If you’re thinking of buying a new front door you’ve now got a huge range of different products, styles and materials to choose from. Timber, UPVC (often now called ‘timber alternative’), aluminium and composite are the main options available, but I want to talk a little bit about composite doors.
Replacing your front door can be a hugely important decision. An entrance door can really set the tone for the whole look of the house, and with the cost of a high-quality door with installation being a big investment, it’s vital to make sure you make the right decision for you and your home.
So here’s some tips to help you along the way…
5 Things to Consider When Buying A New Composite Entrance Door
1. Design
The range of designs available covers a large spectrum of contemporary and more traditional options. As the amount of choice has improved hugely over the years, you should be able to find a door that suits your tastes and the character of your home.
The next decision is colour: most companies offer a standard range of around 6-8 colours, but others offer up to 20 standard colours, with the choice of having different colours inside and out.
Think about which design and colour might best suit the style of your property, and give you that overall look you’re hoping to achieve.
2. Glazing
The next think to think about is what glass you want to have in your door. Most suppliers will be able to offer you various set decorative designs for each door style, alternatively, you could keep the glass simpler and just choose from the standard range of obscure glass – including the very popular satin, or etched glass.
3. Security
It’s important that your new door is solid and secure as well as looking good. Whether you’re using a handle operated, or auto-locking system (which allows you to do away with handles entirely if preferred) it’s important to make sure your new door meets the top security standards.
There are various security accreditations available for composite doors, look out for the ‘Secured by Design’ logo, this means that the door has been tested and is recommended for use by the Police to help prevent burglary. A high security locking barrel is also recommended – look out for the star rating, 3 stars is the best you can achieve.
4. Door furniture
Too often a door is let down by poor quality furniture, handles that tarnish within months, and letterplate covers that fall off within a year. It’s very important to see and feel these fittings to gauge the quality, most brochures make them look great, but until you see them in the flesh and feel the quality and the weight it’s difficult to know how solid they really are.
5. Guarantee
If you’re paying good money for a new door you expect it to be working well and looking good many years into the future. Find out what kind of guarantees your supplier can offer you and find out exactly what these guarantees cover. Also make sure that all guarantees are insurance backed – this means that you will still be covered even if the company was no longer trading.
Please get in touch if you’d like one of our composite door experts to visit you at your home to help you design your dream entrance door. We also have our full range of doors available to view in the showroom, along with our traditional timber alternative bespoke range.
You can call us on 020 8449 4747 to arrange a visit, or just for an initial chat.
