If you are thinking of replacing your front door, then you should seriously consider this type of design. To help convince you how good they are, here are 5 Great Reasons to Buy Composite Front Doors.
1) Appearance
In terms of looks, a composite front door is one of the best. Finished with a wood-grain surface they are very difficult to distinguish from real timber. With a smooth finish, you get a high gloss surface that is almost “mirror like”.
As for personalising, there are loads of colours to choose from. Even to the extent that you can have one colour outside and another colour inside.
Some popular colour examples:
- Grey: Anthracite, Pearl, Elephant Grey.
- Black: Pure Black, Brown Black.
- Blue: Dark Blue, Navy Blue, Duck Egg Blue, Steel Blue.
- Green: Dark Green, Chartwell Green, Turquoise Petal.
- Red: Dark Red, Cherry Red, Rich Red.
- White: Plain White, Cream, Pebble.
- Timber: Irish Oak, Golden Oak, Walnut, Mahogany, Rosewood.
The surface finish is not just “painted” or “foiled”. The actual GRP skin itself is coloured so there is no peeling or cracking. You can also expect the colour to resist fading for the lifetime of the door (up to 35 years).
The wood-grain surface finishes are imprinted into the GRP skin and therefore cannot peel off or crack like paint does.
2) Design Choice
You can literally choose from hundreds of combinations to select the look that you like the most.
Solid, or glazed. You can have your door feature double glazed panels (toughened glass) to allow some light to come in. On the other hand, if a solid front door is your choice, composite front doors offer an imposing visual.
For something different, you could take a look at Composite Stable or Cottage door designs. The stable door is a unique design that is effectively a door of 2 halves – top & bottom – which can open independently of each other.
3) Construction
Composite front doors are made differently from a standard UPVC door. They are a “sandwich” of materials.
The external surface is made from a 2mm to 3mm thick GRP or GFRP (Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic) skin. GRP is very tough, durable and has high resistance to:
- ultraviolet light
- extreme temperatures
- salt air
- chemicals including most acids
You can find GRP used in car manufacture, sporting yachts / speedboats, even surf boards.
The core of the door (the filling of the sandwich) can be made from engineered timber or a solid thermally insulating foam. The core is typically surrounded by a timber sub-frame and the outer edges of the door are then banded with aluminium.
The door itself can then be hung in either a hardwood timber or steel reinforced uPVC door frame.
Composite front doors are usually thicker than timber or uPVC at 44mm (28 mm for a standard door).
The weather proofing of a composite front door is second to none. You can find them with British Standards Accreditation (BSEN 12211:2000, BSEN 1027:2000, BSEN 1026:2000. Resistant to hurricane strength winds). See more about building regulations for windows & doors here.
- Door edge banding.
- 75mm UPVC Steel reinforced main door frame.
- GRP outer door skin.
- Engineered timber sub-frame
- Rigid insulating foam core
All this combines to provide outstanding levels of insulation from heat, cold, draughts and noise.
4) Security
Buying composite front doors is a sure way to make your home secure. Multi-point locks are fitted as standard. This means that the door is secured to the frame all around, not just in one place.
Triple or quadruple stainless steel hinges keep the door moving smoothly and keep the fit tight.
A 3 or 5-cylinder mortice key lock is also fitted in most cases. The cylinder is impossible to “bump or break” and tested to BS6375 standards.
Any glass fitted is tempered or toughened and double glazed. Options for triple glazed or laminated glazing are available.
5) Value for money
Whilst the initial cost of a composite front door is not cheap, the expected lifespan can be more than twice that of a UPVC front door.
UPVC front doors deliver about 15 years, but composite front doors can last 35 years or more. This represents a better investment over the lifespan of the door.
The maintenance costs of composite front doors are almost negligible. You don’t need to paint them, ever. To keep them operating like brand new, all you have to do is clean it with soapy water and lightly oil the moving parts yearly.
How much do composite front doors cost?
Of course composite doors prices depend upon the specification, but as a rough guide you can expect to see these prices in the market:
| Door Specification | Max Door Size | Price Guide |
| 4 panels with arch glass top – red | 1.0 x 2.2 metre | From £1,100 fitted |
| 4 panel solid – black | 1.0 x 2.2 metre | From £1,050 fitted |
| 4 panel solid – black + 2 side panels | 1.0 x 2.2 metre | From £1,800 fitted |
| 2 panel solid & glass – green+ 2 side & 2 top panels | 1.0 x 2.2 metre | From £2,000 fitted |
Get QuotesTo find out how much it would cost to fit your home with brand new composite doors, use our free quote request page
