Wooden Doors Vs. Composite Doors

The choice between composite doors and wooden doors may seem easy - the attractive traditional door, made out of natural materials, or the attractive door manufactured to look traditional, made out of synthetic materials? The differences between each lead to a surprising conclusion.

Are Wooden Doors Really a Better Choice?

The wooden door may stand out as the better option but lets explore the nature of the door more closely.

Firstly, wooden doors are attractive. They have a visible wood grain with a lustrous shine. To maintain their lovely finish though the doors require painting and/or varnishing. Even after years of maintenance the door will lose its shine and eventually rot. Quality wooden doors can have a longevity of about 25-35 years, depending on the type of wood used. Without maintenance the lifespan of the door is dramatically reduced to just a few years.

The doors may be strong when they are first made, but over time heat changes and general wear and tear weaken the door. Wooden doors have been known to swell, bow, warp and even crack. These changes cause draughts which reduce the insulating properties of the door. The weakened door also poses a risk to break-ins.

On top of these flaws wooden doors are very costly, being the most expensive over both composite and uPVC doors.

What Makes Composite Doors the Better Option?

On the surface composite doors probably don’t seem like the preferred choice - a cheap, synthetic door, made to look like a nice wooden door.

There are many advantages to composite doors though. The door is designed to excel where other doors fail, and is made from different materials each chosen for their individual qualities.

Each one is thick and sturdy, but also relatively lightweight. Unlike other doors they won’t warp or twist in heat changes, and unlike wooden doors they won’t crack. This is due to the reinforced skin which has an attractive timber grain finish. The strength of the skin means the door can not be kicked in and the locks installed in composite doors provide optimum security. The door is wipe-clean and does not need painting as it won’t fade or discolour over time.

Composite doors are foam filled which makes their insulating quality six times higher than that of wooden doors. As the doors don’t change shape over time they remain draught proof and energy efficient.

The affordability of composite doors does not reflect their high quality and attention to detail.

Conclusion

The traditional charm of the wooden door has made an otherwise outdated concept a viable choice next to, what was previously the only other option, cheap plastic uPVC doors. Composite doors not only combine the qualities of both uPVC and wooden doors, but also improve on the flaws, creating a whole new standard in the door industry. It is now becoming more and more apparent that this line of front door is her to stay and while on paper is more expensive it is still a sound investment that will not devalue any property but only enhance your homes charm.