FAQ
Your Questions Answered on Custom Made Doors, Design, and Installation
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Why choose BLAW Design
BLAW Design are innovators and leaders in bespoke, natural hardwood, reinforced doors and entrance solutions (front doors & internal doors). Though hardwood is our primary speciality, we also create our doors with luxurious metallic, porcelain and painted finishes to suit a wide variety of requirements. We are not just carpenters but also designers providing a full Entrance facade service to our clients.
Design is at the heart of what we do – both in aesthetics and in performance. Our exclusive designs are individually handcrafted with each door to your exact specifications
Where are you located? Do you have a showroom?
BLAW Design is based in Sunny South Africa on a family farm just outside Pretoria East
Our showroom & Factory are located on the same property and can be found using Google Maps. It is open Mon – Thurs from 9:00 am – 16:00 pm (and Fridays & Saturdays Strictly by appointment only). We do our best to accommodate on-the-day walk-ins but we do recommend calling or emailing ahead to book a time in.
To book a showroom appointment, please call us or use our general enquiry form.
Why are your doors more expensive than similar ones from other retailers?
BLAW Design specialises in reinforced, hardwood door sets. A lot of doors on the market are composite, cheap inferior woods or aluminium imitating hardwood.
In addition, if you find a hardwood door set, it is rarely reinforced, our doors are also a minimum standard of 82mm thick and made from quality hard wood with professionally trained artisans and not on a high production factory line.
What do your doors cost?
Our Prices range from R20,000.00+ for our standard designs but a quote will need to be provided to you for an exact price as there are many factors that change the price of a door.
This does make our doors more costly, but you are paying for a high quality bespoke door.
Do you offer a guarantee?
We are offer a guarantee on workmanship, this excludes wood.
This is because wood is a natural product that requires maintenance. If this is not done regularly and correctly if can greatly affect a door. Also doors not placed under an over hang protected from the harsh South African elements will degrade much faster . The wood is therefore the responsibility of the owner to maintain for a long lasting door
Can you make a fully bespoke design?
Yes, We can manufacture specific door designs different to our own that include wood as a base.
Your imagination is the only limit to the door design you wish to create.
ORDERING A DOOR
How do I get a quote?
To give you a price quote, we need your best measurements of the width and height of your structural opening. You should measure the width at the top, middle and the bottom of the opening and both sides corner to corner for the height. We’ll take the shortest measurements for width and height
Then with the above sizes, send us your favourite design or your custom design and we will send you a quote with basic CAD drawings to see an image of what the design will look like according to your specifications
If you would like us to come out to measure before placing an order we charge a basic site visit fee to cover our costs, this will be deducted from any paid order.
How do I place an order?
Orders need to be placed by phone or email after a quote has been accepted.
We require 70% of the total invoice to secure the order and to have it placed into production, as well as the quote & drawing to be signed and emailed back to us as proof of order.
What is your lead time/how long does it take to get a door?
Our lead time varies throughout the year depending on how busy we are but Our standard timings are:
- Between 8-10weeks for a standard design (from 70% payment received)
- up to 12 weeks for doors going internationally
- up to 12 weeks for full-scope orders (front & interior orders doors for a single project).
You will be informed at the quotation and/or ordering stage if there are any foreseeable changes to this timing structure.
What happens once I've placed an order?
Within three days of placing an order, you should send us your CAD drawings signed off. We are only able to begin processing the order once these have been received as the confirmed final sizes. Once the CAD drawing is signed off, the lead time we stated on your quotation will start.
You will then be notified about completion within the time frame given
Can I make changes to my order once it’s been placed?
Yes, as long as we have not begun to process the order in the factory (cutting of wood, glass orders etc.) , slight changes can be made but you will be charged for all changes & your lead time can be extended as changes made during the manufacturing process significantly delay our processes.
DELIVERY & INSTALLATION
Do you install the doors?
No, we don’t installation ourselves.
This is because our factory is usually running at 110% capacity as our doors are delivered all over Southern Africa & the world. Therefore we are too busy (sorry neh!) However, we do have preferred installation teams to refer you to in the Gauteng area.
If you need help finding an installer, we can help you, so please ask.
How long can you store my door once it’s been manufactured?
Once orders are complete and all the doors in your order are ready for an installation team to collect, the maximum we can store a door is for 2 weeks from the time that has been agreed for collection.
What is your lead time/how long does it take to get a door?
Our lead time varies throughout the year depending on how busy we are but Our standard timings are:
- Between 8-10weeks for a standard design (from 70% payment received)
- up to 12 weeks for doors going internationally
- up to 12 weeks for full scope orders (front & interior orders doors for a single project).
You will be informed at the quotation and/or ordering stage if there are any foreseeable changes to this timing structure.
DOOR MAINTENANCE
How do I look after my door?
We have many different methods of maintenance. Depending on the finish supplied for your door, we supply various maintenance sheets so it’s best to email us.
If you are unsure what finish is on your door, please email us the name of your order or an image so we can work it out from our records.
When is maintenance on my door needed?
3 signs your door needs maintenance:
- If you see bare wood then your door definitely needs a light sand and a coat of finish.
- Any black lines, spots or degrading of the wood means that you have left your door too long without maintenance. However, this is still fixable and the door can be sanded back and refinished.
- Thin splits in hardwood are usually a standard occurrence but large splits may mean that your door is getting too much sun or weathering. Considering an overhang if you don’t have one could be a good solution.
My door isn’t closing properly what should I do?
Firstly there will always be a variation in wood from season to season, so do expect it to be loose in the dry season and a bit tighter in the wet seasons.
But if it’s catching badly, it could be a variety of issues. It’s possible that the door needs the hinges or pivot adjusted, the lock is not engaging properly or the latch needs adjustment. If you are not sure which it is please do feel free to email us with a video of the issue.
Can you supply a new cylinder?
Yes, we can supply a new cylinder if you need it and this is possible to purchase from our sales team.
Please pop us an email and we can help you with a quote for a new cylinder.
