Choosing Composite Doors: Your Essential Guide

First impressions count, and if you’re keen to ensure that your home’s exterior says all the right things, why not upgrade to composite doors? You can enhance your entrance with a composite front door and improve the far side of your property with a composite back door.

Composite doors are a smart choice (in every sense of the word) for homeowners. When you choose this modern, advanced type of door, you don’t have to compromise on aesthetic appeal or home safety. You enjoy the best of both worlds – style and security.

Composite doors are among the most innovative external doors on the market. They’re designed to boost kerb appeal and keep intruders out, while potentially adding value. With all these benefits and more, it’s no wonder composite doors are turning heads.

Read our guide below to choosing composite doors.

Complimentary Materials Make Superior Doors

What are composite doors exactly? They’re made from a combination of several different materials (the word ‘composite’ refers to something that consists of multiple elements), which are pressed and bonded together under high pressure to produce an incredibly secure, sturdy structure. The materials all work together to create superior doors for homes.

The specific combination of materials varies somewhat but typically includes an insulating foam or laminated hardwood core, reinforced metal or timber inner frame, weatherproof Glass-Reinforced Plastic (GRP) coating, laminated glass panels and metal hardware. The door is likely to be set in a securely sealed uPVC frame with metal threshold and hinges.

Composite doors have been developed to help homeowners avoid issues associated with external doors made from fewer materials. Unlike doors made primarily of wood, for instance, a composite door isn’t prone to weathering and doesn’t need repainting.

The key reason why composite doors are so attractive, robust and durable is that their materials complement each other perfectly and ‘cancel out’ each other’s potential flaws. No single material or part dominates; they all support each other. For example, the core and inner frame act as a skeleton for the moulded GRP ‘skin’, while this skin protects the core and inner frame from the elements and guards against warping, splitting, twisting, etc.

Composite Doors Have Many Advantages

Thanks to their brilliant design, composite doors have transformed the door industry and can transform your home too. In a nutshell, these fantastic front and back doors are:

• Built to last for years, even decades
• Incredibly strong and secure with first-rate locks
• Highly versatile with attractive customisation options
• Capable of withstanding frequent use
• Resistant to fading and damage
• Weatherproof and watertight
• Energy efficient
• Low maintenance

Comparing Composite and uPVC Doors

Walk down a residential street and you’ll probably see plenty of uPVC doors. They’ve been around longer than composite doors, and you may well be wondering how they compare.

While uPVC doors are a great option for many reasons – they’re inexpensive, tough and offer a high level of security, to name but a few – composite doors set the standard in door design. They’re thicker than uPVC doors, which makes them even more robust and harder to break into. Composite doors can be tailored to suit your home and look distinctive, plus they’re not at risk of discolouration as the years go by. As they can be given a wood-effect finish, composite doors complement period properties better than uPVC doors.

Naturally, composite doors cost a little more, but their superb design and many benefits means they’re excellent value for money and worthwhile investments for your home. The exact price depends on the particular door and forms of customisation you choose, but we’re more than happy to talk you through the various options at our independent Trago Mills showsite. It’s an ideal place to visit when you’re looking for front door inspiration.

Devon Composite Doors from The Window Centre

We’re proud to supply the UK’s widest range of high-quality composite door styles to customers in Newton Abbot and across Devon. Our GRP composite doors come in stunning contemporary and traditional designs, enhanced by chic colours, smooth and textured finishes, patterned or plain glazed panels in various shapes plus non-glazed options, and a fantastic selection of handles, knockers, letterboxes, etc. Finding your ideal door couldn’t be easier!

What’s more, when you order a composite door from us, you’ll enjoy free survey planning and support, expert installation and a 10-year full cover guarantee.

Enhance your home with superb composite doors – contact The Window Centre today!