Whether you are renovating a property to bring it up to date or replacing old doors that have passed their sell-by date, nothing exudes quality and class more than brand-new, stylish exterior doors. Not only can a new set of doors increase the aesthetic qualities of your property, but they can also add much-needed strength and security. With decades of collective experience in the industry, the team here at Rock Solid Doors is well-placed to examine the advantages and disadvantages of composite doors compared with traditional wooden ones and offer an opinion on the best choice.
The incredible, high-tech method of producing composite doors gives them tremendous advantages over virtually any other option. Here are their fundamental properties, good and bad, as we see them:
Even the most determined intruders know better than to mess around with composite doors. Their strength is legendary, and with a multi-point locking system, the chances of breaking through one are virtually nil. The walls holding them are more likely to give way before the doors do.
The durability of composite doors is off the scale; they will keep out the harshest weather and remain looking like new for decades.
Technological advancements have made creating composite doors with any design, colour, or feature easier. They can be made to look like wooden doors or ultra-modernistic ones with as many windows, pet doors, and hardware items as required.
It is hard to think of an entity in our lives that has to face the harsh outdoors and requires less maintenance than a composite door. There isn't one. A wipe down with a cloth now and again and a spritz of hinge lubricant, if you're feeling generous, are the most that will ever be required. They could not be less demanding to maintain.
Matchless energy efficiency from composite doors makes them unbeatable at keeping bills down and reducing costs. Nothing can permeate the fabric of the door itself, and provided they are manufactured and fitted correctly, they will allow no heat to pass.
Upfront costs are generally higher when opting for bespoke composite doors. Still, the savings in energy alone mean they pay for themselves, and their sheer longevity means you might never need to buy another.
Humans have created wooden doors to protect their dwellings for centuries, and not without good reason. Wooden doors have many advantages, but how do they compare with more modern, state-of-the-art competitors?
Certain types of wood are undoubtedly solid and secure when equipped with a quality multi-point locking mechanism. Thinner, cheaper doors will not put up much resistance against determined intruders, but a solid oak one will not yield easily.
If treated correctly and maintained regularly, wooden doors can be exceptionally durable but vary wildly depending on the thickness and quality of the wood. Thinner, cheaper woods can warp and flex under pressure from persistent weather and temperature changes.
Wooden doors can be beautiful and enhance the appearance of any property with their natural appearance. Stained wood is among the more pleasing effects people have learned to master, and its appeal is not to be underestimated. Warm and inviting, they hark back to nature and our connection with the Earth, with no two being the same.
One significant advantage of wooden doors is that they can often be repaired and remain in place, even after suffering damage. A certain amount of regular maintenance is required with wooden doors, and they must be inspected for signs of mould and rot if they are to have extended longevity.
Wood does a decent job of preventing air transfer from one area to another, maintaining internal temperatures if measured and fitted correctly.
The range of prices when considering wooden exterior doors is staggering. There is no way to judge them as one entity, so suffice it to say that thin wooden doors can be cheap, and thick ones made of quality hardwood can be extortionate.
As far as the team at Rock Solid Doors is concerned, there is only one winner in the Clash of the Titans: composite vs wooden doors. Both have pros and cons, but for overall strength, durability, and aesthetic styling, nothing even comes close to the composite door. Our final dealbreaker is that they can even mimic the wooden door’s most significant advantage by being formed with decorative grain. Wooden doors are fantastic and unique but cannot compete with the all-around excellence of modern composites.
The Rock Solid Doors Ltd team is proud to offer premium-level composite doors across London and the Home Counties, upholding our reputation for reliability and professional integrity. We only supply and install British-made doors of the highest quality and provide a fast, efficient fitting service. Please contact us for all the honest guidance, help, and support you require.
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!
