external door - upvc or hardwood?

scoobie

Hi

I wonder if you can help me make a choice - I'm not sure whether to go for a UPVC or a hardwood external door to my rear garden. My current door is cold, thin and a little rotty.

I want :
- double glazed,
- something that lets in lots of light,
- it will need to have a cat door pre-fitted.
- Security is a factor too for me.

Which would you go for UPVC or hardwood?

If anyone can recommend any suppliers, i live in south manchester.

thanks

BlondeHeadOn

Don't know all the pros and cons, but we went for a UPVC back door, basically the same as the front door but a different lock (not the one that locks automatically when you close it, but one that you need the key to lock, if you see what I mean). As all the rest of the doors and windows are upvc it seemed best to keep the same theme for the back door, and also it is good security-wise. We also chose a part-glazed back door, which lets more light in.

If you are living in a period cottage, however, UPVC might not be the best choice......

weekendwarrior

I'd get the PVC one.

Virtually maintenance free!

McAzrael

Hardwood doors are a lot nicer, but a lot more expensive (for a decent one anyhow). If you are going to spend all that money then please be prepared to look after it properly. If you know you are just going to let it rot, get UPVC.

Mecoconuts

I went for a Hardwood back door. Basically for piece of mind security wise.

It has 4mm toughened glass and two double locking mortace locks. where one is concealed and can only be unlocked from the inside.

Unlike my UPVC front door which only has one standard key but lots of nosey neighbours.

never_enough

I agree with McAzrael. Hardwood looks much nicer, especially on an older property, however will require some effort. Depending on where it's sited you'll have to revarnish wood approx every 5 years.Well that's what I was told, although I didn't do my wooden door for 16 years...

Not sure about the catflap & Upvc doors. Have seen them in Upvc doors, so must be possible, just not sure if they can be ordered with catflap. Obviously its very easy for the door hanger to fit at the same time with a wooden door.

Not sure which is best security wise. As long as any glazing is double glazed there shouldn't be any probs. I have always fitted hinge bolts on any of my doors (all wood). Only £2.49 from screwfix. I have heard that you can get Upvc with metal in for extra strength, but don't know anything else about them.

From an environmental point Upvc is very bad, however there's also an issue of illegal hardwood logging in some countries There should be some kind of stamp, like the forestry comission type thing if it's via a reputable source.

McAzrael

Stained hardwood doors will need re-staining as often as every year if they are exposed to the weather. Varnished doors in sheltered positions, well I've heard of them not needing doing for 16 years.......

Yes it is possible to order UPVC doors with catflaps. The panels in them are made up of plywood or MDF and polystyrene (where they aren't glazed) and cutting in a cat flap is not a problem.

Security wise - if they want to get in they will. All you can do is make sure that your house looks more difficult to burgle than next door.

The UPVC door should be reinforced with steel because otherwise it won't take its own weight. If you spot any front doors which look badly out of square, then now you know why. That said, no matter how well you make them, hang them and glaze them, some will drop slightly making locking them difficult. The company knows about this and provided they are not cowboys they will quickly come and re-toe-and-heel your door. Timber doors will grow, shrink, shake, warp and maybe all 4 at the same time. It comes out of the ground and is designed to provide housing for woodpeckers and ants. What do you expect?

Illegal logging is a seroius problem, but the timber is of no use to a decent joiner. The craft of joinery has been around for centuries, during which time timber farming has developed to provide the joiner with strong, straight and long lengths with fewer knots and shakes. Don't worry too much about your lovely new door bing responsible for an Indonesian mud-slide: it isn't. (Your cheap garden furniture is.) There are schemes which provide certification that the timber is from a sustainable source and your joiner will be able to obtain such timber easily. Normally the timber carries the certificate, not the supplier.

scoobie

thanks for all the comments, very useful things to consider.

What's a typical price for a door ? - UPVC or Hardwood, and how much would be a reasonable charge for fitting it?

McAzrael

Expect to pay from around £300 + VAT for a decent UPVC (glass over panel) back door and glass. Hardwood doors can cost anything, depending on what design you go for. Don't be tempted to cheapskate with a softwood door, its the ultimate false economy.

A carpenter will want around £150 - £200 a day. A door won't take a whole day to fix, but trades will not normally split days. Is there any other carpentry work that needs doing? Ask around and get recommendations from friends and families - everybody you know has dors in their house. There will be dust and dirt, just accept it.