I'm considering the options for a new front door. I quite like the look of the steel faced ones made by Ian Firth.
Anybody got any comments on steel doors in general, or Ian Firth products specifically?
Any tips on painting them - I read somewhere that dark colours are a no-no if they are in direct sunlight as they get very hot and cause paint to bubble?
Any help gratefully received,
Matt
steel faced ones made by Ian Firth.
they are in direct sunlight as they get very hot and cause paint to bubble?
Are you growing something you shouldn't be growing? :-)
In article , snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com writes
Unless you have a specific security problem I can't see the attraction, they are unsightly and seem overpriced for what they offer. For an at risk property I have hardened a solid cored 1hr fire door with full length steel plates inside and out on both the hinge and lock sides, and I would be happy to put that up against many of the mainstream steel faced offerings. The benefit of having a door that is predominantly wood is that it looks more 'normal' and doesn't imply, to the outside world, that you have a security problem (or that you are dealing drugs).
Suggested as a 100quid DIY alternative to a 500quid+ mainstream solution.
I'd never heard of them before, but I was curious enough to have a look:
They look bad at all to me, and they don't scream "drug dealer". Or are those photos very flattering?
Cars are made of steel and the paint on those doesn't usually bubble in the sun. ;-)
Although cars tend not to be painted in Dulux gloss ...
Although cars tend not to be painted in Dulux gloss ...
Back in the last 60s, my dad painted his Standard 10 under a railway arch (In case it rained) in blue using a 4" brush and a ½" for "Touching in" ..... Woolworths Gloss. Weren't a bad job either
Nope - not dealing!! I'm not buying it for security purposes but because I like the look of the 'cottage Windermere' model
Maybe this is the kiss of death but Barratt homes use the exact same products (calm down - think before you reply!!).
I just want to know if they're any good and if painting is a problem.
Cheers,
Matt
On Tuesday 26 March 2013 00:48 Martin Pentreath wrote in uk.d-i-y:
A mate painted his car in black gloss, with a brush - as a joke (old banger).
Then painted Snoopy on the side in "sleeping on kennel" pose.
That did not bubble up either. Looked very good, especially considering the method!
f the steel faced ones made by Ian Firth.
specifically?
o if they are in direct sunlight as they get very hot and cause paint to bu bble?
They are a lot more secure. However you also need the frame, fixings and lock/bolts to be stronger too.
I did see one a while back that had five locking points distributed around the door.
Also the windows/other entry points/backdoor.
You have to examine the whole house, not just the door in isolation.
The man who used to live across the road used to paint all his cars with gloss and a roller. Did a nice job too.
My BIL got hold of a DAF Variomatic that had been emulsioned bright pink. We used a HPC on 'steam stage' to get it back to green :-)
like the look of the 'cottage Windermere' model
(calm down - think before you reply!!).
Have to say, I wanted to know how much they are? I find sites that say to contact them and, so far as I could see, give no idea of cost ranges, are annoying. (I only looked briefly.)
Just phoned them - £376 ex VAT for standard sizes including locks and han dles.
However, they DON'T deliver - you have to go to Dewsbury to collect! Not mu ch kop when you live in the Cotswolds!
Just phoned them - £376 ex VAT including handles and locks. However they DON'T deliver - have to go to Dewsbury to collect!
Not much kop when you live in the Cotswolds!
Thanks for the link.
Looks are fine but they seem a bit vague on the details like what kind of locks are on offer. The pics suggest euro cylinder locking (multipoint?) but no details. If it's just a bog standard multilock then security would be no better than a uPVC door, eminently jemmyable. Also, it's foam rather than solid cored which is fine for insulation but less resistant to distortion under a force or levering attack. No mention of solid wood coring at lock or hinge points which would enhance security.
In short, they may be fine but the lack of detailed information makes it impossible to say one way or the other.
steel faced ones made by Ian Firth.
they are in direct sunlight as they get very hot and cause paint to bubble?
My daughter's new house has a steel door. We were unaware it was steel until we tried to drill a small hole for the placement of a number. The drill went nowhere so my son in law decided to hammer a small nail in to start it off, now the door has a lovely dent in partly covered by the number. ( even when he changed the bit and made a hole the screw wouldn't hold and eventually the number was glued on )
OK - thanks for all of the comments thus far.
Just out of interest, what would folks recommend front door-wise for an 1860s town house built of Cotswold stone?
Something close to original?
There's not much point having a bullet proof front door unless all the other possible entry points to the house are as secure. Which would be like living in a prison.
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