The entrance door to your home is a prominent feature and you should consider carefully when choosing a new front door.
There is a vast array of front door designs available on the market today for you to choose from and a number of materials of which these doors are made from.
The main materials available for front doors for homes include:
- Wood Doors
- Composite Doors
- UPVC Doors
- Steel Doors
Wood Doors
Front doors have been traditionally made from solid timbers and consisted usually of a frame with panels either of glass or timber or a combination of both. However, a wooden front door made from solid wood can give problems. Timber being a natural material will swell and contract depending on the exposure to the elements. When this happens the door quite often will stick in its frame and difficult to open or will warp and then become draughty. Another issue with traditional wooden front doors is that they require regular maintenance throughout the life time of the door. Wooden doors nowadays are still very popular, however the manufacturing techniques have improved vastly. Most manufacturers now make wood front doors using a process known as “engineered”. This process produces a wooden exterior door that is more stable and can resist environmental changes. They quite often are available in a factory finished either in stain or paint and do not require repainting on site for many years. Prefinished doors are by far the best, however wooden engineered doors are also available unfinished for you to do this yourself, but you must follow the manufacturer’s finishing recommendations.
Composite Doors
Composite exterior front doors are becoming very popular choice nowadays. They combine high performance materials with the appearance of a traditional wooden door that is very durable. The benefits include good thermal and sound efficiency and, with the combination of multi point locks and 4 hinges, provide good security. They do not warp, twist, crack and require the minimum of maintenance. Composite doors are available in a range of colours including wood grain effect. The colour goes right through the external fibre glass skin and does not fade. A composite door requires no repainting is required and therefore an excellent choice.
Some examples of composite doors
UPVC Doors
For many years these uPVC front doors have replaced traditional wooden doors as they offer good weather proofing and require very little maintenance. They are available in a range of framed doors with glass or plastic panels or combination of both. They do lack character compared to wooden or composite doors and the door security, even with multi point locks, is not of the same standard. The standard colour is white but they are available in other colours including wood grain effect.
Some examples of uPVC doors
Steel Doors
Many people have considered these doors as commercial doors and for factories, not any move. There is a wide range of steel entrance doors now made by manufacturers aimed at the domestic market for use as front entry doors. If you require higher levels of security from a door then a steel type is the answer. They come standard in a smooth flush finish and painted to whatever colour you want or unpainted and you apply the finish yourself. They are also available with an embossed grained pattern that provides an authentic timber appearance. Steel doors require very little maintenance and, when supplied pre-hung in its own frame, makes them very easy to install and a perfect choice.
Some examples of steel external doors
The choice is yours……