Internet Door Shops

When it comes to shopping for a new front door, there are more choices nowadays than ever before. As well as small businesses, where you can get a front door tailored to your needs, there are also warehouses and department stores which can provide standard styles and sizes for a lower cost. In addition to these on location businesses, there are now many online-only businesses, that can offer you the personalised service at a much lower cost. This range of choice gives you the advantage of being able to get the exact front door that you want, but if you are not sure what you are after, the choice can be confusing and overwhelming.

Buying a front door online can be less confusing if you have read the relevant information. By knowing what you need to know, you can make informed choices and sort what you need from what you don’t need. Many sales websites don’t include the information you need. The less information, the more wary you are likely to be. Third-party sites, such as blogs, guides and article sites, can provide comprehensive information to users and sometimes even compare different front door shops.

Checking online review sites for customer experiences is a must when you have narrowed down your choices. This can give you further information on the quality of the exact product being offered by a company, the reliability of the company themselves and the customer service provided. Often, when customers have a problem that is not resolved satisfactorily, the first port of call is to warn other users of the experience. For this reason, customer review sites can be one of the most reliable sources for unbiased reviews.

Related Links:

• Front Door Buying Guide
• Front Door Styles

Front Door Styles

Cottage Composite Doors

There are lots of different front doors available on the market today. The most attractive and customisable of these is wooden front doors. With these, you can have a specialist craftsperson make exactly the front door you desire, no matter what that is. You also have a free choice over wood species and paint or varnish colour. Unfortunately, most people could not afford to have a wooden front door made for them in this way. Instead, many people are limited to set ranges of doors, and most often, budget restrictions limit home owners to the more unattractive uPVC doors. These plastic doors come in a range of typical styles, which are all pretty much the same. Most commonly (and cheaply), the uPVC front door is available in white, although other colours and poor imitations of wood appearances are available for a higher cost. There is little room for uPVC doors to be personalised in any way.
The introduction of the modern composite doors has given those restricted by budget more options and freedom to choose what they want. These front doors also have the advantage of being a much closer imitation of wooden front doors, as the door surface is grained to both look and feel like wood. The range of options available with composite doors is extensive. Although mostly restricted by a range of styles and options, there are so many combinations to choose from it is unlikely not to find something you like. As well as the standard range of front door styles, there are also fancier options as well as stable doors and cottage doors. Stable doors are doors which are divided in the middle, allowing you to open the top half like a stable’s door. Cottage doors are suited to cottage properties, with a traditional panelled design that mimics wooden panel doors. This vast range of choice allows you to get the best front door for your property, without spending a small fortune.

Front doors and back doors

Many people ask the difference between external doors – front doors and back doors. The difference is in the design – most of the time you do not want a back door with features such as a door knocker or a letter box.

When buying a new door, you can have a limited choice when browsing ready made doors. Buying from a retailer that make doors from your specification gives you more choice, but can work out to be more expensive. Online companies, like composite door supplier the Composite Door Shop, offer the perfect solution. Here, you can design your door online, adding the features you want and removing those you don’t. With styles on offer which suit both front and back doors, you can choose exactly what you want. For back doors, you can choose a style with a large window. To protect your privacy, you can opt to have obscure glass – or if you prefer a perfect view, you can buy a door with clear glass. As well as standard front door handles, they offer a handle which functions as a standard back door – the door can be accessible without a key unless the deadbolt is locked. Because every door is made to order, you don’t end up paying more for getting exactly what you want.

Online door retailers like this one make ordering easy and hassle-free while giving you great value and peace of mind.

What are composite doors?

We all know what wooden doors and uPVC doors are. But how many of us know what a composite door is? I’m sure many of us could make a good guess, but how right would it be?

In the world of front doors, composite doors are very new. uPVC doors have been around for the last 25 years or so, and wooden doors have probably been around as long as the concept of front doors. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that nobody really knows much about them. uPVC doors have become somewhat of a standard to most homes, thanks to their cheap price tag and the fact they are easily available. Wooden doors still exist in many homes, but are seen as quite the luxury. Walking around the town I live in, I see about 2 wooden front doors to every 30 uPVC front doors. It is really quite amazing to see so many uPVC panel doors when they are such a big vulnerability to the security of a property. Is it that people are uninformed about the potential security risks, or do they just not see it as a priority?

Back on to the topic of the post, what actually are composite doors? To start with, I’d like to redirect you to an article on The Composite Door Shop – “What is a Composite Door?”
This article covers the basics of composite doors. As the name suggests, composite doors are made up from a variety of materials. This may not seem like a big deal to most – doors tend to be made up from different parts – wooden or uPVC panels, metal hardware, glazing.. However, each part of the door is made up from a different material where necessary. For example, using wood for the bulk of the door face can cause issues such as warping or bowing as the door is subjected to seasonal changes. This even happens with uPVC. The designers of composite doors have taken in to consideration this rather large and common problem and have found a solution – by using a plastic that has been reinforced with glass (aka GRP – Glass Reinforced Plastic), you can create a door that won’t buckle under seasonal heat changes.

There are many other improvements a GRP skin can provide, for example wooden doors need maintaining in the form of sanding and painting or treating with a stain to reduce the likelihood of rot occurring. uPVC doors don’t require the same maintenance, but to prolong the brightness of your front door it is advised you use a special cleaner. Even with the special cleaner, uPVC doors tend to go a horrible musty colour. The GRP skin can be effectively coloured and styled (most often, composite doors are given a wood grain skin that is very accurate), but does not need maintaining and will not fade or discolour. You don’t need any fancy cleaners – you can just grab a sponge from your cleaning cupboard and wash it down with water if it gets a bit dirty.

Front Doors for Homes

Front doors for homes come in many, many choices. For those wanting something perfect, bespoke doors are the best way to go. You can have your door made to suit your home. This eliminates the need for after-purchase alterations such as shaving off the top or bottom. Having the perfect fit door will improve your homes insulation and save you money on your heating bill. To keep your door the perfect fit, it is best to opt for composite doors, as wooden and upvc doors will react to seasonal temperature changes – warping or bending to cause gaps which allow draughts in and heat out.

There are many new front door designs to choose from. You can choose from standard designs to more intricate or even more minimalist designs. There really is a whole lot of choice on the market today. Of course it’s not all about looks. With doors providing access to your home and protecting your family and belongings, it is important to have a secure door that functions well. You may have other requirements which are more specific to your situation. Perhaps you need a low threshold, suitable for buggies and wheelchairs and also less of a risk to children and the elderly. Maybe you require extra security, such as a spy glass or laminated glass. Whatever you need, there is a door on the market to meet your expectations.