Care &
Maintenance
Keep your Advisar Door in top shape with these simple tips.
Care & Maintenance
Keep your Advisar Door in top shape with these simple tips.
How to Apply a Top-Coat to Your Door
All Advisar Doors arrive pre-finished so enjoying your new door immediately is easy. While fiberglass is a lower-maintenance material than wood, we still recommend applying a new top coat to your door once a year to protect the finish.
1 Preparing the door surface
IMPORTANT: Dust, debris and other surface contaminants can accumulate on the surface of the door. Therefore, to achieve best results and maximum coating adhesion, wipe/clean all surfaces of the door panel(s) and sidelite(s) thoroughly with a lint-free rag and solution of water and mild dish soap. Make sure there is enough time for the door to dry before proceeding to the next step.
We know you want to get right to work but here are just a few things NOT to do:
DO NOT use glass cleaning products (such as Windex), acetone, gasoline, benzene, lacquer thinner, chlorinated solvents, gritty abrasive, scouring compounds, or alkaline cleaners to clean the inserts as damage to the insert will occur.
DO NOT use squeegees, scrapers, or synthetic rags that may scratch.
NEVER scrub the door. Gently wipe the surface with a soft, scratch-free cloth.
Now that we used our all capital letters adult voice, you’re ready to move onto the next step.
2 Applying the top coat
The top-coat or sealant for your door is very important and required for weatherability. It protects the door from the elements and makes the door surface washable. Your Advisar door is top coated in the factory so there is no need to complete this step when you first receive your door, but a new top coat should be applied once per year moving forward. Be sure that the door is completely dry after washing dust and debris away and then apply a high-quality, UV stabilized, clear exterior polyurethane coating (satin or low gloss).
- Stir top coat thoroughly using smooth strokes, avoid creating bubbles and do not shake the top coat container.
- Do not overload the brush. Dip the end of the brush into the coating and gently slide the flat side of the brush against the edge of the container to remove the excess. Note: We recommend that all 6 sides (front and back faces plus all four edges) be sealed to eliminate moisture absorption. The bottom of your door panel(s) contain a factory installed weatherstripping (sweep) which is sealed prior to installation. Failure to observe this recommendation may void the warranty.
- Apply with even, gentle strokes. Press hard enough to flex the bristles just a little and then pull the brush gently along the door’s surface.
- As you apply the sealant, pull the brush quickly along the area two or three times lightly to even out the brush strokes.
- Allow the first coat to dry completely (follow manufacturer’s recommendations) and apply at least one more coat using the same steps as above. A minimum of two coats is required for complete protection and the door should be sealed annually to ensure lasting protection of the finish.
- After both sides of the door have been top-coated (twice) and are completely dry, remove the paper and tape from the glass and protected surfaces.
- Clean the glass with window cleaner.