Wooden or Composite front door?

[Mimca]

Please share with me your front door knowledge!

Wooden or Composite door - what is best?
Are they both equally secure?
The front door faces full sun so which would be best?
Any idea on price expectations?
Recommendations where to go? (we're in the SE)

The house is 1950s and most neighbours have new composite doors, a few wooden and the odd PVC.

Thanks for your help! I'm feeling totally clueless.

when we looked at it, a wooden door to the highest security spec is a lot mor expensive (and heavier!) than a composite door.

we went with rock door in the end and home insurance got a lot cheaper as result.

oh, and our door looks almost original (victorian pill box red) you only notice when right in front of it.

Thanks for your replies. I didn't realise composite doors still can react so much to the weather.

is your door fully exposed, or does it have a canopy or open porch?

How old is the house?

Complex locking systems are necessary on plastic doors and wibdows, because the material itself is fundamentally weak and soft (you can cut through it with a breadknife, and, unless festooned with hooks and bolts, bend it open enough to put your arm in).

These systems are not necessary on stronger materials.

Wooden doors in the UK are usually fitted with a British Standard Deadlock and/or a British Standard Nightlatch, than which you will not find better. A 5-lever deadlock is immune to bumping, corkscrewing or snapping, and a BS cylinder is armoured.

You can fit multipoint locks to them if you wish.

Many composite doors and almost all upvc doors are the easiest locks to pick.
A wooden door with good mortise lock is the hardest to get in.
If your door has a Euro lock make sure it is the anti-snap type.

Wooden door do shrink and expand with the weather! I have a very solid oak door facing south and it takes quite a lot of punishment. Yes to mortise lock and Yale lock if you want extra security. Strong glazing bars too.

I had a Solidor put into a rental house but it didn’t face south. It had a very good lock and I would see if they can add a second lock. I would expect them to keep their colour. I have a composite door in a sea front holiday house and that’s lasted 11 years and is still perfect!