When looking for a front door the main requirements we ask for are durability, security, economy and aesthetics. Also, as awareness towards environmental and energy saving issues increases, energy efficiency is becoming another important condition to consider when choosing the closure elements for our homes. And it has been proven that the type of doors that are best fulfilling all those requirements are composite doors.

These doors are most often made out of a hardwood subframe that contains the composite material, high density polyurethane foam that forms a solid core, which is very hard. It is this hard core that gives this type of doors the resistance they are known for. The standard composite slab is more than 40mm thick and weighs around 75kg, which makes it really difficult to break through and gives it the sturdy feel that real wooden doors have. Also, thanks to the high density of the filling material, upon installation these doors offer a very good acoustic isolation and heat losses are dramatically reduced. They are not only a very secure door option, but also compliant with legally required U-values, offering great energy efficiency.

The faces give an aesthetic finish and weather protection to the composite slabs. They generally are 3mm aluminium, UPVC or glass reinforced plastic skins. The most popular and most resilient ones are the glass reinforced plastic skins. These types of faces feature an appearance as close as it gets to authentic timber in which you can even feel the wood grain, but unlike real timber doors need almost no maintenance. There’s no need to sand or repaint them and, as the colour is applied during manufacture, it runs through the skin, so the paint will never crack or flake, and can’t be seriously damaged or scratched. Also, the colours are not known to discolour or fade if exposed to direct sunlight. So they can look and feel like a proper wood door but they are much better in front of weathering and aging. The glass reinforced plastic skins offer, as well, great resistance towards warping, bowing, twisting and denting. The aesthetic options these skins provide are endless, featuring all kinds of styles, looks and colours, which makes a good marketing and selling point.

The materials involved in the manufacturing of are plastics that are made of non-toxic materials. This and their energy efficiency make them a very environmentally friendly solution for our front door. The high performance standards, resistance and aesthetic features of this type of doors would make you think that they are very expensive. But the truth is that composite doors are in the price range of both UPVC and wooden doors, offering much better features for all the requirements above discussed. For the same price they are more secure and harder to break in through, more energy efficient and better looking. Besides, they are sold generally with a comprehensive ten years guarantee. The manufacturers clearly trust the durable materials and high quality standards they work with to offer the best features in the market at competitive prices, so every household can afford the safety and efficiency that a composite door can offer.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Plastic Fantastic, specialists in Composite Doors.

Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Plastic Fantastic (http://www.plasticfantastic.uk.com), specialists in Composite Doors.

Author Bio: Clair O\’Hara is writing on behalf of Plastic Fantastic, specialists in Composite Doors.

Category: Advice
Keywords: composite doors, rockdoor composite doors