Composite doors, - do they age well?

[linspins]

Hi all, I've looked at the composite front doors in a local showroom, and they look lovely, just like wood but without the warp! The price is better than an engineered wooded one of the same design. However, all doors look beautiful in the warm clean environment of a showroom, but do they age well? Our old upvc front door faded and stained after some years. If you've had a composite door for a few years, does it still look lovely? Are you pleased with it?

[beachbodyunready]

No!!
We bought one after loving the look but within about 3 years it had faded very badly. We eventually bought a new aluminium front door which although expensive (over £3k) and now we’ll over two years old still looks as good as new. My mother in law also bought a composite door and hers has warped and it’s now really difficult to open and close. Avoid!

[linspins]

Oh dear! That's not what I wanted to hear...😲😲
But useful to know. Anyone else?

[PigletJohn]

being a curmudgeon, I will mention that I have had wooden doors 50 and 100 years old that still work well, and if necessary can be adjusted by a carpenter or competent DIYer using nothing more than a plane, a chisel, and a screwdriver to tighten the hinges.

I don't really believe that more modern construction will equal this.

[Wingedharpy]

I have a composite front porch door that has been in place for approx 10 years now.
It was not cheap at the time but it has aged extremely well.
It gets full sun for most of the day (when we have any), is black and has not faded at all since the day we bought it.
I don't have a brand name to give you unfortunately linspins, but it was supplied and fitted by a good local company (West Mids) who have a good reputation for customer care and follow up if needed.

[linspins]

😁So, one vote for composite, one against, and one for wood! Keep your experiences coming Mumsnetters!
In my heart Pigletjohn, I'm with you, as I much prefer wood...but to get a really beautiful door ( plus the side panels of windows that we have) is sooo expensive. And with our current flimsy thin 1960s door which blows open in the wind, we don't have time to save for a few years.
I'm after something 1930's, with a decent window at the top and three panels.

[Lesley1980]

I have a Oak coloured composite door that looks the same as it did 6 years ago. It faces the sun & no fading. My brother has had a black one for a couple of years longer & that hasn't faded either. I bought mine direct from the manufacturer for £800 & got our builder to fit it. it's a composite door with two windows on either side.

[Blackgrouse]

We have an original 1930s front door which I love but it is very draughty. The nicest 30s style composite door I've found is the Rockdoor Newark. I think fitted with the sidelight we'd need it would be around £2500 but I haven't had a quote.

I was quoted around £3500 for a new bespoke 1930s style hardwood door.

I love my original door so for now I'm just going to try and draught proof it.

[linspins]

Just looked up the Newark Rockdoor, it's beautiful. Looks like it's smiling! We need two almost full length side panels, so I bet it would be mega bucks...but then so are wooden ones. Hmmm.
Quote came in today from local company, £1,800 plus VAT for fitting composite for and side panel windows.

[Blackgrouse]

This is a pic of a Newark door with traditional fittings and I think it looks lovely.

The problem I have with it is I think it only comes in a set range of colours and none of them are what I want. Does anyone know if you can buy it in a bespoke RAL colour?

[peachy94]

We moved into a house that had had the door put in 3 years before and it still looked brand new, we had an issue with the lock about a year after we moved but the company came and fixed it under the guarantee, we moved after 3 years and it looked as good as it did in when we moved in, it was black and got sun most of the day but no fading. It felt nice and solid too, we've got upvc in our new house and I hate it can't wait to change it to a nice new composite.

[thatdearoctopus]

We got ours (black) around 8 years ago and it's been absolutely fine. Looks smart, no warping (didn't even know that was A Thing for front doors). Neighbours across the road have a red one a couple of years older, facing full sun most of the day and I have to say it looks quite faded and brown-ish now.

[linspins]

Our door won't get much sun or weather on it, due to the way it faces and also being partially overhung by the house. I'm imagining a pale green, something like this www.google.co.uk/search?biw=768&bih=928&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=jnP0WdD0GMv1avP5jKgO&q=wentwood+door&oq=+wentwood&gs_l=mobile-gws-img.1.0.41j0i67k1j0l3.53416.54767.0.55833.8.8.0.0.0.0.94.595.8.8.0....0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-img..0.6.449...30i10k1j0i8i7i30k1.0.vgit2_8zeRk#imgrc=xZBhLt_EdFkOIM:

[linspins]

As, the door above, but in pale green!

[Notonthestairs]

I've just ordered a Solidor Palermo (for a 30's semi but it is has had a lot of modernising and a pug ugly but useful porch so sadly a lovely 30's style would have looked out of place - it took me months to accept that though!). It has two side panels in glass.

It's £1600 including fitting.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

We had a navy blue one installed at a rental property over 5 years ago and it still looks just as good as new, very smart.
Can't comment on much longer periods.

[MrBennOfFestiveRoad]

OP - try googling "Newark Chartwell Green" and it should show you that door in pale green. Chartwell Green seems to be the standard pale green for composite doors, although you can get other shades made at extra cost from some suppliers.

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

PigletJohn, I was very reluctant to change the original wooden front door of our Edwardian maisonette, but in fact it wasn't very sturdy and I was told by someone with no vested interest that it could very easily be kicked in - and that anyone looking to break in would choose a property with such a door, rather than the composite we chose, with several locks that shoot out - I forget what they're called.

Since it is not exactly a very low-crime area, and particularly since a dd was living there at first, we didn't feel like taking the risk.
Also, it was the middle of winter, not an ideal time for painting wood.

[suze28]

@Wingedharpy We’re in N Worcs and have started looking for a new composite door. Please could you let me know the name of the company that supplied and fitted yours. Thanks!

[user1487671808]

Lots of houses around me have composite doors and where they face south some have faded badly. My neighbors door did so and they just rubbed it with baby oil. It now looks brand new again and has stayed that way for last 3 years, the colour is the original it just seems more weatherproof now. I wish very much we’d tried this before painting ours with gloss paint as it is ok but we’ve had to repaint a couple of times already.

[PigletJohn]

For some reason red is prone to fade. As well as front doors, you'll see it on cars, and pist office vans.

There is a product called "Armorall" sold in motorist shops, it puts the shine back onto dull plastic and rubber, e.g. bumpers and under the bonnet, window seals etc

I don't know how well it would work on a faded front door, but might be worth a try.

[Wingedharpy]

suze28 - After I posted, I went to the website of the company that fitted our door to see if I could find a brand name for their composite doors for the OP. I was shocked to see that the company went bankrupt in 2015 so ,sadly, are no longer trading.

[7Days]

Can you paint composite doors?

[suze28]

@Wingedharpy Thanks for trying though.

[sparklepops123]

We paid £1000 for our composite about seven years ago and it's good as new, I'd definitely buy another when ready to change the back