All About Composite Doors

Your front door is usually the first impression that visitors will get about your household. Therefore, making the right choice is an important task. This article will describe the advantages of choosing composite doors, and will provide you with a guide to selecting and maintaining your front door in the best possible condition.

Common door types: their pros and cons

For long time, wooden doors were the preferred choice of many British home owners. These doors were convenient for two reasons: their affordability and their versatility. However, prolonged exposure to British weather quickly damages wooden doors, causing chips and cracks in the surface. Even with appropriate maintenance, wooden doors will eventually swell and rot. Another common front door type is enamel-coated aluminium doors. These are more durable and resistant, often lasting more than twenty years. Some householders preferred uPVC doors, mainly because they were inexpensive and energy-efficient. However, it was soon apparent that uPVC doors could present a security risk should anyone try to break into a house, since their panels could be easily removed.

Then the composite door appeared in the market. These doors are designed to look like a traditional wooden door, but their clever combination of materials makes them incredibly durable. In fact, most manufacturers issue a lifetime warranty on these doors. Their fibreglass outer shell is coated with foam, and supported by a sturdy wooden frame. Foam provides excellent insulation against the elements, while fibreglass adds to their durability and overall security. Their external wooden frame can be painted to match your home. So as you can see, these doors combine all the advantages of previous door types without any of their disadvantages. Choosing a composite front door can even help you save in your energy bills, given their anti draught capabilities. And although their initial cost is more expensive than that of other door types, you should consider it an investment in your property.

Types of composite doors

Although the majority of these doors consist of a fibreglass shell, there are variations in their manufacturing that you can use to your advantage. If you live in an especially cold area of the country, you could consider fitting a double polyurethane composite door, with a weather rating of not less than PAS023. These doors are known as double rebate doors, and are specifically manufactured to endure the harshest weather conditions. Double rebate doors are tested to withstand ultra-violet radiation, and offer outstanding sound insulation. While the standard composite door is 44 millimetres thick, double rebate doors have a thickness of up to 68 millimetres. There can be no better guarantee that your front door will be weather resistant and will protect you against break-ins.

Maintenance and cleaning

Generally speaking, a composite door is a low maintenance door. However, some basic attention is required in order to keep your front door looking its best. You should oil the hinges once or twice a year to ensure correct functioning and to avoid damage by excessive friction. When it comes to cleaning, there is no need to use a special cleaner; a damp cloth will suffice.

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