Wooden vs uPVC door dilemma!

[Simon]

Hi,

We live in an Edwardian semi about 100yds from the sea (plenty of wind, salt, etc..). The front door is currently a very old aluminium double glazed door with 2 main glass panels (an somewhat un-attractive yellow) that is continuously cold to the touch - and very very ugly. We have just replaced the double glazing (uPVC) and now want to tackle the front door.

I cannot decide between wooden or uPVC door: Wooden doors are far more attractive, good range of doors (new or salvage) to choose from, can be repainted on a whim, accept different door furniture easily, uPVC doors are generally white only, limited range, have a high threshold, are draughtproof, never need maintenance.

Which is the most secure? I have read enough posts here to know that this answer is a heated topic of discussion.

A chippie who lives next door says he would not put in a wooden door (turning down potential business!) because of where we live.

Any suggestions?

TIA,

Simon.

[oldmolly]

If you have put in upvc windows, do the same with your door. For the sae reasons you did the windows will apply to the door. Having white upvc windows, and a coloured front door looks odd to me.

[John]

Are there any UPVC doors that don't have the high threshold? It puts me off. It is a trip hazard and the rubber seal gets damaged. Surely there is an alternative design

[John Laird]

Good point. How do these square with the increasing regulations on disabled access ?

[Lee Blaver]

B&Q have low threshold frames available (at extra cost), in their "fitted" range. So others must also offer it...

Lee

[dg]

You could knock a course of bricks off and sink the cill into the floor

dg

[dg]

Plastic doors are crap. They look awful and the threshold is a pain.

Put in a proper HW door and frame, and if security is a problem, then you can fit a multipoint lock to the door and rebate a steel strip into the closing jamb of the frame (prevents it spliting if forced).

Statisticly, most break ins are not via the front door, and unless a glazed or ply panelled door, the weakest point is the frame.

You can get composite doors that are the same as normal doors, but faced with PVCu plastic. These are best of both worlds

dg

[Brian S Gray]

You can get UPVc doors with a low threshold but they are not recommended in windy situations. You do not have to have a gloss white UPVc door. I quite like the woodgrain white finish provided by Rock Doors which we have used at the back of our house (with a low threshold).

[Andrew Gabriel]

You would have a problem with the bottom of the door being below floor level...

[dg]

No. The bottom of the door stays at floor level - it is the cill and threshold section of the door frame that are below floor level.

This arrangement is vey useful for patio doors.

dg

[bob]

There is no such thing as a uPVC door, they are windows with a low sill and a letterbox. Stick to wood, although with what they cost you wouldent think that they grow on trees!. B