New Front Door

[Richard Slater]

Well, we need a new front door (uPVC), the current one is missing part of the lock strip and is generally playing up when opening and closing (not good for the primary way in and out of my house).

We have had one guy round who quoted us £579 which is uPVC, Pilkington Glass, Neoprene Glazing Gasket, Argon Gas Filled double glazing, Vectis Locking System, 10 Year Guarantee.

Seems a little more money than I expected, however wasn't totally out of the ball park. Has anyone else got any experience of replacing uPVC front doors?

We have someone else coming round tomorrow morning, then someone else on Sunday afternoon hoping to have three comparable quotes by the end of the week.

[Piggymon]

Our front door cost a grand ... it's a composite one !

[Blackstar]

Our front door cost a grand ...
Ours too but we never paid in the end. The company who installed it went into liquidation and didn't install it properly. So when the company who took them over phoned up to get the money my dad said they could have it if they fixed the door, they said just keep the door we won't bother you again.

[Richard Slater]

Had two quotes and an estimate now £579, £850 and £1,500. The latter being the estimate, tbh I think he was chancing it, not the best time to be talking to sales people at the beginning of the month.

Two other companies left, going to give them till the end of the week then make a decision. Cheers for the replies!

[lostkat]

I would expect a new front door to cost around £500, so I'd say that's pretty much spot on. They're insanely expensive!! Even if you bought one from B&Q to install yourself, it'd set you back around £350-£400.

[cheets]

Well, we need a new front door (uPVC), the current one is missing part of the lock strip and is generally playing up when opening and closing (not good for the primary way in and out of my house).

We have had one guy round who quoted us £579 which is uPVC, Pilkington Glass, Neoprene Glazing Gasket, Argon Gas Filled double glazing, Vectis Locking System, 10 Year Guarantee.

Seems a little more money than I expected, however wasn't totally out of the ball park. Has anyone else got any experience of replacing uPVC front doors?

We have someone else coming round tomorrow morning, then someone else on Sunday afternoon hoping to have three comparable quotes by the end of the week.

Seems ott for a door

[Von Smallhausen]

If I may upset the apple cart, if you can avoid uPVC doors and get a good, solid wodden one with dead locks then do so.

The composite ones that Piggy mentions are better than your standard one but security wise, wooden doors are a lot better.

[Chuckles]

If I may upset the apple cart, if you can avoid uPVC doors and get a good, solid wodden one with dead locks then do so.

The composite ones that Piggy mentions are better than your standard one but security wise, wooden doors are a lot better.

There speaks the voice of experience of busting down many a door :D

[Richard Slater]

Could you expand a bit on "solid front door", I am not sure the frame would hold up to anything particularly heavy, new houses (which this is) seem to have frames little larger than those that support the internal doors - they seem to be geared to uPVC. Also we need a window in it as it is the only light. Rocking the apple cart is good, Thanks!

[luke]

If I may upset the apple cart, if you can avoid uPVC doors and get a good, solid wodden one with dead locks then do so.

The composite ones that Piggy mentions are better than your standard one but security wise, wooden doors are a lot better.

if someone ie. criminal/burgler wants to get into your house they will do, and imo the front door is the least likely point of entry

as a joiner i'd say get a upvc door as the are maintanence free when set up correctly, but timber front doors need re varnishing and can swell/shrink

[Richard Slater]

if someone ie. criminal/burgler wants to get into your house they will do, and imo the front door is the least likely point of entry

That does make sense.

[Mark]

I agree with luke. My neighbour had a new wooden door and you always knew when it was getting wet/cold because you could hear him fighting the door. My uPVC door however has been fine (save the stupid lock which has always been a bit bothersome).

uPVC may well be easier to stove in with an enforcer or a well-aimed kick, but in a lot of cases if the door doesn't go, the frame or lock will. In any event, most opportunist burglars are unlikely to want to cave a front door in. They'd much rather go the easy route - put in a pane of glass and reach inside, fish your keys out from behind the door, or find a vulnerable door or window out the back.

[LeperousDust]

I'd still go wood over uPVC any day if not for added security just because i like real wood window frames and doors much nicer :) More work/upkeep but for your own home i think theyre nice and well worth it. If looked after they'll last longer than uPVC, and by last longer and mean still look like new rather than the tired dilapidated look uPVC seems to get 5/10 years in.

[Von Smallhausen]

if someone ie. criminal/burgler wants to get into your house they will do, and imo the front door is the least likely point of entry

as a joiner i'd say get a upvc door as the are maintanence free when set up correctly, but timber front doors need re varnishing and can swell/shrink

From a maintenance point of view I agree but in terms of security then I don't.

Clearly I can't say how but I can get in a uPVC door without an enforcer, in under 30 seconds and without noise.

[Von Smallhausen]

I agree with luke. My neighbour had a new wooden door and you always knew when it was getting wet/cold because you could hear him fighting the door. My uPVC door however has been fine (save the stupid lock which has always been a bit bothersome).

uPVC may well be easier to stove in with an enforcer or a well-aimed kick, but in a lot of cases if the door doesn't go, the frame or lock will. In any event, most opportunist burglars are unlikely to want to cave a front door in. They'd much rather go the easy route - put in a pane of glass and reach inside, fish your keys out from behind the door, or find a vulnerable door or window out the back.

There are many ways to get into a house Mark and uPVC doors for starters are the easiest to get passed in a variety of ways.

Windows are often a point of entry but when it comes to double glazing it is difficult to break without making noise. Older wooden frames with single panes are easier to attack.

Tips I would give are don't leave keys in locks for obvious reasons and also don't leave house and car keys near the front door on tables etc as letterbox or 2 in 1 burglaries where keys are fished out and cars taken are on the up and simple.

[Mark]

Before I get all panicky, does your comment about uPVC doors apply to all types? I can be sure if you know how to break them, criminals do. :(

Oh, and you forgot one important point - deadlocks. Having watched a locksmith have my door open in under a minute and knowing that my parents place got 'done' by a burglar breaking a small pane of glass and reaching in, I'm all too aware of the importance of this security feature.

[Richard Slater]

I have been aware for a while that it is a bad idea to keep your keys near the front door, although I try to balance getting out of the building if it is on fire, with stopping the bad guys from getting in. Keys are kept about a meter away from the front door on a hook out of sight of the front windows.

Had another guy round to measure up for a fourth quote today, see what he says then a final round of the Spanish inquisition for the poor sales people and I should be able to make a decision. On the basis that we don't have a huge amount of time for maintenance, I think we are going to have to go for uPVC, the aging and yellowing are oft down to poor grade plastics, there are some uPVC doors round here that are in excess of 10 years old, that still look white and clean.

[Von Smallhausen]

Before I get all panicky, does your comment about uPVC doors apply to all types? I can be sure if you know how to break them, criminals do. :(

Oh, and you forgot one important point - deadlocks. Having watched a locksmith have my door open in under a minute and knowing that my parents place got 'done' by a burglar breaking a small pane of glass and reaching in, I'm all too aware of the importance of this security feature.

Most types yes but especially the none composite ones.

Most stuff we use is restricted buying but I could spend under £20 in B&Q and buy the stuff needed to get in a bog standard uPVC door but that knowledge is not known by every criminal if that helps.

[Mark]

the aging and yellowing are oft down to poor grade plastics, there are some uPVC doors round here that are in excess of 10 years old, that still look white and clean.
And mine's one of them - no sign of yellowing at all. While it's non-composite, it's sturdy enough to have resisted my beating upon it for the last 10+ years. As to whether it'd resist Von, I can't comment. Given the amount of flex in the plastics, possibly not (though at least it isn't vulnerable to yanking off the beading, like some of the cheaper versions).