Front door confusion - which material is best?

Rosa_Damascena

I resolved never to go with a wooden front door again after having 2 in separate locations drop and ending up with me locked out of my own home. Composite seemed like a good alternative option and require little maintenance (bonus).

However I have heard poor reviews about Solidor and Rockdoors, and am now told that composite doors also deteriorate over time, particularly with heat (ie a south facing aspect is not recommended). I don't want UPVC for a front door, so what choices am I left with?

Doozergirl

There are different grades of timber door.  If you look at Victorian houses, a lot still have their front doors!   You won't see many composite doors making it that far.  

I don't think there's any real argument that a great quality timber front door is better.  You can buy timber front doors that have locking mechanisms like composite and upvc.  There are also aluminium and steel front doors.  

Ours is a timber door from Kloeber.   Our old house had a very similar type of door - I found it on ebay for £250 - absolute bargain.  Drove all the way to Wallasey to get it.  

stuart45

Worked on a property for a drug dealer years ago that favoured steel doors.

Rosa_Damascena

stuart45 said:

Worked on a property for a drug dealer years ago that favoured steel doors.

Very droll but I take your point.

MX5huggy

stuart45 said:

Worked on a property for a drug dealer years ago that favoured steel doors.

Well if it’s good enough for 10 Downing Street.

mclaren32

There are some really nice aluminium doors, we have one by Origin and it’s been fit and forget since we had it done 2 years ago. 

They are/were a little more than composite but we shopped around and the difference was only a few hundred and that was for an expensive solution (side panels, big handles, matching colours etc).

Rosa_Damascena

mclaren32 said:

There are some really nice aluminium doors, we have one by Origin and it’s been fit and forget since we had it done 2 years ago. 

They are/were a little more than composite but we shopped around and the difference was only a few hundred and that was for an expensive solution (side panels, big handles, matching colours etc).

This might be the solution if it's not draughty? (I have some aluminium double glazing atm - for replacement- and it is).