Composite Door Shop Blog

The front door of your house is more often than not the first impression anyone has of your house. Friends, family, strangers, potential attackers.. They will all have judgements based on that first impression. So what does your front door say about you?

Does your door suit your property? Sometimes, especially when there is an accident or an old front door suddenly ceases function completely, front doors are replaced in a hurry. If there isn’t money set aside for the purpose, often the replacement front door is the cheapest available, regardless of whether it suits the building or not.

What is your current front door made of? Wood is ultimately the most attractive of front doors, but it is not used as often as uPVC due to the cost and high level of maintenance required. Most properties, especially new builds, have uPVC front doors. Many uPVC doors are poorly designed, cheap and flimsy looking.

How old is your front door? If your door is only a few years old, you may be lucky enough that it still looks new. However, many front doors age quickly, especially when not maintained. Formerly white uPVC doors discolour to a cigarette-stained yellow colour, while wooden doors slowly lose their shine and paint begins to chip off.

Most importantly – what does your front door say about the security of your house?

Professional criminals will know even the most subtle details to look for – the right kind of lock, the right kind of door, the right kind of glazing that makes breaking in easier. However, you don’t need to be a professional to spot an easy target. uPVC front doors have flimsy panels that can be kicked out easily. Old wooden doors with rot showing can easily be split with force in the right place.
It is important to have a high security front door if your house is vulnerable – either from containing valuable assets, or from being in an area of high threat.

If your front door isn’t up to scratch, buy a replacement front door and transform the look of your home. Composite doors offer the best of everything – long-lasting, attractive, high security, very functional and affordable.

Obscure glass is a patterned glass that offers privacy without completely blocking light or visuals. At the Composite Door Shop, you can order a front door with glazing (either clear or with a design) with an obscure glass backing. This means the outer side of the double glazing is either flat, clear glass or your chosen design, while the interior pane of glazing contains the obscure pattern.

Why choose a composite door with obscure glass?

Some people choose a composite door with obscure glass purely for design purposes. Obscure glass comes in many different options – not only offering different styles of pattern, but offering different levels of privacy. The patterns are designed to be aesthetic and many people prefer the patterned glass to the appearance of plain or coloured design glass.

Other people choose a front door with obscure glass purely as a security measure. The obscure glass stops people from being able to peek through the glass and see what objects are inside your house, helping to prevent crime. The privacy offered by obscure glass can also make people feel more comfortable – if your front door looks in on your living area and you do not want to put a curtain over the door, obscure glass can help you feel less exposed.

Obscure glass is rated from 1 to 5. These ratings depict the level of obscuration offered by the pattern. Glass with an obscurity level of 1 are the least obscure – objects seen through the glass can be depicted but the outlines are blurred. Glass with an obscurity level of 5 offers the most privacy – objects seen through the glass are very blurred.
Of course the level of detail seen through the obscure glass also depends on the light levels and the distance of the object. Objects close to the glass will have clearer details than those far away.

Whatever your preference, the Composite Door Shop offers a range of 18 textured obscure backing glass.

Composite doors set the standard for the rest of the door industry, so it is worth learning a few facts about composite doors.

As a relatively new product, there are a couple of misconceptions around composite front doors, the first one being the name. The word ‘composite’ refers to the varied materials that make up the front door and many people still spell this word incorrectly.

Common misspellings of the ‘composite’ keywords when searching for composite front doors include:

• compasit doors
• compasite doors
• composit doors
• compersit doors
• compersite doors
• compisit doors

Incorrectly spelling the keywords when searching for a new front door can cause many problems; the search results will be filled with websites with spelling errors, which can be a strong indicator of an unprofessional supplier.

The second common composite door misconception is that all composite doors are made from the same materials. There are actually a few different materials that can make up a composite door, all of which result in a strong, secure door that is more resistant to weather and constant use than wooden or uPVC doors, whilst maintaining the attractive appearance of a wooden door. However, as with any product, there are varying degrees of quality and price.

The Composite Door Shop supply only the highest quality composite doors. These are made using a fibre glass skin that is incredibly strong and long-lasting. Cheap composite doors tend to be made using a uPVC skin. These uPVC composite doors can still be better than non-composite doors, but they are not quite as attractive, strong or long-lasting as fibreglass doors.
The Composite Door Shop fibre glass doors are filled with a special thermally insulating polyurthane foam, which is injected into the core of the door. This ensures there are no draughty spots and that the composite door offers the very best in thermal insulation. Cheaper composite doors are filled with polystyrene, which works well, but can have its disadvantages. Good thermal insulation of your front door saves you money on heating bills and makes your house more eco friendly.

If you are looking to buy a composite front door, The Composite Door Shop supply and fit composite front doors all over mainland UK.

Are you thinking of buying a new front door but haven’t quite made up your mind yet? Choosing a new front door is a big purchase and, because front doors are a highly exposed area of your house, it can be difficult to know what to go for if you do decide to invest in one.

There are several pros and cons to think about when considering investing in a new front door:

Pros of buying a new front door

Improved security
If your current front door has no security features it may worth upgrading ASAP. All Composite Door Shop front doors have security options including spyholes, chains and locks, giving your home the best chance against crime and burglary.

Greater kerb appeal
If you are thinking of selling your house it’s worthwhile taking time to considering what changes can make a big big impression on a potential buyer. A front door is one of the first things to make an impression and it’s important to get it right if you are planning on selling your house in a

Longer lasting front door
If your existing front door is looking a little old and tatty, don’t be surprised. Many front doors built before the last few years have not been built to last. However, modern composite front doors are built of quality materials that are better designed to withstand weather and use over time. Invest in a new front door from the Composite Door Shop and you will be buying a product that look good and perform well many years down the line.

Cons of buying a new front door

Expense
There is no sense in buying a cheap front door as the materials used will not withstand use and will begin to look old quite quickly. You might need to save up to buy a new front door, however the investment is usually worth it for the benefits of a new front door to your home and security.

Trouble finding the right door for you
Choosing the right front door can be the trickiest part of buying a new front door, so why not design your own? At the Composite Door Shop we have an online door designer where you can choose from many different styles and hardware options to make getting the perfect front door for you easier than ever.