When it comes to replacing a front door, the amount of choice can make this a daunting task. When it comes to external doors for homes there are essentially three choices; timber, uPVC and composite. Here we will take a quick look at the three options available to consumers and discover why a composite door is the most secure and stylish option for a replacement door.
Firstly there is timber, the oldest material out of the three but still very popular. Many people who upgrade to a composite door are replacing an existing timber door, and there are probably still more timber doors on properties in the UK than any other type. There is no denying that wooden doors can look appealing, and if money is no object materials such as oak can look very striking. However, aside from being expensive, timber does have some major drawbacks.
A recent example of one of our doors…
The first is weathering. As timber is a naturally occurring material it is unfortunately open to the elements. Major problems that people encounter with timber doors is warping and bowing; door leafs can shrink or expand in direct sunlight or very cold conditions, wood can crack and peel and of course don’t forget that you will probably have to paint the door at least once a year to keep it looking good. High maintenance coupled with weathering issues can lead to a lot of problems, which is why timber doors are generally now only favoured by those with a large budget.
Next there is uPVC, which boomed in the early 90′s and has held favour ever since. uPVC doors became instantly popular as they offered greater security over timber in the form of multi=point locks. They also had the added bonus of being maintenance free; at least compared to a timber door. No painting and generally no warping (this is only true of white uPVC, as most foiled colours such as Rosewood tend to bend like a banana ater a couple of years).
The downside of uPVC doors? Well they are pretty ugly for one. Ugly black gasket lines and white plastic has never looked very attractive, and most uPVC door panels seemed to come with a ridiculous glass design. There are still hundreds of thousands of properties across the UK with Kingfishers emblazoned on the front door. We’re still not sure how that happened…
Security wise uPVC panel doors are now outdated also. Although they have multipoint locks, a panel door can still be kicked through with enough force. Not surprising really as the core panel is made internally of Styrofoam. The cylinders used on uPVC doors are also pretty poor; it is thought that over 85% of uPVC doors that have been fitted for more than a couple of years have cheap Euro cylinders fitted. The cylinders can be bought by double glazing companies for a few pence each, and it is a scary though that this is what is protecting your home. These cylinders are easily attacked and unfortunately this trend is on the rise across the UK today.
So we are left with composite doors. There is a reason that Global specialise only in composite exterior doors, and that reason is that there is simply no better alternative on the market. A composite door really does have it all; superior strength and security thanks to a 44mm thick door leaf, rebated frame and high security multi-point locks. We also suite our doors with the latest Avocet ABS cylinders, championed by locksmiths across the UK and a revolution in the lock industry.
With over 7 colours available and 22 door styles, there are many options available and you can ensure that your composite door is exactly what you are looking for. Normally when people think of high security doors they would imagine something metal and ugly. Our composite doors have all of the best safety accreditations, including PAS23/24 and Secured by Design. We can also install nationwide, and are one of the first online companies to offer a full installation service in Northern Ireland.
