A Homeowners Quick Door Buying Guide
Spending more time at home than ever before, it’s likely you have found your way to our door buying guide following the stark realisation that your entrance doors are in need of a makeover. It’s all very well choosing a great looking door, but will it keep your home safe, secure, and efficient, come rain or shine?
From essential security to energy savings to aesthetics, this concise entry door buying guide is packed full of top tips to find the perfect front door.
What should I look for when buying a front door?
- A long-lasting door material, e.g. timber, composite, aluminium, uPVC
- The latest multi-point locking mechanisms
- Made to measure designs & limitless customisation options
- Heat retention qualities e.g. A++ to C energy ratings / U-values of 1.8W/m²K or lower
- Glazing & glass options e.g. double glazing / triple glazing / toughened / stained / etched
- Minimal maintenance
- Tested to industry standards for performance & weather resistance
- External noise reducing qualities
- A long-term insurance backed warranty, covering the product & installation
- A 'Chain of Custody'We have adopted a ‘Chain of Custody’ procedure that allows a traceability of wood where a certificate is not available. This should go towards important changes over time, eliminating supplies of unmanaged wood. This is not a change that will happen quickly but the progress is steady and in the right direction.
What's the best material for a front door?
You may well be wondering what is the strongest front door? Or maybe how long front doors last is more important to you… There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to quality front door replacements, especially if you’re situated in a restrictive conservation area. With this in mind, we’ve put together this convenient door comparison table to help you weigh up the pros and cons according to your project:
| Timber Front Doors | Composite Front Doors | Aluminium Front Doors | uPVC Front Doors | |
| Feature | ||||
| Security | High | High | High | High |
| Colours | Range of woods and stains | Over 11,00 colour combinations | Limitless RAL colour options | Limitless RAL colour options |
| Energy Efficient (rating / U-value) |
A / 0.9 | A++ / 0.87 | A / 0.9 | 1.4 (minimum) |
| Glazing | Double | Double / triple | Double | Double / triple |
| Specialist glazing available? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Weather resistance | Medium | High | High | High |
| Size capability | Medium - Large | Medium | Large | Medium |
| Weight | Heavy | Medium | Lightweight | Lightweight |
| Guaranteed? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing bracket | Medium - High | Medium | Medium - High | Low - Medium |
| Lifespan | Lifetime | 20 years | 30-40 years | 20 - 30 years |
| Maintenance | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
What is the safest type of front door?
Security remains the number one reason for a new front door. For complete peace of mind that your family are safe and sound, look out for the following to be sure that your new front and back doors remain burglar proof far into the future:
- Multi-point locking systems that have at least 3 locking points
- Mortice lever locks with at least 5 or 7 levers, accompanied by a night latch
(mostly used in traditional timber doors) - Laminated/toughened glass options
- Internally beaded door glazing
- Warp & twist resistance
- Thief-resistant BS3621 locks
- EN 1627-1630 burglar resistance classification
- Anti-snap locks / bump resistant locks
- Steel-reinforced frames (uPVC)
- PAS 24 security certification
- KUBU smart lock upgrades.
If there are any door security terms you don’t understand, or you want to learn more, take a look at our practical door security glossary.
Door security in the spotlight
If other doors in your home are lacking essential modern-day security features, you may also be interested in the following blogs:
Are your patio doors secure enough?
How secure are aluminium bifold doors?
P & P Glass Latest News
What is an energy efficient door?
Each door material that we offer is handpicked with optimum thermal efficiency in mind. Keep draughts out, reduce energy bills, and heighten the enjoyment you get from your home by looking out for these energy efficient front door essentials:
- A multicoloured BFRC energy rating label
- U-values of 1.8W/m²K or lower - any higher and your new front door will not comply with the latest energy efficiency requirements set out by Building Regulations.*
The lower the U-value the more energy efficient your new front door will be! - A++ to C energy ratings
- Polyamide thermal breaks (aluminium doors)
- GRP or timber core (composite doors)
- Triple glazed possibilities
- FSC certification (wooden front doors sourced from sustainable forests & easily recycled)
- Woodland Trust Corporate Membership
- Locally sourced front doors can reduce your carbon footprint, by reducing fuel use and time
- CFC-free.
*correct at time of publishing; November 2020.
Aluminium entrance doors vs composite doors - which is the best choice for winter warmth?
What colours are available for front doors?
Of course, making an entrance is also a crucial aspect to consider – after all, increasing your kerb appeal has the power to boost your property value by up to 10%. From historic terraced houses nestled within the heart of Guildford Town Centre to sleek modern Wimbledon homes, it's essential to choose a style, shade, and finishing touches that will complement your properties unique character. Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that make the biggest difference, so be sure to look out for:
- Unlimited RAL colour options
- Dual colour options (different coloured frames internally & externally)
- Coloured uPVC doors
- Wood effect finishes
- Anti-fade technology (uPVC & composite doors)
- Quality microporous paints and stains (timber doors)
- Powder coated or anodised treatments (aluminium doors)
- Specialist heritage colour palettes
- Modern door colours, e.g. Cream timber doors, Anthracite Grey aluminium doors, Chartwell Green composite doors, French Grey timber doors, black uPVC doors.
- Matching handles and hardware.
If your home is a listed building or located in a designated area, such as a conservation area, be sure to check whether you are permitted to upgrade your front door without applying for planning permission first. If you are unsure, contact your local planning authority, take a look at your property title deeds, or contact the P & P team for expert support and advice.
How much does a new front door cost?
The price of your new entrance door will hinge on a variety of aspects - most notably, the material, size, security hardware and specialist finishing touches required. Made completely bespoke to you, why not design your dream composite door online now? Or request a free no-obligation quote now - to assist us with providing a cost, please feel free to upload photo(s) of your proposed project.
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