Are Composite doors worth it?

DanversMark89

Hi everyone, forum newbie and recent first time homeowner here! Just looking for a bit of advice 

My fiancee and I have recently moved into our new home and it's great! But we've noticed that the front door keeps sticking when we try to open it, I thought it was just down to how hot it was that it would expand, but it's been doing this all through the winter now too  

A couple of people have suggested to us that we get a Composite door? (Our current one is just a standard plastic PVC door as far as I can tell) They seem a bit pricier than others, just wondered if anyone had any experience with Composite doors and could say if they are worth it or not? 

Apparently they don't stick as much and also help to keep the heat in, so they sound great! Was hoping for any personal experience before we take the plunge and invest, thank you! 

wazza99

We had our two UPVC doors replaced with composite. Disappointed tbh, i expected less noise primarily and perhaps less heat loss, neither occurred from what i can judge. Yes they feel better and look good and no doubt are more secure but as to benefits other than that disappointed.

FreeBear

DanversMark89 said: But we've noticed that the front door keeps sticking when we try to open it, I thought it was just down to how hot it was that it would expand, but it's been doing this all through the winter now too

Probably a simple case of the hinges need adjusting ever so slightly.

That said, it would be worth looking at the brickwork above the door. If there are any cracks in the mortar and the bricks are sagging, there may be a build up of pressure at the top of the frame - Not a trivial or cheap fix, but my money is on the hinges.

DRP

The Money Saving option would be a repair or adjustment, rather than replacing!

I don't think composite doors are inherently better than uPVC in terms of fitting or insulation, each brand and model will have its own specs...

FaceHead

The main advantage of composite over upvc is look and feel, not thermal or acoustic performance. 

Yes, agree that you should explore fixing before replacement, unless your objective is to improve the look, then you might go with replacing with composite. 

DanversMark89

Thanks everyone, it might be good to update the look as well and make the new house feel like our own, come to think of it.

Any recommendations for the best Composites to use?

donnablossomm

One of the better options is probably Endurance, I have a friend who recently got a door from them and they say it's gone really well - if you go onto their site you might find something worth your while? 

DRP

DanversMark89 said:

Thanks everyone, it might be good to update the look as well and make the new house feel like our own, come to think of it.

Any recommendations for the best Composites to use?

FYI you don't need to change the door to change the lock, you can swap in new locks from B&Q or wherever very easily - a couple of screws.

NSG666

DanversMark89 said:

Thanks everyone, it might be good to update the look as well and make the new house feel like our own, come to think of it.

Any recommendations for the best Composites to use?

Just be aware that with many of them e.g. Rockdoor, Solidor the actual warranty they give is via the installer and you'll just get bounced back to them. I don't know what happens to your warranty if the installer ceases to trade or goes bust.

Security wise they should be much better than UPVc unless the modern UPVCs have a better core than the foam they used to be..

Hormann do a range but very modern (and expensive) from memory. Not sure of the quality of those but they are German and their garage doors are excellent.

greenface2

Even people with comp doors may struggle to know or remember which one is installed . There are a lot on the market and not always the price dictates the best . (and cheapest the worse )  Shop around and you will see some names repeating . Rockdoor - endurance - distinction- solidoor -Xtreme - door co . That's just a few . Comp doors have been around in different forms since about 1990 . some have known to swell and bend , some have improved this with a tolerance of about -3 to +3 mm  . A decent local company with a good name for themselves could fit any comp door better than a cowboy you will see once . Upvc have also improved than they used to be . 

UncleZen

If you, like us, have a front door that faces the sun from 11am through to sunset. You'll find that the upvc door will eventually crack. It'll also expand and contract a lot and may rub on the frame etc. Neither of these things happen with a composite door in the same location.