New Front Door

[Richard Slater]

Originally Posted by luke

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]

Originally Posted by luke

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Richard Slater

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).