frickshop

Composite door with UPVC sidelights - will I hate it?

Steph
4 years ago

The front door of our newly purchased 1930s semi needs replacing. Problem is the current wooden frame was a self-installation by the previous owners and is rotten and a non-standard size. So we need a new frame and two sidelights (I think is what they are called) left and right of the door.
Quotes for timber doors start at £4.5k which is just too much Struggling to accept this and proceed with ordering a composite.
I'm nearly sold on a Safestyle GuardDoor in Duck Egg Blue but the frame around the side lights will obviously be UPVC.
Will it look too plasticky? Will I hate it? Should we extend the budget for the door at the expense of something else? Help!

Comments (13)

  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    My sister has a black composite door and it looks great. I can’t remember what the frame is though. You just notice the lovely door!

  • Daisy England
    4 years ago

    Timber doors are more expensive than UPVC. It’s down to budget. Personally I’m biased as I’m a timber lover and that’s what I have.

    If you have timber you’ll be getting exactly what you want though.

  • Steph
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks guys. We are in such an early stage of the whole house renovation and I am so indecisive... I need to find a way to just make a decision and be happy with it. Rapidly realising that it's life coaching I'm after rather than design advice...
    I'm going to go for the composite door that makes the house warmer and safer and spend the "saving" on a something that will "bring me joy" in the kitchen like a boiling water tap or pyrolytic oven ;-p

  • minipie
    4 years ago

    Have you considered a reclaimed door?

  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    Pyrolytic ovens are marvellous! :-D

  • Gabby Wong
    4 years ago

    Is this a new Houzz glitch? Whilst I agree with the comment Sonia, not sure it’s relevant to front doors! Lol!

  • Gabby Wong
    4 years ago

    Ahhh I just realised the relevance and can’t delete it on the app! hides in shame

  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    Haha Gabby. When I read the question again I thought why am I saying pyrolitic ovens are great, then I saw why! :-D

  • Steph
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Hahaha. Ok. I'll definitely go for a pyrolytic oven when we get round to buying kitchen appliances!

    @minipie yes I looked at a reclaimed door. Problem is the current frame is for a door of 104cm which is way to wide. So I need a new timber frame and to pay for the labour and skill of an installer. So it costs as much as a new timber door. I'm sure being in South London doesn't help with labour costs.

    I've also decided that if the plastic frame is too plastic I can always hide it as much as possible tall potted plants either side of the door.

  • Carli Goodfellow
    3 years ago

    What did you go for @Steph? I have the same dilemma! Does the frame look OK? Our chosen door is light oak composite 'wood effect' but I'm told the frame is PVC. Can't go and look at the moment so have an image in my head of yukky shiny orange plastic badly matched to the 'oak effect' composite front door for our sidelights frame!

  • sarh123
    3 years ago

    We had the white wood grain frame (some call it white ash) so it’s not shiny. We did go for a pale green door though which looks good-I’m not sure how authentic the fake wood looks. The manufacturer posted out samples of the plastic so we could look at it on site.

  • Steph
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Morning! We went with a chartwell green wood effect composite door which looks quite authentic itself. We had an original leaded window on the side of the porch which nobody could see which the door people restored and put into secure double glazing panels for the door and sidelights. The UPVC shiny white frame, I don't like so much. But as you see there is a lot of frame so it would have been a lot more money to do in in green frame. It is also safe and keeps the house warmer. On balance, I'm happy with the compromise.
    Still have plans down the line to redo the front garden (well make it into a garden and not a breezeblock parking lot for multiple cars we don't own - but the previous owners with older children did). Thinking Med garden with low level fencing in charteuse green, lavenders, beige gravel etc. Maybe cypress or olive trees left and right of the door. I'm sure that will improve the whole frontage and take emphasis away from the frame.

Ireland
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