Comments on Composite Doors

Composite door blogs written by the manufacturers of front doors can seem biased. This is why we have invited a former customer to write a blog post for us.

"My wooden front door had been sticking for years. We didn't replace it when it first started to because we couldn't afford the cost of a new front door when we didn't really need to - the door was still functional, despite the inconvenience. We did keep checking our options, just in case, but the only kind of front door we could just about afford was a wood-style uPVC front door from an online retailer. Unfortunately for us, when we checked it out in the flesh, so to speak, it just wasn't realistic enough to have suited our property, which has wooden windows and a distinct appearance.
Last winter, the sticking got so bad that we were forced to buy a new front door. After searching around for the best price, we stumbled across composite doors. They were a little cheaper than the cheapest, most basic wooden door that we had found that we could both afford, and that would suit our property. The long list of benefits on the website astounded us! After our experience with uPVC fake wooden doors, we took the effort to go and view a door to make sure it was realistic enough to look OK. We were pleasantly surprised, the composite door even felt like a wooden door to open and close because of the way it had been weighted. Appearance-wise, it was realistic enough at a distance that it would not look odd on our house, and anyone who saw it would probably think it was wooden. Up close, you can tell it is not wooden, but only from minor signs, like the surface of the door has a slight sheen to it that gives away the fact. Also, you can tell by the fact the door is a little too perfect - every wooden door we have seen has some sort of 'quirk'. While initially we missed the the character of wood, we quickly became aware of the benefits. As it was winter, we noticed the difference in the temperature of our front room immediately. Before, we had a thick curtain across the door and a draught excluder along the bottom, but it was still a bit draughty. With the new front door, we didn't need any of that and it has made such a difference to the overall temperature and comfort of the room.
We've had the composite door for nearly a year now and are very pleased to report that there seem to be no changes to the door with the seasons - something we had gotten used to with wood. Overall, we (and our visitors!) are very impressed with the door and happy with our choice - we take every opportunity to recommend composite doors when we come across a less than average door!"

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Quick Composite Doors

Quick composite doors can be hard to find. Most online composite door companies offer composite doors between 7-10 days. This is still quite fast, but when you really need a replacement front door fast, it's just not quick enough.

Certain styles and sizes of composite door can be delivered within just 3 days. This means you can secure your home quickly and easily without the worry of leaving your home, possessions and family vulnerable to any potential attacks. Once fitted, the new front door will offer the highest protection against damage or entry by force.

The True Cost of Front Doors

Composite doors are not the cheapest doors on the market. They are often marketed as being the best value for money, this is not a lie however. When you are making any large purchase, you should consider the real value of what you are buying. You may have heard of the term 'false economy'. This is a common occurrence - you buy something that is cheap and it lasts barely any time at all or has significant faults, making it more expensive to sort out or replace than if you had just spent a bit more and gotten something of quality in the first place.
So what factors should you consider when it comes to front doors?

1. Lifespan - this is probably the most obvious consideration when it comes to deciding the true value. If the more expensive door has a considerably longer lifespan than the cheaper door, it is probably a better investment and overall better value.
2. Hardware - it is important to check the quality of the hinges, locks and other hardware components. Cheap hardware can not only lead to problems with the functioning of the door and require replacements, but if the hardware breaks it can sometimes cause damage to the door itself.
3. Energy efficiency - an external door with low energy efficiency can cause your energy bills to be significantly higher. It is important to get a front door that will not be affected by heat changes. Cheap doors will often warp, shrink or expand which cause gaps that let the heat out.
4. Maintenance - All front doors require maintaining throughout their lifespan to ensure they stay operating at their best. Some doors, like composite doors, require just an oiling to the hinges. This works out to be relatively cheap. Other doors, such as wooden doors, require the hinges to be oiled also, but for the surface to be sanded and repainted or varnished periodically. uPVC doors require a special cleaner to ensure the surface remains clean.

Composite Door Side Panels

The best of modern front doors, composite doors offer a superior quality and attractive appearance to homes at a great value. Online suppliers, such as the Composite Door Shop, offer the ability to order side panels at the same time as a composite door.

Side panels are the panels around the front door. These panels are often glazed. Each panel has an individual name - full length side panels, half-length flag windows and top lights are the windows that run along the top of the door and/or side panel.
Side panels are especially good in situations where there is little light passing in to the hall. For those worried about privacy, but not wishing to hang net curtains, there are two choices - either only to get top lights, allowing light through the top windows, out of reach of peepers, or to choose side panels with an obscure glass backing.
Obscure glass backings is where the internal glass panel of double glazing is etched with a pattern which obscures the view. Different patterns offer different amounts of obscuration, so you can choose how much privacy is offered by the glass. This way, you can have a light and airy hallway with a smart front door, stylish side panels and as much privacy as you like.

If standard glazed side panels aren't to your liking, you can order composite side panels instead. These full length side panels can be placed on either side, or both sides, of the composite door and can be coupled with top light windows if preferred. Composite side panels can come as solid or glazed, to match your composite door. The colour, style and glazing used are all suited.

When replacing a front door, it is best to order side panels at the same time, to ensure a good fit and contrast.

Front Door Colours