A timber front door isn't a fit-and-forget product. A bit of care every couple of years and it'll last decades. StormBloc™ is the exception — that one's actually maintenance-free.
A StormBloc™ in Surfmist Colorbond doesn't need anything done to it for the rest of the building's life. That's the whole point. Wipe it with a damp cloth if it gets dusty. That's the maintenance.
Timber doors are different. They're a beautiful, breathable material that responds to the conditions around them — sunlight, humidity, rain splashback, the angle of the afternoon sun. Look after them and they'll last 30+ years. Ignore them and they'll start telling you about it within five.
This guide covers the timber range. If you've bought a StormBloc, skip to the bottom.
We supply timber doors factory-sanded, ready for your chosen finish. The first finish is the most important — it's what every subsequent recoat builds on. We recommend a high-quality external timber oil or a UV-stable clear coat applied across all six surfaces (face, back, top, bottom, both edges) before the door is hung. Don't skip the top and bottom edges — that's where moisture entry usually starts.
External timber doors need a recoat every two to three years if they're under cover, every twelve to eighteen months if they're directly weather-exposed (north or west-facing, no porch, no overhang). The recoat itself is straightforward — clean, light sand, fresh coat of the same product you used originally. Half a day of work that buys you another two years of clean appearance and stable timber.
If you see paint or oil starting to lift in one spot, deal with it immediately. The reason failures grow is that water gets in through the small gap, expands the timber, and lifts more finish. Catch it at 2cm² and a touch-up takes 20 minutes. Catch it at 200cm² and you're stripping and refinishing the whole face. Small fixes save big jobs.
Vic Ash and Tas Oak. Forgiving timbers. A penetrating oil finish (we like Cutek or Sikkens) maintains them well. Recoat every two years if covered, every fifteen months if exposed.
Australian Chestnut and Wormy Chestnut. Beautiful character grain, slightly more porous, takes oil deeply. Use a high-build oil for the first coat to fill the grain, then maintenance coats on top. Recoat every two years.
American Oak. Premium imported timber, very dimensionally stable. Takes both oil and clear coat finishes well. The cathedral grain pattern shows beautifully under a clear coat. Recoat every two to three years.
Spotted Gum. Hardest timber in our range. Naturally dense, takes oil well, holds up against weather better than most. Can stretch to three-year recoat intervals if covered. Beautiful when it's left to grey naturally over time, if that's the look you're after.
Pressure washers. Don't. The high-pressure water forces moisture under the finish and into the timber. A soft brush and a hose at normal pressure is all the cleaning a front door needs. If it's really dirty, a damp microfibre cloth.
Direct sunlight on bare timber. If the finish has worn off and you can see bare timber, get a fresh coat on within weeks, not months. UV breaks down timber surface fibres very quickly — by the time you can see grey-out, you've already lost surface material that recoating can't fully restore.
Pooled water at the threshold. If water sits at the bottom of your door after rain, you have a drainage problem at the threshold, not a door problem. Fix the drainage and you fix the long-term durability of the door. We always run a Merbau sill on doors we make for a reason — it solves this proactively. If your install pre-dates the Merbau-sill default, it's worth retrofitting.
Cheap touch-up products. Use the same brand and product your original finish used. Mixing oils and clear coats and stains creates compatibility issues that show up six months later as patchy finish or premature failure.
StormBloc™ doors have Colorbond steel skins on both faces and RotGuard™ perimeter sealing. There's no painting, no oiling, no staining, no recoating. Wipe with a damp cloth if it gets dusty. Hose it down occasionally if you're in a coastal or dusty area. That's the entire maintenance program.
Colorbond is the same material that's on your roof. It's been engineered to handle Australian weather without intervention for decades. The same material on your door delivers the same outcome.
If you've got a Bespoke Doors door and you're not sure how to look after it — or you've spotted something starting to fail and want a second opinion — get in touch. We'd rather you call early than let something escalate.