Tips & Tricks

Take a look at our handy Tips & Tricks which will provide you with some useful information when undertaking your renovation or building project.

Door Education
Open the door to knowledge and download our Door Education Leaflet to a guide to the ins and outs of doors.
Installing Your New Door

Installing a new Corinthian door is one of the best improvements you can give your home and one of the most rewarding too. Corinthian, Australia's largest timber door manufacturer backs every one of its doors with a 5 year Warranty.

With this easy to understand guide, the job will be completed in no time at all. Take a few minutes to read through these steps thoroughly, as there is a lot of helpful information that will make your installation go smoothly. All you have to do is follow these easy steps and let them guide you from start to finish.

Measuring up for a new door

  1. Measure your existing door height, width and thickness.
  2. Check that the door frame is square by measuring the door frame diagonally. If the frame is out of square, you may have to order a slightly larger door and trim it to size. A trimming allowance of up to 5mm is allowed on most doors.
  3. Keep in mind that approximately 3mm clearance is required for the top and sides of the door and 5mm for the bottom, above the floor covering.

Measurement Conversions

To convert Imperial to Metric:
Multiply by 25.4
Example: 2” x 25.4 = 50.8mm 

Standard Door Sizes

Entrance Doors
2040mm high x 820mm wide x 40mm thick.
Sidelights: 2040mm high x 400mm wide x 40mm thick. Internal Doors
2040mm high x 820/770/720/620/520mm wide x 35mm thick.
Bi-fold doors are designed to fit standard size openings. Replacing your existing door is easy.
  • Measure your present door including thickness and check the door frame opening to ensure that it is square.
  • Select your new door from the website and then purchase it from any of Corinthian's preferred door resellers.
  • Remove the door and door furniture. Its a good idea to support the door with wedges and you should always remove the top hinge screw last.
  • Check the new door against the old door, or existing jamb for any variation in squareness. Plane the new door to the required height. Stand the door against the hinge stile in the opening. If it is too wide, mark the corresponding jamb stile and plane to fit. Replace the door in the opening to ensure correct fit.
  • Measure, mark and check out hinges on door stile. Drill screw holes and fasten hinges to the door. Stand the door against the hinge stile of the jamb in the open position, supporting the door with wedges. Fix the door to the jamb using at least 2 screws per hinge. Check the door swings freely with clearance. Remove the door and hinges, applying two coats of sealer to the top and bottom edges and hinge check outs. Re-hang the door, fixing all screws into place.
  • Fit door furniture as per manufacturer's instructions. Your new door is now ready for painting or staining.
  • Finishing Immediately after fitting, and prior to hanging, the entire door, including the top and bottom edges must receive two coats of paint, varnish or sealer. Awnings, flashing and weather stripping is recommended for entrance doors exposed to weather. When fitting door furniture to non-solid construction doors, care should be taken not to enter hollow areas. Doors are supplied unfinished, without door furniture and, unless ordered or otherwise specified, unglazed. Most doors are available as paint or stain grade. Paint finishes Exterior finishes must be used on external doors. It is recommended that enamel paint be used on exterior doors. If the door is exposed to direct sunlight, avoid dark colours to reduce the risk of heat distortion. Satin or semi-gloss paints produce the best results. High gloss finishes on hollow core RMDF doors are not recommended. Apply one coat of primer to both faces, sand lightly in the direction of the grain, apply another coat of undercoat, finish with two coats of enamel colour. Remember to properly seal the top, bottom and sides, including behind hinges. Always follow the paint manufacturers instructions closely. The procedure for internal doors is the same, however enamel or acrylic paints may be used. Stain finishes Before applying stains, all surfaces must be clean and dry. If light sanding is required, sand in the direction of grain only. Avoid cross sanding as this will only exaggerate when stained. Stains do not offer any protection against the elements so a sealer must be used. Because staining is a specialised technique, manufacturers instructions must be closely followed. Ongoing maintenance Doors should be periodically checked for signs of breakdown in finish. Click here to read about door care.  For more information, you can download our door installation guide. If you have any questions on which door is right for you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
    Door Care & Maintenance

    The following information relates to the standard Corinthian Door Warranty. Please read it in conjunction with Corinthian’s Trading Terms. Do not act on the basis of these Instructions only as they are of a general nature rather than detailed instruction. These are not intended as a detailed instruction on any particular Installation/Assembly/Maintenance procedure.

    1. General

    Natural variations in the colour and texture of the timber are not to be considered defects. The timber and veneers used in doors are a natural product that will have significant variation in colour and grain pattern. A warp not exceeding 5mm on doors up to 2134 x 914 x 38mm, or 6mm on doors over 2134 x 914 x 38mm and up to 2438 x 914 x 38mm shall not be considered a defect.

    Doors in excess of 2438mm high or 1219mm wide are not covered by warranty against bow or twist.

    All solid construction doors must be hung with 3 x 89mm hinges.

    Doors must be accorded reasonable treatment by the purchaser and should be stored or hung in dry buildings, not in damp, moist or freshly plastered areas where the moisture content of the skins may increase abnormally leading to the development of warp.

    The utility or structural strength must not be impaired in the fitting of the door, the application of hardware or cutting and altering the door for lights, louvres, panels or any other special details.

    Normal show through of frame and core components in flush doors is not to be considered a defect.

    Immediately after fitting and before hanging, the entire door including the top and bottom edges must receive two coats of undercoat and two coats of paint. Enamel colour must be used on entrance doors, acrylic may be used on internals only. If staining, exterior grade varnish or sealer must be used to prevent undue absorption or moisture which may cause warping to occur. Exterior finishes must be used on exterior doors.

    Doors exposed to direct sunlight must be finished with light reflective colours to reduce the drying effect of sunlight on the door surface, which may cause warping to occur. Honeycomb core doors should only be painted with flat, semi-gloss or satin finishes.

    2. Meaning of Warp

    Warp means the cupping or twisting of doors. It refers to distortion within the door itself and not its relationship to jambs or the frame in which it is hung. Therefore warp exceeding the tolerances noted in paragraph 1 above will be considered a defect only:

    1. when the cupping is determined by applying a straight-edge to the concave face of the door, or
    2. when twisting is determined by placing the door face against a true plane surface.

    The warranty against warp does not apply to the following:

    1. doors with face veneers of different species as this may lead to varying moisture content in each skin causing warping to occur.
    2. doors that are improperly hung or do not swing freely.
    3. External doors painted in colours so dark as to allow the exposed face to lose moisture through the absorption of heat energy.

    Experience demonstrates that when warp occurs after delivery, it is usually due to improper storage or adverse moisture conditions after handling, not to faulty manufacture. The manufacturer will accept no responsibility for the development of warp when the moisture content of the timber falls below 12% or exceeds 18%. Obviously, the manufacturer cannot assume responsibility for conditions wholly beyond its control. The manufacturer should, however, be consulted promptly if excessive warping occurs to assist in overcoming the difficulty.

    For more information, download the Door Care & Maintenance Guide to learn how to keep your Corinthian door looking beautiful and working for many years to come.