MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
We hate our current front door - glass top half and lots of white plastic and possibly not the most secure.
Door fills half the gap with glass and plastic filling the other half. We're going to change it for something a bit more stylish and with some colour. We'll put the door in the middle with slimmer glass down the sides so symmetrical.
A decent wooden door can be got for @£300 but would need a fitter and a 3rd party to replace the other bits.
The other option is get a double glazing firm in to do the lot so less faff - they do composite doors as opposed to wood. The door would be way more expensive but I'm wondering if there would ultimately be that much difference in cost.
Anyone done anything similar? What are the pros and cons of both?
Thanks.
Composite doors are a lot more secure. That's why we have one. Sometimes it's referred to as our 'drug dealers door'
Is got deadlocks and the like. I can't imagine the force need to smash it in
We had it fitted by a local window firm. About £800-£900 if I recall correctly
We have a solid oak door which gets a fair bit of sun which means regular maintenance. Given the choice I would go for a quality composite door now and will be doing so in the future.
I love wood doors have always had them and spent ages dealing with the character of them in terms of maintenance. Now at wife's insistence we have composite it shuts easily and securely it is draft proof does not warp or jam and so far is maintenance free.
Despite arguing in favour of wood I now would always get composite.
Composite. I've seen the brickwork start to give before the door does when I've had to force entry.
*s*****
Wonders which side of the house that was.
**s****s even more**
Composite ,unless yore going for bespoke oak job,as said above really !.
We are going through the same thoughts..
Trouble is all the quotes have been over £2k for a composite door.
Seems the moulding and window above the door are the biggest issue..
I'd go composite, but be careful as there are alot of cheap ones around , these window companies you see advertising them for £699 fitted use the lowest quality ones ..do your research mdke sure it has a reinforced frame otherwise your feel he flex just closing it
Teet - £2k - really?
Was thinking (hoping) it might be more like half that.
Is yours fairly complicated then?
Think I might ride around where I live and see what I like and ask 'who did your door?' and take it from there...and get some suspicious looks no doubt...
Can recomend rock composite doors, really nice finish/quality.
Afraid so Rascal..
We've a curved window above it that would need replacing at the same time...
All moulding would need to be replaced too.
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Mines the blue door btw.
That's not Farnborough is it?
Haha! Yeah I did try to word that on a way it wouldn't be a Finbar moment.
We had a bespoke wooded door made, so it could take stained glass panels and a double glazed unit behind. Looks nice, but it gets a lot of direct sunlight and maintenance is a pain as I can't find a Gloss Paint which lasts more than 3 years without need work.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8470/8116440836_59db354b04.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8470/8116440836_59db354b04.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/dndT67 ]New Front Door (Paint)[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Your paint isn't the problem; the paint cracks when the door swells and shrinks as it absobs moisture and dries with the seasons.
Composite for me every time, stable and strong and they don't crack. I brush-painted this metal/wood/metal door with Little Greene exterior emulsion about 10 years ago and to my constant amazement the finish is as good as the day I did it despite it facing west and getting all the sun and the weather:
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Bespoke oak every time! Yes it needs attention but it's so worth it! Nothing says I love and am proud of my home more than oak!
We have a solid oak door which gets a fair bit of sun which means regular maintenance
Builder m8 replaced all this lovely wooden windows after he realised it would cost around £2 every couple of years to keep them maintained.
I had a composite door fitted yesterday along with 6 windows for less than 2.5K, from a reputable brand (distinctiondoors), so I think you need to get a couple more quotes
(maybe just a great price from the fitter, as he knows I'm friends with the builder he works for regularly..).
Great door designer..hmm can't link directly to it, click on the "door designer" at the top of this page
http://www.distinctiondoors.co.uk/products/view/composite-doors/
We went for a scarlet front door, it's ace!
We got a black composite and now the whole road has one as well!
It's been in years now and we don't even think about it. It does everything a door should all of the time.
Just had composite door fitted by Yale. Very good value (sub £900 from memory) no worries about security. Multi point locking and Yale keys etc.
We got a green one and finish in side and out has quite a good grain effect.
Composite door with infil gazed pannel to top made by a double glazing fabrication company.
Look at Velfac. Wood on the inside,aluminium on the outside. They do much nicer windows than those horrible upvc ones too.
We have a Yale green composite door and I don't think I could recommend it. It has faded terribly despite not being able to according to the website. It's outer skin has also warped and has a couple of cracks. I thought buying a Yale one would be a safe bet but I wouldn't buy another.
I'm looking for something to apply to make it look not as faded if anyone knows anything. I have tried car polish and the best thing I have found is teak oil but because it's not a porous surface it just sits on top and stays wet.
This was a couple of hundred quid from B&Q iirc, plus a bit more for furniture and not much for a local joiner to fit. It's oak veneer, but sturdy as hell...
[url= https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3923/19237606282_5170ee5d77_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3923/19237606282_5170ee5d77_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/viXL7W ]Facebook-20150628-090915[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[quote=Drac ]Composite. I've seen the brickwork start to give before the door does when I've had to force entry.
No way! ambos here cant ring the door bell without asking for us to do it " FS required to assist gaining entry"
Ok - so decided comp is the way forward.
Best way of getting it done...big hitter door and window company, smaller independent, comp door specialist or get one from Wickes/Jewson and get someone to fit it? Looking around Loughborough - struggling to fit one we actually like.
or get one from Wickes/Jewson and get someone to fit it?
ensure the opening is square and big enough to accept the new door plus frame, also left or right opening.
Has anyone heard of Apeer composite doors?
We got ours from a local glazing firm. £1800 but that included a side light which was as big as the door again.
Opening wasn't square which they didn't pick up when surveyed so had a panicked few hours in December when it was getting dark and had a 2mx2m hole in the front of the house.
Composite every time, tight fit, double locking, no draughts, dont need maintance , no painting or cracking.
Wooden doors nowadays are basicly a wood or laminate core, some are just chipboard with a oak veneer covering, that once water gets through the paint or seal starts to lift the veneer and then try and get anything useful out of the supplier like a replacement or re-fitting cost, remember there are 6 sides to a door made of wood, and also all apertures need to be painted with an oil based wood paint to validate the dodgy guarantee they offer.
Drac - Moderator
Composite. I've seen the brickwork start to give before the door does when I've had to force entry.
Google "lock snapping" so easy even burglars can do it.
Rock doors!!!!!
I got a composite for my outbuilding but I had it modified to open outwards, had green outside and white inside so it cost about £420.
Mate fitted it for mates rates.
project - Fearmonger
Google "lock snapping" so easy even burglars can do it.
If you manage to buy a composite door without an anti-snap lock, you've achieved something very special. 🙂
EDIT: 'ang on!!
Has anyone heard of Apeer composite doors?
No.
Drac - Moderator
Composite. I've seen the brickwork start to give before the door does when I've had to force entry.
Hmmm Ambos here can't manage to ring a door bell without calling us out to assist gaining entry.
Top tip* Go for the hinge side every time
If we had a normal house, I'd have a composite door.
A composite door on a 400 year old cottage with and odd shaped door hole would look very strange, so custom oak it was.
Looks lovely, can be a bit annoying sometimes when it swells with all the rain though.
Depends what hinges are fitted bruneep 😉
Some good links to look at. Off to the Self Build show in Swindon this weekend and see Velfac are going to be there so on my list of stands to visit.
Has anyone got a modern stable door? We had planned for an oak stable door as they are useful for keeping animals in while opening the door to the postman etc but I want something very secure in the new place as it's a bit secluded.
Google "lock snapping" so easy even burglars can do it.
Did this, now spent £150 on 3 of these....
[url= http://www.abs-secure.co.uk/ ]secure locks[/url]
"Bumping" is easier on Euro cylinders.
Decent Euro cylinders and bump and snap proof now. Only cheapo ones are still vulnerable.