Referencing the Australian Standard AS:2688:2017. This standard outlines what is considered acceptable and what is not regarding door warping and bowing.

What is Warp/Bow?

Warping or bowing refers to the cupping or twisting of timber within the door itself. It does not pertain to the door’s relationship to the jambs or the frame in which it is hung.

Standards and Acceptable Tolerances

According to AS:2688:2017:

• For doors up to 2150mm high, a warp/bow of up to 4mm is not considered a defect.
• For doors between 2150mm and 2400mm high, a warp/bow of up to 6mm is acceptable.
• Doors exceeding 2400mm in height or 1020mm in width are not covered by this standard or the warranty and are not guaranteed against warp/bow or twist.

You can determine cupping by applying a straight edge to the concave face of the door, or identify a twist by placing the door face against a true plane surface.

Factors Leading to Warping/Bowing

Several factors can contribute to the warping or bowing of doors, including but not limited to:

Atmospheric Conditions: Humidity, heat, and dampness can cause the timber to expand or contract, leading to warping. Warping is more noticeable in the spring and summer months when wood that has been wet starts to dry out.

Improper Storage: Doors stored in unsuitable conditions before installation are more prone to warp.
Keep doors flat and fully supported on a level surface to prevent bending or twisting. Avoid leaning them against walls or other objects.

Moisture Conditions: Adverse moisture levels during the door’s life can cause it to warp.

Colour and Finish: Using dark or multiple colours (paint or stain) can exacerbate the warping process.

Door Size: Taller doors are more prone to warping than shorter doors.

Preventative Measures

The best way to combat warping is to take preventative measures when you install a door:

• Let the door acclimate to its new environment by placing it in the room for 48 hours so it can adjust to the moisture content in that room
• Apply several coats of sealant to the door, at least two coats, keeping the door flat during this process. Ensure the sealant is applied to all six sides of the door, with special attention to the top and bottom, which are prone to absorbing moisture.

Addressing Minor Warps

If you notice early on that one of your doors is starting to lose its shape:

• Remove the door from its hinges.
• If painted, remove any paint using a heat gun if necessary.
• Smooth and fill any cracks, and remove the coating or varnish, especially around the bottom and top of the door.
• Apply at least two coats of sealant to the entire door, including the hinge areas.
• Once the sealant is dry, you can repaint the door.
• When rehanging the door, ensure you seal the door frame to prevent the frame from expanding and causing the door to stick.

Addressing Severe Warps

For doors with a significant warp:

• Lay the door flat on a pair of saw horses or similar supports.
• Weigh it down with heavy towels or blankets.
• Leave the door for several days until you notice it correcting itself. Wet towels can be more effective.
• If the warp is extreme, add additional weights.
• Once the door is straight, let it dry and ensure you follow the sealing steps outlined above.

Important Consideration
Please note that making a new door will only necessarily solve the problem if the environmental conditions causing the warping are addressed. Maintaining consistent environmental conditions and ensuring proper storage and handling is essential to minimise the risk of warping or bowing.

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When it comes to custom doors, veneers and laminates are an excellent choice for achieving a unique and high-end look. At Solwest, we work with a range of well-renowned veneer and laminate brands such as Briggs, Ventech, Elton Group, Fethers, Polytec, Laminex, Nikpol to offer a variety of options for our customers to choose from. In this post, we’ll explore the different kinds of veneers available for our custom doors.

• Timber Veneer: Timber veneer is the most popular choice for custom doors. It is made by slicing thin sheets of wood (~0.6mm) from a log and then gluing them onto a substrate (the substrate could be MDF or Ply). Timber veneers can be sourced from a range of species, such as Oak, Walnut, Teak, Mahogany, and many others. It can be supplied in raw form or pre-finished. Pre-finished veneer is already stained, sealed, and ready to use, saving time and effort during the installation process.

  How is it made?
  To make a veneer, a wood log is sliced extremely thin (0.6mm) on a machine called a slicer. These slices, known as ‘leaves’, come in various widths so are joined together to make consistent sheets or ‘layons’.  These sheets are what are then glued onto our doors to produce our custom doors.
  You can produce all different styles of veneers from the same log depending on how it is cut.  A quarter-cut veneer (pictured left), will result in a linear grain whereas a crown cut (pictured right) will produce a ‘v’ shaped grain.  This is just one variable of many that can dictate the style of natural timber veneer you would like.
  

• Reconstituted Veneer: Reconstituted veneer is a man-made product that replicates the look of natural timber veneer. It is made by taking thin layers of real timber and then processing them to create a new product with a unique grain and color. Reconstituted veneer offers a consistent and uniform look, making it ideal for large projects where consistency is important.
• Dyed Veneer: Dyed veneer is created by staining natural timber veneer with a specific color. It can be a cost-effective alternative to natural timber veneer, as it can be sourced from cheaper species and then stained to match the desired look. Dyed veneer can be used to create a range of colors, from bold and vibrant to more subtle and natural hues.
• Textured Veneer: Textured veneer is a type of veneer that has been embossed or textured to create a unique look and feel. This can include patterns, grooves, or even three-dimensional designs. Textured veneer is a great choice for adding interest and depth to a door design.
• Laminate: Laminate, or Low Pressure Melamine, is a man-made material that consists of layers of paper or fabric that have been impregnated with resin and then bonded to MDF or a particle board sheet under heat and pressure. It is available in a range of colors and finishes, including woodgrain and solid colors. Laminate is a durable and cost-effective option that is easy to clean and maintain.
  Technology advances have greatly enhanced the quality of laminates, enabling them to replicate genuine wood and stone with outstanding precision and sophistication, all at a fraction of the cost. This remarkable progress has not only maintained the stylish appearance of laminates, but has also ensured their functionality.

At Solwest, we work closely with architects and builders to help them choose the perfect veneer or laminate for their custom doors. We understand that every project is unique, and we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of options to suit every design aesthetic and budget. Our team of experienced craftsmen ensures that every custom door we create is of the highest quality, and we take pride in our attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Doors are an essential component of any building – offering security, privacy, and environmental control. One of the most critical elements of a door is the type of core that it has. A door’s core is its internal structure, which provides support, insulation, and durability. There are three primary types of door cores: hollow core, semi-solid and solid core. In this post, we will discuss the key advantages and disadvantages of the core types, helping you to make an informed decision when choosing the right door for your specific application.  We’ll compare the doors based on their weight, longevity, price, acoustic, security & insulation performance.

Hollow Core

Hollow Core (or commonly known as Honeycomb or Lightweight) doors are made up of a honeycomb cardboard covered by a thin veneer or skin and are typically for interior usage. These doors are lightweight, making them easy to install, but also less durable and less effective at regulating temperature and acoustics. They are also less secure than other types of doors. Hollow core doors are often the least expensive option, making them a popular choice for those on a tighter budget.

Application

Great to use where no sound insulation is necessary such as closet and pantry doors.  Opt for hollow cores when trying to keep the budget down.

Key Notes:

• Lightweight and easy to install
• Inexpensive
• Less durable and offers quite low thermal and acoustic insulation

Semi-Solid

Semi-Solid doors are made with a core of High-Density Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam, which is covered by a thin layer of plywood or MDF. These doors are more durable and provide better thermal and acoustic insulation as well as providing even greater impact resistance.  A semi-solid door can achieve all of this while still being a very cost-effective solution and are easier to handle than a traditional solid core.  This kind of core offers a middle-of-the-road option in terms of price, making them a good choice for those who want a balance between cost and performance.

For our semi solid doors, we use VH Grade EPS Foam in addition to thicker skins than our hollow core doors.  Some manufacturers only meet the bare requirements of a semi-solid dore which only requires thicker skins, however by changing from a paper to a poly core, we can produce a higher quality door in this range.

Key Notes:

• More durable and resilient to accidental damage while still being quite lightweight
• Better acoustic and thermal insulation than hollow core doors
• Less expensive than solid core doors

Application

Can be suited to many residential and commercial applications when the tradeoff between performance and cost needs to be balanced.  These cores will deliver some acoustic and thermal insulation while being cheaper and easier to install than a solid core door.

Solid

Solid Core doors are the most premium option of the 3 types but often worth the extra expense in the long run, particularly for exterior doors.  Solid core doors are made of a mixture of wood and synthetic wood composites. They have a heavy, solid interior and a wood veneer exterior. They provide the durability, sound insulation, and look of a solid wood door without the weight or hefty price tag. We have four core material options for this kind of door:

Highly Moisture Resistant (HMR) Particle Board 

Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)

Flax Board

Albasia BlockBoard – An exciting addition to our range, the Albasia core has a very high, strength-to-weight ratio which significantly reduces shipping costs while retaining a strong, quality door.  A standard specification core of Albasia would be ~43kg per door and a comparable core made in MDF would weigh ~105kg.

These doors are the most durable and secure option, making them a popular choice for exterior doors and high-security areas. Solid core doors also provide the best thermal and acoustic insulation. However, they are also the heaviest and most expensive option, making them less practical for some applications.

Key Notes:

• Most secure, durable and resilient to accidental damage
• Best acoustic and thermal insulation
• Most expensive option and may require more than one person to install

Applications

Solid core doors can be an excellent choice for rooms where you desire a superior quality option. They are especially well-suited for spaces where you seek increased privacy and soundproofing, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and home offices.

If you have any questions regarding our door cores, please contact our team at sales@solwest.com.au and we’ll be glad to help.  Thanks for reading!