Upvc door or composite door

DARK-KNIGHT

Hi just looking for advice please our front door is brutal and needs replacing after 11 years was with house when we bought timber door..

What are we better off buying pvc or composite? The composite look mad money anywhere I have tried but a builder I was talking to reckons pvc doors are much better as the composite doors are too heavy and have trouble with hinges etc? Any help much appreciated

mjj

Hi all!
Looking for similar advice, we're building a house and am tryin to decide on front door. We trying to decide between composite, UPVC and solid wood? Would appreciate any recommendations or advice on which is best?
Thanks in advance!

Dardania

I went for composite on a retrofit as the one offered at that time:

had good U-value
came with good security standard
Didn't need maintenance
Had a brochure where I could choose all the options I wanted e.g. colour, pattern, glass, threshold type, get a lock with thumb turn internally etc.

In terms of why I excluded uPVC, it was mainly that none of them looked as secure as the composite I was looking at
And I didn't want wood as my folks had a wooden door that needed to be painted every few years, and swelled/contracted with the weather.

The composite door is heavy, and when it was being fitted, the supplier said to give them a shout in a few months as the hinges may need to be adjusted - sure enough they did, and the supplier adjusted them, and 4 years later door is working flawlessly.

The make I went for is manufactured in Limerick, so I know if there are any issues later, they're close/accessible to get support.

Gumbo

I have solid wood. Needs painting and has warped a bit too.
Next door will be a composite.

the-island-man

Hi,

Going to revive this old thread as it's exactly the same query I'd have. Have a wooden front door that is long past its sell by date! The cold and draughts in the hallway are very noticeable.

I want to replace it in the coming year with either a composite or a uPVC door. Leaving aside the crazy prices what are the known draw backs of both?

I suppose what I've been hearing a lot is that the composite door has a better u value and is better for security. I'd be skeptical regarding the security argument, my parents had a uPVC door installed and it looks pretty solid(at least compared to my flemsy wooden door!).

Ideally I'd like the door with the best u value which would obviously lead me to the composite door but durability is also an important consideration. Does anyone know if the performance of the composite door is likely to deteriorate over time or is there issues with warping, contraction or expansion with them?

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442331#Comment_118442331

A u value of door might have a huge impact as its such a small area of a home. What makes a big difference is avoiding letter holes and having excellent draught seals. I imagine most retrofit doors are installed with expanding foam but it really should be done with airtightness tape. I dont know if anyone does that way sadly.

deeobrien

I moved house nearly 3 years ago. First thing I did was replace the original wooden door with a composite door. (Black on the outside and white on the inside). Best thing I ever did. Its only been 3 years but I've no issues so far. Keeps out the drafts and now that I have glass (triple glazed) it allows much more light into the hall. Personally I wouldn't consider PVC. Composite door is much more secure. PVC doors aren't as a secure as they look in my opinion - I've seen them pushed through with enough force.

the-island-man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442478#Comment_118442478

Hi, just wondering why expanding foam is inferior to using air tight tape?

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877383#Comment_118877383

Id ideally use both. Think of a foam as a filler. It is only airtight when very thick. In door installs, often it is trimmed for neatness, making it more permeable. The tape is fully flexible and will keep it sealed even as things creak and move. The trouble is that using tape might be harder to conceal it. So easier to do in a deep retrofit.