what is the difference between composite and upvc doors 5 December 2022 at 10:14AM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 9 replies 356 views

twopenny

Strangely couldn't find this on a search.

My wooden garage door has decided to rot suddenly and I find replacing it with wood myself would be a minefield for someone without strength or a van.

I will be out looking for second hand wooden door (glazed and catch fitted) today to tide me over as it's bitter and long Christmas coming.

I was considering a double glazed door that I wouldn't have to paint or rot but a neighbour did this and the cost locally is £1,000!

Which material should I look for please - considering that wall gets full sun through summer and open the the elements in winter?

Wondering if I can do it cheaper/second hand etc.

MikeJXE

Do you mean main garage door or personnel door ? Look for used upvc doors on eBay and get the frame too that would be my choice

twopenny

Thanks Mike, something I didn't think of.

It's the personal door.

I'd normally nail a board over to keep it stable till spring and give me time but beyond that.

bengalknights

A UPVC door will last a couple kicks before it gives in, Composite will take a bit more effort to break into (similar effort to hardwood doors)

onomatopoeia99

Composite doors are generally more robust, PVCu doors tend to flex quite a lot in my experience (my home has both in different locations).  For a garage I can't imagine this is a great concern though.    B&Q (for example) sell door sets of PVCu doors for £300-400 (that's door and frame supplied complete) with home delivery in their back doors section of the website, so you wouldn't need a van but may need a friend to help you install as while do-able, 40kg of door is a lot to work with on your own.

diystarter7

Hi OP

We have had PVCu doors and they come in many qualities and fid a good installer/manufacturer and the white door will stay white even in direct sunlight for a lot longer and often robust structure ie good make/etc. Add a good locking system and a good frame you have a good secure door but many of these doors are often cheap and you can tell the qulity difference by looking/feel etc. Use high-security-approved locks

The composite doors we have been using the last 15 years - again they can vary in quality but from what I've seen hardly any but I may be wrong. Use high securty locks and good secure frame. A "composite" door means made out of several materials. I recently changed the high-security lock and inside the skin was good-quality wood. Even the strips are very robust ie the sides of the door as is the glass. The door we chose was labeled by a police-approved schem I think. So a composite door is made of plastics/metals/wood and possibly something else where as PVCu doors plastic on the whole.

"Composite" means made of several materials as are most jets these days if not all at least many parts where as in the past the were metal.

The door for it to be secure, good locks, good door and don't forget a good frame that is securely fitted into secure surrounds

thnaks

twopenny

That's excellent thank you!

You can read stuff online but getting the real pros and cons isn't helpful.

Happily now, I live in a safe area and the chances of breaking into the garden and then the garage are tiny - and if they want my old stuff I'd be grateful.

Onomatopoeia, what a good idea. The door is unhandily on a 6" raised brickwork so I couldn't fit it myself but we do have some handy, handymen in the area that would do it reasonably.

I'll take a look at the B&Q / Wicks sites over Christmas as I can't see it being done before now.

Great help all. If I know I can get something half price and what I;m looking for I now know where to start.

So far the car/digi recorder/washing line/gutter have broken down and I don't have a bathroom or fire place so saving is a must.

One day I'll get around to doing the 'desirable' and fun stuff ........

Section62

twopenny said:

My wooden garage door has decided to rot suddenly...

What do you keep in the garage, and is the original 'car' door still on it or have you blocked that off?

A building is only as secure as the weakest entry point - with a garage that's usually a window or vehicular door.

There's no point spending money on a high security personnel door with high security locks, if the garage has a single-glazed window or a sheet-metal vehicular door that a thief can just bend to make an opening big enough to get through.

Likewise, if the garage has nothing of particular value in it then there is no point securing the personnel door like Fort Knox.

On the contrary, over-securing outbuildings may encourage attention from light-fingered folks wondering what valuable things you might have in there to justify the expense of high-security doors and locks.  If there isn't much of value then most people would be better off encouraging theives to use the least expensive means of entry if they really want to get in.  In most cases, replacing a standard uPVC door will be cheaper than replacing the vehicular one if someone has decided to check your contents for valuables.

Meanwhile, if you do have valuable and easily stolen/convertable items (e.g. chainsaws, strimmers, power tools etc) then it is generally better to keep them locked to a secure fixing point (or strongbox) in the outbuilding with an alarm padlock, rather than attempting to keep the perimeter of the building secure.

Some people think spending money on higher-security doors and locks is all you need to do.  In fact you have to think smarter, otherwise the cost of the damage done in a break-in can exceed the value of anything actually stolen.

A cheap uPVC door+frame is likely to be fine, unless you fill your garage with valuables.  If the door is glazed then also consider clear glass rather than obscure - so anyone interested can check out the contents without needing to break the glass.

diystarter7

twopenny said:

That's excellent thank you!

You can read stuff online but getting the real pros and cons isn't helpful.

Happily now, I live in a safe area and the chances of breaking into the garden and then the garage are tiny - and if they want my old stuff I'd be grateful.

Onomatopoeia, what a good idea. The door is unhandily on a 6" raised brickwork so I couldn't fit it myself but we do have some handy, handymen in the area that would do it reasonably.

I'll take a look at the B&Q / Wicks sites over Christmas as I can't see it being done before now.

Great help all. If I know I can get something half price and what I;m looking for I now know where to start.

So far the car/digi recorder/washing line/gutter have broken down and I don't have a bathroom or fire place so saving is a must.

One day I'll get around to doing the 'desirable' and fun stuff ........

Hi again
Many thanks for the lovely comment


We too are lucky and live in an area like yours, but we still use high security locks, sticks to front and back re Ring security, leave our lights on, one car to the front. auto lights on and off - this is to hopefully drive the criminal to another place that does not appear as protected.

We made a mistake 25 odd years ago by buying a corner house and making it the best house on the road and the crims type we attracted especially after we put up the metal railings and the flash door - they never managed to take anything but tried to break in several times but foiled by an alrm. The last straw was on a Hune morning, warm, nice day it was light outside at/about 4-15am - they tried to break in opened the front door as we never deadlocked it at night time but put a chain on - they easily opened it but we had the chain on and just as they must have cut it and shoving door to break the chain the alarm went off after the 30-second grace we had set up ie to deactivate the alarm.  They had opened the big drive gates and were after the new car we had bought a few weeks before the cops said. We were just glad they did not come upstairs - we moved within weeks after that to a property we were doig up to rent as we had had enough and sold that one and moved again.

Always go for the best, easy to mange security features and just in case someone is eyeing up your place, most will move on.

No offence "if they want my old stuff....." -   It's how they trash the place and my cousin used to say that to my dad until vermin broke in when they were visiting out home/parents home this is about 40 years ago. Guess what, they took the driver's licence, passports, jewellery, bank books and in the process smashed a few pictures - they fear of going out and returning home when someone has been broken into is awful for the majority.  We used to fear coming back home thinking have they tried to break in/etc. The place we live in, I wanted to move after about 5 years but it feels so safe here that we think we will stay here.

Sorry, I was not trying to scare you etc but posting from my experience plus we had a friend that was a crime prevention officer that used to tell us re heartbreak and fear these burgulars cause. So, always do your best re security but living in a nicer area help.

Deterrence is the key and as per my previous post I think I did say it, we have stickers to the back/front and a window that is out of sight from the road and we have cut down trees and hedges to the front so the public has a better view of our windows/doors and crims dont like being seen -  we also have secuirty lights to front/back both sides and the detached garage - deterrence is the first line of fdefence and high securty the next and often the alarm goes off as soon as they break a window open a door so keeps them out if you don't live in an isolated area.  

No offence it is who I am I just want nice people to be safer.

twopenny

"the best, easy to mange security features and just in case someone is eyeing up your place,"....

Well, pre pandemic I moved to a cul de sac temporarily, the joy is after a corner house where I spent less than 40 yrs with a wonderful community the area became very different with no end of trouble.

Here I have elderly who are mostly at home and a definite community. No passers by, a lot of temporary movement but the older people are at home. Anyone coming would be floodlit by the street lights, have to get past Pat, Clare, Vicky and Shirley who are all at home and know who is going past and when.

Added with my previous experience I have made the garden very difficult to get into with prickily stuff. Any advice on how to secure your place but having it look good just ask. I'm really good at it 

Even the police (who I'd come to know on first name terms) when I asked for a security check said 'ask me back in 6mts, you're fine' and I've never asked them back.

Seriously it's a whole different world though only 5mins from my other place and if they want my ancient strimmer they are welcome.

So that is low on priority. I just need to keep all the stuff stored dry and warm.

You've just convinced me that this move should be a stayer, I will have to learn to live with small, crazily built and brightly lit for the security, peace and lovely neighbours.