Have you installed a new front door recently?

[MrsSnarget]

I need your help please.

What sort of door did you choose and where did you buy it from?

It's for a 1950s house, so not a period property. It currently has a cheap wooden Victorian-styled panel door so I'm also wondering what style would best suit a 1950's mock Tudor?

Is it possible to get a composite door without the distinctive wood grain effect?

Thanks

I’m looking at hallmark doors

Pinterest will be your friend. I’ve pinned loads of front door ideas and found a few companies online. We have a 1960s house but I want to get something with a hint of period but modern so it doesn’t look out of place...if that makes sense!

is the door open to the weather, or is it protected by (at least) an open porch?

Do you want to spend more or less than a £thousand?

Porridge oat - thanks, I'll look at them.

Ready Steady Bed - thanks, I didn't think of Instagram.

Piglet John - opens to the elements on a detached house. It gets full afternoon sun. I expect to spend £1k + to get something durable, good quality and super secure but hopefully no more than £2k.

I like wooden doors, but they need more maintenance if exposed like yours. I expect you will be happier with a composite. I don't like plastic doors.

If you can get personal recommendations of an experienced local carpenter (not from an advertising website) he will know where to get doors from. Be sure to look at one or more of his recent doors and speak to the householder. Some door and window fitting companies have surprisingly high profit margins, as the public doesn't know what a door "ought" to cost.

We got a solidor composite supplied by a local company. From memory solidor have a door designer on their website where you can customise and play around with exactly what you want. I absolutely love ours and we have nice comments on it.

We need a new front door and I nearly had a coronary when I got the quote from a local firm. 2 grand!!!!

I'm trying not to freak out mainly because I've never bought a front door before and I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

We're in a victorian terrace and I wanted a traditional part-glazed timber front door to match with the period style.

I now have door anxiety.

I’ve just had an endurance composite door fitted after a recommended on here.
I love it.
Globe home improvements supplied and fitted it.
Great service and about 1.2k all in.

Do "composite" doors have a plastic finish?

@DeeplyMovingExperience

We need a new front door and I nearly had a coronary when I got the quote from a local firm. 2 grand!!!!

I'm trying not to freak out mainly because I've never bought a front door before and I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.

We're in a victorian terrace and I wanted a traditional part-glazed timber front door to match with the period style.

I now have door anxiety.

you need not pay that much.

Is it protected by at least an open porch?

There's no porch. Just the doorstep and the door.

Google bespoke doors if you are in the nottighamshire/Derbyshire area (although they may cover further). I had both front and back doors done on my victoriana terrace...fully composite, upgraded to the extra secure solid ones, high security locks, extra keys etc, glass panel about the front door, old doors taken away for disposal and was less than 2k for both doors. Cheapest I was quoted elsewhere was 2.5k just for the front door and the window above it.

Workmanship was excellent, I have had a couple of issues that they have sorted straight away, very good. They were recommended to me by a friend whose hubby is a police officer.

Shop around. I found a small firm who resold "return" composite doors. The door itself cost circa £200 / £300. Family member fitted it as a favour.

We got a local joiner to make and fit our front door. Our house is Victorian, but the front door is in an extension that was built in the 80s. So we weren’t really sure what style to go for.

In the end we went for a door like the one on the photo, which I think is a 1920s design. It’s so simple that it’s kind of timeless though, which is exactly what I wanted. Bearing in mind how often people change their front door (i.e. hardly ever!), I didn’t want any of the more modern styles as I think some of those will potentially date quite badly. Simple and classic seems like a safer bet to me.

@Crazzzycat

We got a local joiner to make and fit our front door. Our house is Victorian, but the front door is in an extension that was built in the 80s. So we weren’t really sure what style to go for.

In the end we went for a door like the one on the photo, which I think is a 1920s design. It’s so simple that it’s kind of timeless though, which is exactly what I wanted. Bearing in mind how often people change their front door (i.e. hardly ever!), I didn’t want any of the more modern styles as I think some of those will potentially date quite badly. Simple and classic seems like a safer bet to me.

I like that style. How much, roughly, did that cost? We need a glazed surround as well, annoyingly so that will add to the cost.

@SwedishEdith, we also had a new door frame put in, plus a side window. The total cost for all that, plus locks, getting the whole thing painted and fitted etc was £3k.

It’s not cheap, but I’m fairly certain that with the occasional repaint, it will look a lot better in a few decades time than the flimsy UPVC door it replaced.

I too am
Looking for a composite door without that shiny wood grain look. I want a flat black! Please let me know if you find any!

Hi, I wonder if someone can answer me a question.
I see lots of new front doors that have glazing to the side. Is it not a security risk to have glass where a burglar can smash the pane and open the door from the inside when not fully locked? Or it is some type of toughened glass?
The glass looks ideal as we need light to the area but am worried about security too.

2.3k for big double doors with arched glass over the top and half glazing. Wood. That included knobs. Letter box etc. And undercoat. We got someone in to paint it who did a lovely job.

Local joinery company.

@terminallysleepdeprived
I googled bespoke doors nottingham but just got loads of companies doing bespoke doors. Is that the actual company name?

www.thedoorsite.co.uk/

A word of warning. If your door is exposed to full sun, please, please ask advice before ‘falling in love’ with a coloured composite door. Some of them can fade quite badly in full sun. You should make it clear from the start that the door will be exposed to full sun and any decent company will point you to the colours you should select from.

Thanks for all the replies.

It never crossed my mind to use a joiner to make the door.

We only have a overhang of half a metre, so not a lot of weather protection.

@Newdonewhugh

I too am Looking for a composite door without that shiny wood grain look. I want a flat black! Please let me know if you find any!

Same here, we made the mistake of bundling the front door with the window negotiations. Received the door brochure and they all have fake wood grain effect. A couple of places online show smooth composite doors, otherwise we are looking at a few thousand more for aluminium.

@Iwantmychairback

A word of warning. If your door is exposed to full sun, please, please ask advice before ‘falling in love’ with a coloured composite door. Some of them can fade quite badly in full sun. You should make it clear from the start that the door will be exposed to full sun and any decent company will point you to the colours you should select from.

Mine is guaranteed not to fade and replaced for free if it does with 10 pr 15 years can't remember off hand which.