Composite front doors - has anyone had one fitted recently?

[Loueytb3]

We need a new front door and have been looking at getting a composite one which looks like wood but doesn't let in the draughts.

So far, we've had 2 quotes and there is a massive difference (around £700) in the price and I'm not sure why. The cheaper one is from a company that we've since had bad feedback from so I'm not keen to go with them. I realise that I need to get another quote but I am wondering why the big variation and if there is something we should be looking for.

Yes we have a black one with a vision panel and obscured glass, cost £800 for everything incl fitting and door furniture. Really pleased with it, looks stylish and modern

We had one put in about a month ago. Same as Vicki, black with glas up the top. I have to say, I love it! We are EOT and our neighbours front door is probably 4-5 metres away (not very good with judging sorry!) and so it's given us more privacy and quiet, and the best thing is there is no artic breeze going from the lounge room to the kitchen when you pass the front door now

Ours cost £1300 but we are in London (so everything's always bloody more expensive!)

Having one fitted in ten days, black with 4 panels of glass (it's wholesaled by Door Stop) £800 fitted in near Hampton Court, so near-London prices don't have to be crazy. Can't arrive soon enough!

Hampshire here - going rate about £900 - £1200 fitted

I was just wondering what piglet john thinks to composite front doors, how does the price compare to a traditional wooden front door?

Yes, we had one fitted that fell apart in 6 months. We are now taking the company to court and are ordering a new door from a local carpenters..

And every composite website says their system is best (timber core or timber + foam core) - which is better or is traditional wood always better?

We're in outer London which might explain the higher quote (£1350) but the two shops are only a mile apart. I still haven't got the exact price for the door out of the other shop - the total price includes windows as well but I think it will come out to approx £650. My fear is that they have quoted for a cheaper door in order to get the work. But I don't really understand the differences between the different doors.

Twelvelegged - what make was yours?

Alwayscheerful - even a good wooden door is cheaper than a composite door but the insulation isn't as good so you are potentially losing more heat out of the house (which is one of the reasons we are looking at these doors).

Some of the composite doors we've seen look very much like wooden ones (from the outside) even close up.

Ours were from BD Joinery (www.bdjoineryltd.co.uk/), who now trade as www.bestdoorsjoinery.co.uk/

The first one was so badly made it split as soon as the sun got on it. We had 18 months of negotiations with them, with answers including It is our Fault, It's not our fault, We've ordered you a new one, We've lost your credit card details so we couldn't order you a new one, The new one is on its' way from China (so the whole 'made in our own workshop' bit of their site is guff)... it went on and on and on. At one point the proprietor said he was seriously ill, so we backed off. Apparently he was so ill he was able to completely relaunch and rebrand his company .

Utter nightmare and not cheap to start with.