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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

By swapping my pvc door for a wooden one

35 replies

Ineedwineplease · 26/01/2017 09:28

I know this should probably be in the diy section but I feel like alot of people will have had experience with this situation and im not sure if I am being unreasonable by doing this or not.. sorry for the waffling! Basically we have this awful white pvc door with a tiny window and I HATE it... it let's in hardly any light and makes my hall way seem so dark and depressing it also doesn't really look great. I managed to pick up my dream door (pictured) which will let in tons of light and looks beautiful ( imo) but it's wooden (I perfer the look of wooden but not sure on its practicality) Am I being unreasonable by swapping them over? It's single glazed. My house is a 1960s 3 bed semi ex council property (I'm only 21, sahm of 2 with only dh currently paying the mortgage ) so not sure if this will be over kill? Am I being really silly by doing this? What are the downsides to wooden doors? We dont want to spend thousands on a decent pvc one that looks like this as we don't think it would be worth it on this property. Thank you for any advice!

By swapping my pvc door for a wooden one
OP posts:
Araminta99 · 26/01/2017 09:33

I know how you feel, I currently have a wooden door with a gorgeous, original stained glass window... but I am getting a porch put on with a pvc door :( the single glazed door is just too drafty and I don't feel it's as secure. Sorry I couldn't be of more help Flowers

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 09:34

I did exactly this and I love it. I painted the inside of the door too so I have a lovely colour in my hallway. It has actually helped in my house (1920s ish terrace) as the upvc door was too watertight and would get condensation mould as the door couldn't 'breathe' (floor tiles laid directly onto earth so lots of moisture coming up through the floor). It is possibly more draughty but we have a warm house anyway so I don't notice. I say do it.

Floggingmolly · 26/01/2017 09:34

All doors were made of wood, once upon a time... What problems are you anticipating?

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 09:36

We have a good Yale lock and a proper key lock (not sure of the name), my builder next door neighbour was happy that this was secure enough.

Newtssuitcase · 26/01/2017 09:37

We replaced a horrible upvc door two years ago with a fairly expensive hardwood door.

It warps and sticks in the winter and there is now a large gap which I have had to fill with a foam excluder. The sticking is so bad that I have kenned the DC from using that door because I struggle to close it again.

Our front door is also wooden. It is hardwood and very solid. It is also draughty around the edges where the wood expands and contracts.

Newtssuitcase · 26/01/2017 09:37

not sure what kenned means Confused "banned"

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 09:46

I don't know if this is how all doors are fitted but I've had no trouble with the door sticking as the frame is quite loose around the door but then has a rubber sealed lip that the door sits in iyswim. I'll try to show in a pic.

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 09:49

Here

By swapping my pvc door for a wooden one
By swapping my pvc door for a wooden one
Socksey · 26/01/2017 09:49

Beautiful door....
I have a wooden one too and I have a really heavy door curtain behind it for the winter as there is a massive gap all around it where the wind whistles in... the house is warm and secure and the door is lovely.

jasonapple · 26/01/2017 09:52

I want to do this!

jasonapple · 26/01/2017 09:52

How much did it cost?

MyDogEatsBalloons · 26/01/2017 09:57

It's a lovely door. I'd just say make sure to have it fitted really well - I once
lived on my own, in a flat that had a wooden door which would expand in the wet, and become hard to open - to the point once where I had to go and sleep at a friend's house because I couldn't get in!

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 10:59

The way I have it fitted means there's no gap around the edges. I still say go for it. Home's need pretty stuff that you enjoy looking at.

SunshineOutdoors · 26/01/2017 11:00

Homes. Fucking autocorrect adding rogue apostrophes!

MatildaTheCat · 26/01/2017 11:05

I really dislike pvc doors. In our old house I swapped a vile aluminium door for a nice wood one when I could affor to and it transformed the appearance of the house.

The door you have chosen is nice but I would be a bit cautious about a) privacy if the glass is plain...you and your belongings will be on display. B) having a single glazed panel near to the locks could be a temptation to a thief as it may be easier to break in.

eyespydreams · 26/01/2017 11:13

I completely get it, and you could make the panes not see through and probably more secure by measuring carefully and getting these cut - I have done them on a clear window and some furniture and they work really well

windowfilm.co.uk/buy-online/frostbrite/view-designs-patterns/fb020-frosted-window-film

llangennith · 26/01/2017 11:16

I bought a white pvc door with glass windows to replace existing wooden one and while I don't particularly like the look of it I'd never change it for a wooden one again. The difference in warmth in the hall is noticeable.
I considered a composite door similar colour and style to the one in your photo but decided I didn't want to spend so much more money. The white pvc was a lot cheaper.

Snifftest · 26/01/2017 11:20

Consider the changes to the price of your insurance first.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/01/2017 12:19

I misread the title of this thread, at first.

I thought it said, "AIBU to swap my pelvic floor for a wooden one"!! Shock

I came on to say yes, YABVU. But swapping to a wooden door seems perfectly reasonable to me!

StarryIllusion · 26/01/2017 12:41

Singles glazed? I wouldn't have it just because of those windows. Beautiful but laughably easy to break in.

DespicableMeh · 26/01/2017 12:46

Have you considered a composite door? We got ours this month and I love it.

By swapping my pvc door for a wooden one
IAmAPaleontologist · 26/01/2017 12:46

It is a lovely door but I can't say I would go back to wooden door for reasons already mentioned. You can get excellent composite ones which are very smart and look just like painted wood and are brilliant for both security and insulation.

Strifae64 · 26/01/2017 13:31

We have a lovely oak door on our home, it looks amazing, feels good when opened and closing it and it never sticks in the cold/heat (must have been fitted very well).

It is so so draughty though, our hallway is separated from the rest of the house by a hallway internal door and we have draught excluders around that door and a rolled up blanket at the bottom to keep the chill out of the house.

Its a shame, we will probably get composite eventually to try and help keep the chill out.

Mooey89 · 26/01/2017 13:34

I must be tired because I read this as 'to change my pelvic floor to a wooden one'

No to the pelvic floor
Yes to the door.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 26/01/2017 13:45

@Mooey89 - I'm glad I wasn't the only one to misread it that way!