Our front door is pretty goosed and needs replaced. It’s subjects to high winds and occasionally driving rain, it’s also in full sunlight in summer for about 10hours of the day.

I was going to go with composite, but have heard quite a few horror stories about them warping.

This is my first exterior door purchase, so was looking for some advice.

Had a quote for door and side panels for £2k for a solidor composite fitted.

We have had houses with UPVC and wood doors before.
We installed a Virtuoso composite door and good frame/side window with upgraded glass a couple of years ago.
So, so much warmer that the old wood door we had before, shuts everytime, easy to make a minor adjustment after it was fitted and settled in, draft free. It has not warped or marked.

Edit: we have a neighbour who he works fitting windows and doors for big national company, but his wife is secretary at a local supplier. We got a good deal on buying the door and he fitted it on a Saturday with me assisting by supplying tea and brushing up after him.

I used to work for one of Solidor’s main competitors, so I do actually know a little bit about this.

From what you describe, delamination and warping is potentially your main concern with any comp door (whether it’s foam filled or ‘solid’ like Solidor). You might be fine – generally the worst problems for us came from doors close to the coast, but direct sunlight and rain is a bit of a red flag.

The primary benefit of a solid door (bearing in mind I haven’t worked there for years, things could have moved on) is the security. A Solidor will be a lot harder to kick through than a foam filled comp door (and there are tougher options too if that’s your concern). If so, make sure you get a GOOD snap-proof lock, otherwise you’re wasting your time.

They can tend to fall down a bit on insulation – foam is a better insulator than wood, so if you’re not overly concerned about someone kicking your door in then foam might be a better option. We did an extra thick version to meet certain Scottish regs.

i have windows and doors made from accoya. only been in about 4yrs now but they still look as good and work as new.

A Solidor will be a lot harder to kick through than a foam filled comp door

I thought composite doors were solid? It’s standard uPVC doors that are just foam filled isn’t it?

We have a solid wood door and frame on our house in London, looks very nice, every winter it starts to stick and probably needs varnishing. In the wilds of the Irish countryside we have a composite front door, no sticking, surviving the rain and wind, looks fine. Re security when you kick open a door you hope to pop the locks not create a hole in the door to clamber through, if door kicking is a concern get a london bar and a Birmingham bar fitted

As others have said Solidor use a wooden structure but a lot of the other composite doors are a foam filled door. Composite just means they are made up of several different materials.

I have just placed an order for a Solidor front door with side panel and also a fully glazed Solidor door for the utility room.

For both I’m paying £3.1k fitted. Front was £1.9k, utility £1.2k.

I suppose I could have got a cheaper door but I went with a local company that have a very good reputation. I could have spent more as one company who reckoned they were the cheapest in the area quoted over £4k.

I looked at uPVC doors and what really put me off was the appearance and the ugly hinges.

but a lot of the other composite doors are a foam filled door

They aren’t though – that’s a uPVC door. Composite doors have a solid structure. Sometimes they have some foam in for insulation I admit, but just ‘foam filled’ would be a standard uPVC unit.

we have a Solidor, and it’s been in for 5 years. Still looks great, heavy, shuts every time etc

So much better than the uPVC one before.

We couldn’t do wood (or rather, were recommended no wood) due to the sun/rain/wind etc

We did an extra thick version to meet certain Scottish regs.

We have this.

but a lot of the other composite doors are a foam filled door

Our neighbour / fitter suggested that for ultimate security, go for Solidor, but then pointed out we were still fitting it to the same (weaker) frame and that lock was really important. I have to say – our front door facing multiple other houses is not the weak-point of our house, and we don’t live in a massively dodgy area so it really wasn’t an issue for us.

a nice front door is important to me.

we recently fitted a reclaimed & refurbished solid oak front door.

always wanted one, it looks lovely – but its already getting on my wick.

its cold, it sticks, it leaks and it already looks weathered!

wondering whether there is a composite/alloy door with real wood veneer available?

got a solidor (i think) composite door. Used to have solid wood. It cost a fortune (4.5k) and its worth every penny. Heating bills have reduced by 30%

only thing i dont like about it are

the flex in the frame (its a massive span vertical frame)

the beading around the windows looks stuck on.

as others have said, don’t get a solid wood door. i had to have new doors following a flood at the property i’d not long lived in (ie no been through winter in). instead of going down the composite route the insurance company advised, i requested solid oak door (that had to be bespoke made due to unusual size door in victorian property). i regretted it as soon as winter came – cold, drafty, rattley and that before the semi-regular repainting etc to keep it looking good. also not as great as you’d think on security – just means they’re kicking a more solid door to help pop the lock / split the door frame

Composite doors are just that – a composite. Most are a wooden frame with the gaps filled with insulating foam. Solidor are a frame with the gaps filled with hardwood. Endurance Doors (who I used to work for) are a solid slab of laminated wood (a bit like a giant skateboard).

They all then have a moulded and painted plastic sheet on either side, plus plastic strips round the edges. This is what can peel and delaminated in certain conditions (temperature extremes, lots of moisture etc).

Endurance are likely the toughest, foam filled will insulate best, Solidor somewhere in the middle.

Personally I’m not too worried about someone kicking my door in so we have foam filled for the insulation.

So what door for best insulation? There’s a risk of burglary around here but the back door is made of glass and in a more secluded location so I don’t think security is as much of an issue…

I had a carpenter make a front door and frame, family member so material cost. Ages ago so no idea of current cost.

Also, have just worked on a bungalow roof, if I was going to break in a house I wouldn’t kick a door in.

So what door for best insulation? There’s a risk of burglary around here but the back door is made of glass and in a more secluded location so I don’t think security is as much of an issue…

Foam filled composite, although most manufacturers should publish the door’s R value, and I’ve been out the industry for a while so things could have changed.

Lock is more important than the door material tbh, look up lock snapping on YouTube. Snap proof locks aren’t that much more (compared to door cost) and will likely make most thieves walk on to something easier.

got a solidor (i think) composite door. Used to have solid wood. It cost a fortune (4.5k) and its worth every penny.

seriously struggling to wrap my head around paying carbon Santa Cruz money for a DOOR. There cannot be that much involved surely 🤣

A couple of years ago we replaced our wooden front door with an {Origin} aluminium door and side windows.
Possibly one of my best purchases in a very long time.
No warping, closes with a finger, well insulated and doesn’t need painting.

Spendy at £3500 fitted but worth every penny in my opinion.
It will last much longer than a bike also!

We had an accoya front door with side window made this year.

Bespoke so fits perfectly no extra trim pieces needed and maximises the door width etc. You can have any design of door within reason. My wife wanted a round window which wasn’t available in a composite style, plus we were able to increase the side window size slightly.

We also went with bespoke stained glass which is encased in a double glazed unit.

We have a 1930s house so picked something in fitting with the period. We replaced a plastic door which was cracked though in several places revealing the polystyrene inside and warped badly.

Accoya is good for 50 years and super stable so no warping or other nastiness.

Early days so far but very pleased. Cost wise I have blanked out exact figures but the fittings, manufacture & painting (again custom colour) of the door, installation/removal of old door disposal was around £3200, with the window units approx £700, comprising 50cm round custom stained glass and rectangular stained glass adjacent. Don’t forget all the extra fittings & locks.

Bought a rock door a few years ago and wish I’d bought it years before. Its reassuringly heavy, makes the place look nicer inside and out and no more drafts. Cost about £1500 which included the side window too.

Snap proof locks aren’t that much more (compared to door cost) and will likely make most thieves walk on to something easier.

Yes like the back door or a window….

My parents replaced their backdoor with a rockdoor a few years ago after burglars broke in through the previous door . Still looks new and the rear of the house is noticeably warmer than previous. No idea how rockdoor compare to any of the other brands mentioned though.