park a vehicle so that it is under the closing point of the automatic garage door. Under certain circumstances, including accidental operation of the door and spurious electrical signals, the automatic door could activate and damage the vehicle.

Close your garage door during rain.

Lubricate the hardware every three months.

Adjust the tension rods to compensate for warpage.