There comes a time for every homeowner when they need to replace the windows and doors on their property.
When it comes to your front door, there are actually a surprising amount of options available to you. We’re going to answer the composite door vs uPVC door debate in this article.
While wooden doors have a vintage charm to them, increasingly homeowners are opting for more modern materials such as uPVC, or a combination of materials, known as ‘composite’ doors.
If you’re wondering which option is best, here are a few key pointers.
uPVC
You may recognise the name of the material uPVC from a number of other products that are also made from this robust material.
Guttering, window frames and conservatories are now being made from this type of plastic, namely because of its cheapness and resilience.
uPVC front doors are your most common plastic, affordable styles, but they do have a number of benefits:
- Fire safety: Plastics are much harder to ignite than traditional wood, making it less of a fire hazard.
- Lack of corrosion: If your property is along the seafront, it won’t corrode away like aluminium.
- Insulation: Plastics are a poor conductor of heat, which means they are ideal for keeping the cold weather outside.
- Affordability: uPVC is one of the easiest to manufacture products, and so you can expect to pay a lot less for it.
Composite doors
Composite doors are one of the most modern ways of creating front doors for contemporary and old homes alike. As the name suggests, they’re made from a mixture of materials, to make them more robust and long-wearing.
They will often be made from a mixture of GRP Plastic, uPVC, Wood and glass; although what is defined as ‘composite’ differs depending on the manufacturer.
Many composite doors are filled with a synthetic foam to trap heat, while more pricey versions will be filled with a sealed hardwood, which also acts as a very effective insulator. There are countless benefits of composite materials, but here are just a few:
- Insulation: Composite doors are even more effective at keeping your home insulated than uPVC equivalents. You won’t have to worry about using fiddly measures such as installing a brush in your letterbox or covering your keyhole. You can rely on the knowledge that the robust materials used to create it and the foam insulation will keep the cold out.
- Security: Composite doors are incredibly robust, far more so than any other single material. Breaking and entering through a composite door would be quite the challenge.
- Fire safety: Composite doors are made from modern, non-flammable, and so they act as a dense barrier against flames in the event of a fire.
In terms of all-round effectiveness, composite doors are the winner. uPVC doors are certainly affordable, but in modern homes, composite doors are making an increased appearance and for good reasons.
They keep homes warm and toasty in the colder months and give owners that peace of mind that their home is safe from a forced break-in through the front door.