Front doors – making the right choices

Front doors – making the right choices

Front doors and composite doors can play a crucial role in your home’s security, although statistics will show that secluded doors/windows are more prone to attack. The most important thing a new front door can do, is to improve and enhance your home’s kerb appeal and insulation. So, If you are in the market for a new front door, it is important to consider all of your options, including material choice, colour and design.  In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a new front door.

Best choice of material for your front door?

There are four main types of material used in the construction of front doors, in price order from lowest to highest they are u-PVC, composite, aluminium and finally timber

uPVC Doors

People have criticised u-PVC doors for appearing to look ‘cheap’. Raised infill panels commonly used in the 80’s were usually foamed filled, often not reinforced and were the not the best of looking doors.  Nowadays better-quality uPVC doors are unlikely to appear in such a way. The infill panels can now be specified with reinforced inverted designs. New frame jointing techniques also open a whole new possibility of designs. uPVC is a highly versatile material and can be finished in almost any colour, with either a foiled finish or painting. They are still mainly used for plainer styled back doors.

Composite front doors

Composite front doors are currently the most popular in the market place, due prices, design availability, colour options and the best insulation values, thanks to either a foam or timber core. The glass reinforced plastic (GRP) skin is also extremely resistant to wear and tear, meaning the door should last a considerable amount of time. The doors are designed to replicate the appearance of timber and in my opinion do this well, although some feel they don’t quite live up to the beauty of timber.

Aluminium Designer doors

Our aluminium front doors of choice are Smarts Designer doors. From traditional designs to contemporary chic, Smart Designer front entrance doors offer a wide range of designs, colours and styles for you to choose from. Whichever design of door suits your home, you can be sure of its outstanding performance, with high-quality locking mechanisms and precision construction combining to give unbeatable strength and security. These doors are at the very premium end of the market place.

Timber front doors

Timber front doors can be manufactured in a variety of materials. If the doors are being painted then either Accoya or engineered timber sections resist warping and twisting, keeping your door functioning beautifully all year round. If you are after the beauty of timber and looking for a natural finish then hardwood external doors (oak in particular) have been a popular choice for many years. When it comes to aesthetics, cost and durability, hardwood oak external doors tick all the boxes you could possibly need, they are however, also a premium price!

Insulation of your front door

With climate change and fuel prices currently going through the roof a key driver for the sales of new front doors is how well insulated it’s going to keep your home. A well-insulated door will of course help keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer. All modern replacement doors should have a good seal around (in some cases even a double or triple seal) it to prevent drafts. Good insulation will also make you and your home more environmentally friendly, enhance its energy-rating as you don’t have to waste as much energy cooling and heating your home.

Door Aesthetics

Your front door is the focal point of most properties and how it looks will have a big impact on the aesthetics of your home. Style options are one of the first things to consider to see what suits your home. You can then you can explore what material options you have within your budget. A modern and sleek home might call for an anthracite grey door, but if you want something a bit bolder or brighter, why not try a Chartwell green or bright yellow door? We have recently installed a pink door for a customer, not my choice I might add, but if we all like the same things, the world would be a very boring place.

Door handles and furniture can also have a major impact on the aesthetics of your front door. An older looking cottage style door may require an antique black traditional monkey tail style handle whereas a modern contemporary door may require a stainless steel 1800mm (6ft) bar style handle. Finding the right accessory can really make your door stand out. One of our composite door suppliers Solidor have a great selection of these to choose from.

Front Door Security

Front door security is normally based on two factors – the material of the door was manufactured from and the door locking mechanism/key lock. We recommend that you look for British Standard (BSI) Kitemark, PAS 24 and Secured by Design accreditations on your new door purchase.

A lot of doors are manufactured using a euro cylinder lock that sits within the handle and connects to the multi-point locking system in the door frame. A euro cylinder is the part of the door you put your key in to open and sometimes close/deadlock your door. There are many different types of euro cylinders on the market and some are very easily snapped with mole-grip type tools, making any door not that secure. My next blog post will be on euro-cylinders, so I can give you further insight to them.  A simple last comment on them is, it’s possible to buy a cylinder for less than £10 and as much as £50. A cost difference of five times does get you extra security.

KJM Group supplies an extensive range of low maintenance and energy efficient windows and doors, throughout Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Dorset, and Wiltshire. This includes secondary glazing, casement, tilt and turn and vertical sliding windows and doors in PVC-U, timber and aluminium and energy saving triple-glazed windows with U-values as low as 0.66W/m²K.

For more information on our range of energy efficient windows and doors please don’t hesitate to call or email me or the sales team on 01264 359355 or email sales@kjmgroup.co.uk.

Also read Coming in from the cold. and Do composite doors fade