Front doors serve two functions: to welcome people in and to keep them out of your home. Your front door also serves as a barrier between your home and the outside world.
Having said that, selecting a front door for your home is likely to be one of the most important decisions you will make. This article that we have put together at Rock Solid Doors, the leading doors business in St Albans, will help you find the best door that is not only durable but will also be visually suitable for your home.
Measuring the front door
To find the best fitting door for your home, you should take the top, middle, and bottom measurements to determine frame width. Make use of a tape measure to determine the width of each of the three regions of the doorframe.
Remember to check to see that you measure the jambs and not the stops during this process. Measure the height of the frame from the top of the floor or the threshold to the inside face of the top jamb on the inside of the frame.
Selecting the best material
When deciding on the material for your front door, some of the most important aspects to consider are the style of your property, your established budget, and the size of your doorway.
Remember that an entrance door can also increase the value of your property in a variety of ways, so it's critical to choose your material carefully.
1. Wood
One of the most significant advantages of wood is that it can be tailored to any design you wish to make it look like. As a result, it is possible to customise it to your specific size, shape, and stylistic preferences. You can also personalise your front door with as many accents and designs as you want, depending on your preferences.
On the other hand, the disadvantage is that wood will naturally warp over time as a result of exposure to the elements of the outdoors. Another consideration is that they will require frequent care to maintain the finest possible condition of their wood surfaces.
2. Steel
Meanwhile, steel will last a long time and continue to perform properly for many years. They do not warp in the same way as wood doors can. In general, they are considered one of the strongest and most lasting materials available for use as front door material.
However, their surface can become scraped, dented, or corroded if they are not properly maintained. Therefore, one way to keep them in good condition is to apply furniture wax to the steel entry door regularly.
3. Fibreglass
This material is regarded as being extremely versatile, long-lasting, and cost-effective. Most importantly, it can reduce energy and financial consumption. An advantage of fibreglass doors over steel and hardwood is that they are more effective at keeping out the elements while allowing the air conditioning to circulate.
As a result of being exposed to the elements, the most significant downside is that it might cause discolouration or fading. Applying spray-on marine wax on your fibreglass door at least once a year will help to keep these surfaces in good condition.
4. Glass
One of the most significant advantages of glass doors is that they allow an abundance of natural light to enter the room. This will help seamlessly bring the outside into the home and enable residents to feel energised and connected to nature.
Although they are attractive, glass exterior doors have several disadvantages, the most significant of which is that they can allow for substantial heat transfer between the interior and exterior of your home. Therefore, it may get increasingly hot inside your home during the summer. Not only that, but this material may be detrimental in terms of privacy too.
Which material is the strongest for a front door?
Overall, a steel door is the most suitable option for those who place a high value on security and durability. Steel doors are more durable than wood or fibreglass doors, and they will not break or warp over the course of time.
It is also relatively easy to deal with the dents or other issues you may encounter with the material. You can use body filler, the same product used on automobiles, to fill in the unsightly dents and restore the appearance of your door to its original condition.
Which material is the most fashionable for a front door?
Fibreglass doors are becoming increasingly popular, and they are fantastic in modern homes. They can be made to look like wood, but they can also have a smooth appearance if that is what you prefer.
You can choose from genuine wood-grain alternatives or smooth-textured fibreglass entry doors to complement your home. You can also add grilles, hardware, glass, and other decorative elements to personalise your design and suit your home's aesthetic. Moreover, fibreglass is a fantastic material for insulating and shielding a house from the weather.
Which door is the cheapest?
Finding the ideal low-cost exterior doors for your home will assist you in maintaining the aesthetics of your property while also keeping your overall costs down. Fibreglass doors are one of the most cost-effective alternatives available on the market today. Furthermore, they also require less maintenance that will keep your expenses low for the years to come.
However, steel doors are significantly less expensive to build than wood or fibreglass doors. Therefore, you may discover a wide range of steel door options that are substantially less expensive than wood or fibreglass doors.
Graham Kidd2 November 2023100% recommend Paul and Harry a great father and son team! I'm so pleased that we used them to supply and fit our new front door. Straightforward to deal with from start to finish and communication throughout was excellent. They are extremely knowledgeable and were able to offer advice and suggestions when we were choosing the door we wanted. Nothing was rushed during the installation with great attention to detail. They took away our old door and frame and left everything clean and tidy at the end of the job. Thank you, Harry, for taking the time to go through everything with us at the end of the job, much appreciated. I would not hesitate in using Paul and Harry again. Thank you both so much, we are so pleased!
Andrew Brant30 October 2023Had a door fitted today. Extremely happy with the quality of the finish, attention to detail. Left site clean and tidy. Very impressed. Would highly recommend
Daniel Ashworth6 October 2023Had a door fitted by these very friendly chaps about 18 months ago. We're very happy with it. When an issue arose with the mechanism, they came out and fixed it in about 5 minutes and it's as it if is brand new again. Very pleased, would highly recommend.
L Edwards2 October 2023Communication with Paul was faultless throughout. He was polite, knowledgeable and efficient. Harry and Paul installed our new door, problem solving along the way. The finish was neat and tidy and they offered us excellent after sales service aswell. Would highly recommend.
Susie22 September 2023Highly recommend. We had our front door fitted by this lovely team. They were friendly, helpful, willing to listen to me debate options and provided helpful advice for choosing the right door for us. When he had a slight issue (no fault of their own) they came out to us the very next day and sorted it. Such a good supplier to work with!
Ed Barkham21 September 2023Brilliant service. No hidden costs or fees and no heavy sales tactics. Very open and clear from the start, and they worked really hard to fit a great new door in our thinner than average doorway! Great value and great result. Will be recommending to all.
fiona richards10 September 2023Highly recommend Rock Solid doors. We have used this friendly family company several times and have recommended them to others who have been equally impressed with the high standard of work and the product. We have received quick service and found them to be very reliable knowledgeable with no hard sell. The installations have been carried out professionally and they go the extra mile to ensure you are happy with everything. The external doors are robust and we are impressed with the quality of the product.
James Cooper24 July 2023Faultless customer service from a fantastic company to do business with. From start to finish it’s been a pleasure buying composite doors from Rock Solid Doors – in fact, we were so impressed with the front door and installation service they provided (we opted for a Solidor Ludlow 2 with 2 x fully glazed side lights) that we got them back to supply our utility door (Windsor Solidor – fully glazed) shortly afterwards. Paul dealt with our initial queries promptly, came to measure on site and provided a competitive quote very efficiently. These guys are first-rate craftsmen and know their stuff: evidenced by working around a couple of quirky construction issues without any problem – leaving us really impressed with the end product. It’s great to come across a local business that takes pride in what they do, going the extra mile for customer satisfaction – we cannot recommend Rock Solid Doors highly enough! Thank you Paul and Harry!
Simon Gould25 June 2023Brilliant service from Paul at Rock Solid; our letter box seal had gone causing a slight leak - he responded immediately, attended this week and fixed with a new gasket. Would highly recommend the product and the service.
Lidia Duncan16 June 2023I ordered my Vogue Rock door with the Ocean glass from Rock Solid Doors at the end of 2021. I had a number of criteria when searching for my new entrance door. It’s ability to insulate had to be A rated. I also wanted it to have a good quality locking mechanism that is smooth in action. My new door needed to be modern with a pane that lets plenty of light in and thus goes lower than the half line on the door, while leaving sufficient height for the letter box, so it is sufficiently high to be comfortably reached by our postman. The Vogue Rock door provided all that and more. I love sailing and the Ocean glass design evokes the lines of a sail in a beautifully minimalistic fashion. It also makes the door look unique, which is always a bonus. During my search for the perfect door I had lots of technical questions too. Only Paul and his colleague from Rock Solid Doors were able to answer all my questions and provide a door that offered what I was looking for. They supplied and fitted my new door in early 2022. My heating bill has gone down noticeably, as a result. With the golden oak wood grain on the outside, my door looks beautiful and elegant. Everyone who comes to the house for the first-time comment on it. The multi-locking mechanism has a smooth action and it is easy to use. The white wood grain on the inside finishes off the hallway like a designer window and door in one. Paul and his colleague went out of their way to make sure that I have the door and the finish just, as I wanted and that it worked seamlessly there on. We could not be happier. Thank You!
