What are the different types of Composite doors & how much do they cost?

All you need to know about buying a composite door.

A Modern composite door can be considered as the next “step up” from the very popular UPVC Door. Offering superb styling and visuals, matched with outstanding energy efficiency, security and longevity, buying an exterior composite door is something you are unlikely to regret.

In this article, we look at subjects such as:

• What are the Pros & Cons of composite doors?
• What are the different types of Composite doors?
• How Much does a Composite door Cost?

To give you a starting point, if you are looking for a cheap front door, this design is not really a low budget item. The average price for a composite front door, if you want it fully installed, will be in the region of £800 to £1,100.

What are the Pros & Cons of composite doors?

10 reasons to choose a composite door.

1. Choice of design: In terms of appearance, function and finishes there are hundreds of different combinations to suit any home or taste.
2. Visual appearance: From superb textured “timber grain” surfaces to high gloss, these doors look great.
3. Colour Choice: Apart from the usual range of 20 or more, with RAL coatings you can have almost any colour you like – how about Primrose Yellow or Light Violet?
4. Tough: The GRP outer skin is very resistant to “wear & tear” and can take the roughest of treatment.
5. Fire resistant: Composite doors can be installed to match FD30 / FD30s UK regulations (the ‘S’ signifies the door has smoke seals).
6. Security: These designs are just some of the most secure house doors in the market, many offering Secured by Design Accreditation (http://www.securedbydesign.com/).
7. Energy efficiency: With some composite front doors having up to A++ ratings, you can rely on them to be very energy efficient.
8. Life span: With minor servicing and a little TLC, you can expect a good quality composite door to last well over 25 years.
9. Easy to look after: Just keep your doors clean and lubricate the moving parts once or twice a year.
10. Versatility: Front, back, patio, bifold you name it, you can find a composite door design to suit.

As you can see from the list, there are many advantages to composite doors, but are there any drawbacks?

The only measurable drawback in the “Pros & Cons” list is related to composite door cost. You will find that the average composite door cost is more than that of an equivalent UPVC door. However, it is lower priced than aluminium and around the same cost as something like a top class Oak or Mahogany door.

A minor point to note, is that composite doors are quite thick at 44mm to 48mm. This means that, if you are thinking of just putting a new door into an existing frame that held a 28mm thick door, you will have to make a lot of adjustments on the frame or probably better to replace that at the same time.

What is the difference between uPVC & Composite Front & Back doors?

Composite Door Internal Core

Some of the front & back door designs have a completely different appearance due to the way that they are made.

For example, a UPVC front door is made from an outer sub-frame into which the main door panels fit. With a composite door, it is made as a single “slab”. This can sometimes have the effect of making a UPVC door look narrower.

In terms of surface finish, moulded wood-grain effect GRP composites give a much more detailed surface than a foiled UPVC surface. The foiled colour for uPVC doors is only a surface veneer, for GRP composite (not RAL spray paint) the GRP itself is coloured, hence the colour goes all the way through.

Whilst both front & back door designs can feature solid foam insulated cores, composite doors can also feature LVL engineered timber cores, with cross grain laminated wood that gives greater lateral strength and stiffness.

Typical Standards for composite doors:

• BS 6375: Strength | Weather-proofing | Reliability
• PAS 24:2012: A “PAS 24 compliant” (security standards).
• CE Mark: Mandatory since 2013 | Water tight | Wind Load | Thermal | Impact resistance | Draught proof | Fit for Purpose

What are the different types of Composite doors?

Stable Door Composite Oak

You can find designs to suit almost any purpose. In other words, if you need an external door, there is a composite design to do the job.

1. Front Door & Back Door: A huge range of types from rustic to ultra-modern.
2. Composite French Door: From slimline white full length glass to classically styled designs.
3. Composite Cottage & Stable Doors: Give your home a county or rustic look with these designs.
4. Patio Doors: Inline sliding, tilting or even “sliding French patio doors”.
5. Bifold Doors: Panoramic views from these amazing patio doors.

Each design has the full range of colours available, including glossy, wood grain effect and duo-colour (different colour inside & out).

How Much does a Composite Door Cost?

Composite doors do not have the lowest prices, but they do represent an excellent investment that gives real value for money. In our humble opinion, just the look of a top quality wood-grain composite door is worth the price, even without taking into account all the other benefits.

Here is a price guide for a selection of popular composite door types.

Pricing Factors

There is quite an amount or personalisation or customisation that you can do. From choosing the colour & finish to handles, locks, cill heights, threshold height, glass type and glazing.

All of these customisations will modify the final price, some more than others. So bear in mind that your “headline price” may well not be the same as the final price.

We recommend that you gather at least 3 or 4 quotations from both local and National installers to get the best idea of market pricing. We can arrange for fully accredited installers to provide those quotes to you for free – pop over to our quote request form and send us a few details and we’ll get onto it right away.