Another front door thread

tonyh66

Furts wrote: »

If you buy a pvcu, or a composite, door it comes together withe frame. So your question is probably irrelevant.

You then look at your budget and fashion. Pvcu is cheaper, so if you are on a low budget this is the default choice. If you have more money then following fashion is possible by choosing a composite door. This is because pvcu doors look so dated - typical 1990s style.

You have worried about security but only you know what the risks are in your location. However, the vast majority of people feel secure with composite doors, even though there are significant weakness with them. But here the same applies to a car and few worry about this. If you want to break into a car simply tap the window. People live with this, or do not consider it.

without going into too much detail, what is the weakness in composite doors, Im considering installing 2 on my house.

Furts

tonyh66 wrote: »

without going into too much detail, what is the weakness in composite doors, Im considering installing 2 on my house.

On a typical door everything is too weak - the lock, the locking mechanism, the glass, the frame, the door .. they fill a hole in a wall and people are happy with them. Fine as far as thousands of customers are concerned, but there is nothing secure about them contrary to the endless claims made by manufacturers.

tonyh66

Furts wrote: »

On a typical door everything is too weak - the lock, the locking mechanism, the glass, the frame, the door .. they fill a hole in a wall and people are happy with them. Fine as far as thousands of customers are concerned, but there is nothing secure about them contrary to the endless claims made by manufacturers.

So what do you have personally? TBH I don't want (can't really afford) timber and upvc always looks cheap. I live in Inverness its not really a hotbed of crime where people are kicking door panels in. Im looking to get the most secure locks I can.

Furts

tonyh66 wrote: »

So what do you have personally? TBH I don't want (can't really afford) timber and upvc always looks cheap. I live in Inverness its not really a hotbed of crime where people are kicking door panels in. Im looking to get the most secure locks I can.

I have a DoorStop but I would never recommend this brand to any consumer. But equally there are worse ones out there.


A composite will provide a door for you, so you need to see, touch and feel what is being offered to you in Inverness. You then decide on the quality and price trade off. Quality is a topic which 95% of consumers have zero interest in so over to you on where you stand on this.


Just take all the marketing and sales spin as just that - pure spin. What you will be buying is a cheap, mass produced, low quality, insubstantial door. Mine certainly is, and yours will likely be similar.


Look at your exposure to wind and rain, consider if you have an adequate porch, consider what light levels you want in your home, weigh this against security, pick a colour that is uv stable, more so if direct sun gets on it, decide on your core construction, consider Secured by Design, decide on the threshold detail and level ... these are some that come to mind.


Then watch and scrutinise the measuring and the fitting with minute detail. Bear in mind the doors are made in a factory largely by machines, but frequently measured and installed in homes by unskilled, or semi skilled, fitters.