Introduction into composite doors

Are you searching for the perfect entryway that seamlessly blends aesthetics, security and durability and longevity? Look no further than a composite door then. In today’s fast paced world home-owners search for style and substance when looking for a new door for their home, to elevate their home, giving it a timeless look and feel!

So what actually is a composite door? 

A composite door is a door on the exterior of your home that is constructed using a combination of materials that maximise the strength, durability and aesthetics of the door.

The advantages of composite doors

The composite door has many benefits which can help to inject your home with style and personality, as well as helping you in the long run & saving you money. Some of the benefits of a composite door include: strength & durability, security features, its energy efficiency, low maintenance care, the different design and aesthetics choices, weather resistance & their environmental friendliness.

The science behind composite doors

The combination of different materials that make up the single unit of the door are what enhance the features of a composite door compared to other kinds of doors. There are a few key parts that are included in the science behind composite doors. These include:

Composite materials; wood, UPVC & GRP

The main materials used to make up a composite door to maximise its performance are wood, UPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride) and also GRP (glass-reinforced plastic). Each of these different materials bring different, unique qualities to the final composite door product, these qualities help to enhance the door for the following easons:

• Wood = providing a solid, sturdy centre that helps with the doors strength and stability, offering natural insulation properties.
• UPVC = upvc is a thermoplastic polymer which is known for durability, anti-moisture properties and the low care and maintenance needed to sustain the product. As well as weather resistant properties such as being unaffected by the rain and being unaffected by temperature changes.
• GRP = glass-reinforced plastic is also commonly known as fibreglass. It is used to coat the exterior of the composite door, adding an extra layer of protection and helping the door to be resistant to damage such as denting, scratching and UV exposure damage.

Bonding technology

Bonding technology is the key to the strength of composite doors. Bonding technology is used to integrate the materials together. High pressure methods are used to fuse the wood elements with the UPVC elements, to create the solid and sturdy structure of the door. This process ensures that the door can withstand and uphold heavy duty use.

Thermal Efficiency

Designed with thermal efficiency in mind, the wood's natural insulating properties combined with the insulating properties of UPVC and GRP all come together to create a door that helps minimise heat transfer in your home. Which means that less heat is escaping from your home in the colder months of the year and less heat enters your home in the warmer months of the year, ultimately contributing to a reduced energy consumption level in your home.

Weather resistance

Due to a combination of UPVC & GRP on the exterior of the door, it helps to create a protective shield on the door against harsh weather conditions, and ultimately protecting your door.

Core benefits of composite doors

Composite doors offer many core benefits, which makes them a highly popular choice for homeowners who are looking for a high-quality and reliable door for the front or back of their home that reflects the style and personality of the home and its owners.

Key core benefits for composite doors include:

• Strength & durability, the combination of materials fused together to create the composite door create an extremely strong door designed to withstand wear & tear and also resistance to warping,rotting or splitting that can be a common occurrence with just wooden doors.
• Enhanced security, the composite door was designed with security in mind. They are often found with multi-point locking systems, string hinges and reinforcement in the panels. This gives you as the homeowner peace of mind when having a composite door installed as knowing that your home is secure and safe is a top priority!
• Energy efficiency, these doors are highly efficient when it comes to energy efficiency as they are brilliant insulators due to the natural insulation of the wood and insulating properties built into the UPVC & GRP. Due to having the insulating properties built into the door it helps to reduce heat transfer, which can prevent drafts in the house and keep a comfortable inside to your home. This ultimately leads to energy savings by reducing heating in the winter as the insulating keeps more heat in and by keeping your home cooler in the summer by keeping heat out.
• Low maintenance, compared to other doors such as traditional wooden doors which require a lot of maintenance such as treatments and painting, composite doors do not need painting or varnishing and are relatively low maintenance. Composite doors are also resistant to damage such as scratching, denting and weather damage.
• Weather resistance, composite doors are designed to withstand different weather conditions such as heavy rain, strong wind and high UV exposure. The UPVC & GRP elements of the composite door give the door an extra outdoor barrier to protect the door and keep it looking good and working well. 
• Design & aesthetics, you can have a composite door in a wide range of different colours, designs, glass types and different accessories for the doors. This gives you as the homeowner the freedom and flexibility to choose something that is perfect for your home matching its style and personality.
• Noise reduction, because the composite door has multiple layers due to its fusion of materials meaning that not only does it help with energy efficiency and reducing heat transfer but it also helps to reduce noise coming into the house from the outside making your home more quieter with less outside noise.
• Environmental friendliness, some composite doors are made from recycled and reused materials making these doors a good environmentally friendly option, combined with their longer lifetime and energy saving features these points help to make for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Customising your composite door: A Guide

Step 1. Choosing the right design

There are many different door designs you can choose from, whether it’s a traditional style, cottage style, contemporary style, virtu-al, stable door style and french doors! All style designs are completely customisable with frames, colours, glass and hardware.

Step 2. Choosing the frame

When having a composite door installed you also get to choose the new frame it sits in. you can match your new door frame to any window frames you have by choosing either a UPVC door frame or an aluminium frame.

Step 3. Selecting the perfect colour

There are many colours you can choose from for your door to get the perfect one for you! For composite doors we offer 7 standard colours, 14 superior colours and any RAL colou, which can be personalised to your taste.

Step 4. Choosing your glass

The glass selection you can choose from includes bevelled glass, leaded, frosted or just plain glass in different patterns and options such as stained glass.

Step 5. Accessorising your door

You can choose from a whole range of different handles, letterplates and door knockers in six different finishes, from an ultra-modern contemporary look to a traditional style.

Composite doors vs other doors

Composite door vs wooden door

There are differences between the composite door and the wooden door ranging from its durability to the costing of them. 

• Durability. Composite doors are more durable than plain odeon doors because they are less prone to damage such as warping, rotting and splitting which can happen especially in extreme or harsh weather conditions such as UV exposure and heavy rain.
• Security. Composite doors are also usually more secure as they are built with a  reinforced structure and multi-point locking systems. Wooden doors can still be as secure as a composite door but additional measures may need to be taken to match the security levels of the composite door.
• Energy efficiency. Composite doors are more energy efficient because of their combination of materials that provide better insulation than the materials of wooden doors.
• Design & aesthetics. Both composite doors and wooden doors offer a wide range of design and personalisation options and finishes, however wooden doors can be favoured by homeowners for their natural finishes and timeless look, however composite doors can be designed to mimic wooden doors by adding a wood grain effect on them.
• Maintenance and care. Composite doors require very minimal maintenance compared to wooden doors. Where wooden doors need treatments and varnishing as well as higher upkeep, composite doors do not need anywhere near as much maintenance, other than a fairly regular clean with mild soap and water or other non abrasive cleaners.
• Costing. There is a difference in pricing when it comes to composite doors and wooden doors. For an average price of a composite door you are looking at a price point with installation of around £2,500 +VAT and for a wooden door the average price point of a wooden door with installation is around £1,500-£2,000 +VAT. However when taken into consideration the longer life-span, low maintenance and energy efficiency these features can all offset the initial upfront cost over time to equal out.

Composite door vs UPVC door

Just like composite doors vs wooden doors there are differences between them ranging from its security to the maintenance of them.

• Durability. Composite doors are also more typically more durable than UPVC as they have a solid wood core and a GRP exterior compared to a UPVC door. 
• Security. Composite doors can also be more secure than UPVC doors due to their sturdier construction and multi-point locking systems.
• Energy efficiency. Both composite doors and UPVC doors are on an even level when it comes to the energy efficiency of these two types of door. They both hold the same heat transfer reducing properties and insulating properties.
• Design & aesthetics. There are many design options and different ways that you can have your composite or UPVC door. They both have a wide selection of designs to choose from or you can create your own style. Composite doors can sometimes be seen to look more premium compared to the UPVC door. This is because composite doors can mimic the look of wood grain whereas UPVC windows can’t.
• Maintenance and care. Composite doors require even less maintenance than the already low maintenance UPVC door. This is because composite doors are less prone to scratching, fading and denting compared to the UPVC door.
• Costing. Composite doors again are the more expensive option out of the two because they do offer some additional features like higher durability and more design options such as the wood grain effect as well as being more secure with the multi-point locking system. On average as mentioned a composite door with installation will cost you around £2,500 +VAT and a UPVC door with installation will cost you around £1,200 +VAT.

Installation of composite doors

The average installation time for a  composite door is usually one day. During the installation a team will come to your home, take out your old exterior door, level up the door space and seal it, once level the team will add fixings into your door to ensure it is level before adding in your brand new front door.

Maintenance and care of comp doors

For the upkeep of composite doors it is recommended that you do regular cleaning, with a soft cloth or sponge and mild soapy water (AVOID using harsh or abrasive cleaning agents as it can damage the door). You should also AVOID high pressure washing, it can force water into joints and or seals of the door and cause damage. You should also clean and lubricate hinges to ensure smooth running and operation.

Extra security with Ultion locks

Ultion locks are a great way to keep your home that extra bit secure. On the inside of every Ultion 3 * and 3* PLUS door locks there is an extra hidden lock, which gives your doors and your home another extra layer of protection and security against intruders. Ultion locks also have a lock down feature which due to the hidden lock, there is a retaining pin and the lock down lock is triggered when signs of forced entry are detected to the door which means that even in the attempt of a break in you, your home and your family are all safe.

Conclusion: why composite doors are the right choice for your home?

All of the points mentioned above in this article are great reasons as to why you should highly consider getting a composite door if you are in the market for a new door. Finally to finish off a few additional points in favour of composite doors include:

• Their environmental friendliness
• Their sustainability 
• They increase the value of your home and curb appeal.