How to Choose a New Front Door

Part Two - Location

In the second part of this front door buying guide, I'm going to talk about the importance of considering the location of your door.
The location of your door includes several important factors:

• Appearance - does your new front door suit the style of your home? Does it fit in with your other doors and windows? Is there a colour scheme to consider?


• Climate - is your door exposed to strong daylight for most of the day? Is it near the coast? Does it bear the brunt of all weather conditions?


• Security - is your entrance hidden away or your home in a secluded area, where it may be easier for burglars to work on it unnoticed? Is your home in a high crime area?

From this list, you can see that the location of your front door plays several important roles in choosing the right door for your situation.

Front Door Appearance

If you have a period property, you don't want to install a modern uPVC front door. Not only would it look unattractive and out-of-place, but no doubt it would reduce the overall value of your home. If your budget does not allow for a real wooden door, why not consider a door with a wood grain appearance, such as a composite door? Composite doors have a smart appearance that is not tacky like uPVC, but not expensive like wood.

For modern homes with uPVC windows, you can easily buy a uPVC door for cheap to match. uPVC doors may not suit your every need though, in which case you can buy composite doors with uPVC door frames, so that the door does not look out of place in your property.

Front Door Climate

Harsh climates really limit your options when it comes to buying a new front door. Entrances that are exposed to strong sunlight, heavy rain or blowing winds require a front door which can take the weather and last. You do not want to buy a door and find that five years of weathering has taken its toll and you need to replace the door again. Especially in coastal areas, where the usual weathering is mixed in with the abrasive sea salt, you should avoid wooden doors. Unless you wish to sand and paint your door on a regular basis and don't mind rot setting in much earlier than it should. Although the surface of uPVC doors may fair better than wood, the flimsy construction can allow draughts and leaks in easily.

For the best protection against harsh elements, composite doors are incredibly tough and durable - the skin will not require maintenance or lose its shine and the door will not allow draughts and leaks into your home.

Front Door Security

Living in a secluded area, or having an entrance which is not in view of the world can make you feel vulnerable. It allows burglars the cover to work on your front door without being spotted. Installing security lights can help to protect you when you are home, alerting you of potential intruders, but what about when you're out? Security lights would only provide more light for the potential attacker to work with.
Even if your home and entrance is in full view of the street, your entrance remains a vulnerability. Some doors, such as uPVC doors, have obvious weaknesses which can be seen by attackers with experience. These weaknesses can be taken advantage of very quickly by those who know how.

With both of these situations in mind, you really should choose a high security front door. If you're in the UK, buying a Secured by Design door gives you the assurance that your door has the best security possible.

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How to Choose a New Front Door | Part One - Why Plan Your New Front Door?

Front Door Glass

We've talked about Front Door Designs, I think it's time we talked about new front doors and glass options.

When buying a composite door, there are many options for you to choose from. Designs, colours, hardware, accessories, thresholds, side panels.. You really can create your perfect door, rather than just going to a diy department store and buying a generic door that may or may not meet your every need.

Once you've chosen the important options of your new front door, you can start thinking about the appearance. Composite doors come in seven different colours and each style has a number of glass designs.

For modern and minimalist front doors, you can choose Zinc abstract art designs to add character to your property.
People who prefer more everyday front door design may prefer the diamond range. These feature diamonds in a colour of your choice, from blue, green, red or 'diamond'.
The Harmony range adds style and elegance to your new front door. Again, you can choose the border colour you like from green, blue, red or 'frost'.
Those who prefer individualism when it comes to the style and appearance of their front door can choose from the unique Murano range.
There's also a selection of other glasses to use in your composite door. Several different styles are available which feature roses and floral designs.

Front door glasses come with additional options - they can be backed with obscure glass to protect your privacy (again, there are a number of designs to choose your favourite style and preferred level of privacy) and for the security-conscious, the option of laminated glass to protect your house and family.

Front Door Security - Secured by Design

If you live in the UK, you can be assured that when you buy a product endorsed by the Secured by Design scheme, you are getting a high quality security product.

Secured by Design is an initiative set up by the UK Police. Its aim is to phase out security flaws within products, by subjecting them to more severe tests than standard security tests. If a product passes these intense tests, it is approved as being Secured by Design.

Many products don't make it through the vigorous tests, but composite doors are one of the few front doors to pass with flying colours.

http://www.SecuredByDesign.com

New Front Door Security

Being a key access point to your home, it is important to have the right level of security for your front door. Not only vital to protect your possessions and family, the best security also helps to lower the cost of your home contents insurance.

It can be a bit of a mindfield, assessing the security risks of your home and finding solutions. Luckily, when it comes to front door security, the Front Door Blog has written some informative guides to help consumers make informed choices.

New Front Door Security Guides

Front Door Security #1 - The Front Door
Front Door Security #2 - Hinges
Front Door Security #3 - Glass & Glazing

There are currently only three guides in the series, but readers are promised that there will be more in future.

If you're buying a new front door, there has been an increase of informative blogs and articles recently, which help you to be less baffled by the terms of sales people and make the choices which suit you.

Front Doors & Design

Last post, I talked about the different front door styles. This post covers the composite door designs on offer.

Composite doors come in seven different designs. Some of these designs have different glazing options - ranging from one glass panel to several glass panels. Overall, there are fourteen different doors you can choose from.

The Westminster Composite Door

A classic design that features six panels. It comes in 3 options - unglazed, 2 glazed panels or 4 glazed panels. For those who like their privacy but want to allow light into their entrance hall, the 2 glazed panel design is perfect, allowing light to filter through two small windows in the top of the door without allowing visitors to easily see inside.

The Kensignton Composite Door

A simple, smart design, featuring the standard four panels. Available without glazing or with the top two panels glazed. Suited to most doorways, this design is a firm favourite.

The Chigwell Composite Door

Very similar to the Kensington door, but with slightly more stylised upper panels. Only available in one option, with two glazed upper panels.

The Dalston Composite Door

Another variation on the Kensington, but with two arched upper panels. Again, only available in one option with two glazed panels.

The Mayfair Composite Door

A very fine and attractive design, the Mayfair features a wheel window at the top of the door. This design is available in 3 glazing options - the first with a panelled wheel, the second with a plain 1 panel wheel and the last a plain 1 panel wheel with two glazed panels.

The Trafalgar Composite Door

This door makes a brilliant back door. Available in two options, both featuring one large rectangular window.

The Finsbury Composite Door

For those who have a dark hallway, the Finsbury is an excellent choice. With the choice of one large arched window or a panelled window, you can ensure the light passes into your home.

Each glazed design comes with a number of glass designs to suit your tastes. If you're worried about privacy, there's a large range of obscure backing glasses to protect your interior from prying eyes.


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What is a Composite Door?
New Front Door Style

New Front Door Appearance

There are many different styles and colours of new front doors. Choosing can be easy if you take in to consideration the overall style of your home. Modern doors come in a range of designs which range from classic and traditional to more modern designs. Simple or extravagent, you are likely to easily find something which suits you.

When you have chosen the overall design of your door, it is time to think about the other aesthetic options. Composite doors come in seven external colours. No matter what colour the outside, the inside is white so that your hallway will always be light and airy. This means you can happily choose a darker colour, such as black or dark wood, and you will not have to worry about the interior being too gloomy or not matching your colour scheme. Although the doors are made from a GRP skin, they do not look plasticy. They have been finished with an attractive, deep woodgrain appearance. Because of the composite materials used, the door doesn't need to be sanded or painted again. UV protection and a high resistance to any cosmetic damage will keep the door looking bright and fresh.

If you choose a composite door with glazing, you will have to decide on a window design. Again, there are many choices over a range of different styles. There are colourful designs and more subtle, elegant designs. People who choose front doors with large windows often worry about their privacy. With composite doors this is not a problem. There are obscure glasses with different levels of privacy which back the glass, allowing you to have the external design of your choice AND the privacy.

Not only do you get to choose the main customisations of your door, but you also get to select the finer details. Select the door hardware that suits your needs and then match the finish of that hardware to your already chosen door style.

By the time you have finished, you will have created your perfect door, unique to your tastes and home.

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Front Door Checklist