Front Doors
Front Doors London
The facade of your house is what welcomes the guests – it’s what they immediately notice upon arrival, so it’s vital to keep it as visually appealing as possible. After all, the first impression is often the last impression. Front doors should, therefore, match the overall architectural style of the building, look elegant and inviting. However, this is just one of the numerous functions front doors serve – and not even the most important one. They also should be sturdy and secure, so that it’s difficult to break them down, weather-resistant, energy-efficient, and soundproof. Luckily, it doesn’t mean that there is only one proper door type – on the contrary, you can pick through products of various designs, styles, sizes, and colours.
First, there are double and single front doors to choose between, depending on the available space and your general taste. Secondly, you can also decide on glass doors, French doors, doors with a small glazed area, or with no glass panes at all. You can opt for panel doors (with two, three, four, or more panels in various configurations), flush, or Dutch doors. Finally, there are also different door opening styles: popular hinged doors that swing open, sliding doors as well as folding or bi-fold doors. All in all, there is much to think through while selecting the perfect front door for your building. And once you decide on a particular design, there’s also the question of the proper building material.
Which material is the best for front doors in the UK?
Unlike the door design, a building material should not be selected based on its visual appeal. Instead, it’s much more reasonable to take into consideration its mechanical, thermal, and acoustic properties as well as sturdiness and weather resistance. Importantly, a different building material may work best in one area than in the other, since much depends on the climatic conditions. There is, therefore, no universally correct answer to the question about the best external door building material. Based on the usual weather in the place you live in, you can, however, make an informed decision regarding your own front doors. London has a humid climate with cool winters, warm to hot summers, and evenly distributed precipitation. What are the most popular front door materials in the UK capital?
uPVC front doors
uPVC front doors quickly gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, as they were much lower-maintenance than wooden front doors. To this day, many new building feature this front door type, and they are considered by many to be the standard. The fact that you don’t need to invest so much time and effort in caring for them is a considerable advantage of uPVC front doors. They are also cheaper than most aluminium or wooden front doors. However, with lower price often comes lower quality – plastic front doors can warp from humidity or swell in the heat, which makes them less durable and practical. Even though well-made uPVC front doors can last around 30 years in London’s climate, it’s still much less than in the case of other materials. Moreover, plastic front doors don’t really suit older buildings.
Aluminium front doors
Similarly to uPVC front doors, the ones produced from aluminium don’t require much maintenance. At the same time, however, they are sturdy, which makes them a more secure option. Increased durability is another one of their assets, as they can outlast any plastic doors. Aluminium front doors usually have a lifespan of around 40 years. Unfortunately, this door type also has a set of drawbacks, including significantly a higher price and mediocre thermal properties. Especially the latter is not ideal in the case of front doors. The UK can get quite cold in the wintertime, so energy efficiency should rank high on the list of desired front door features. Aluminium front doors also aren’t recommended for period buildings, as they stand out too much against the facade.
Wooden front doors
In contrast with plastic and aluminium doors, wooden front doors require carrying out regular maintenance work, including repainting and sanding. However, thanks to the multiple advantages of this door type, it’s all worth it. If you are searching for a secure, sturdy, noise-blocking, and energy-efficient product, opt for wooden front doors. London will be a safer, healthier, and cheaper place to live with bespoke front doors produced from high-quality wood with excellent security, acoustic, and thermal properties. At Sash Factory, timber front doors are also reasonably priced. What’s more, wooden front doors can be versatile – you will have no problem ordering bespoke Victorian front doors for your period building, or completely modern front doors if that’s what you prefer.
Sash Factory will gladly provide you with beautiful Georgian or Victorian front doors. London has around 600 listed buildings. Their owners need to obtain a permit each time they wish to make an alteration to the building. This includes changing doors or windows. In many cases, to replace your front doors, you are obliged to commission exact copies of the existing ones instead of choosing products that would reflect your taste to a greater extent, for example, modern front doors. London, however, is home to numerous door producers and distributors. Whether you’re looking for Georgian-style or contemporary front doors, you can easily order what you need at Sash Factory.
Bespoke front doors for conservation areas
In the City of London, there are as many as 27 conservation areas. These protected places are of high historic value, which is why it’s vital to preserve them in their original form. If you live in a building situated in one of these areas, to make a repair or an alteration, you need to first be granted a permit by the local planning authority. Only then can you install new front doors. In the vast majority of cases, they need to be made-to-measure to imitate the previous ones and match the overall architectural style of the property. This means that you will most likely need to look for a company that offers bespoke front doors for sale. Luckily, Sash Factory is here to help you sail through the process of ordering and installing bespoke doors.
Our bespoke front doors are a perfect combination of all advantages of wooden doors and outstanding build quality. They are safe, weather-resistant, and energy-efficient – regardless of the chosen design of bespoke front doors. London has a rather humid climate, but you don’t need to worry about warping or swelling wood – as long as you carry out all necessary maintenance works, wooden front doors will be more durable than uPVC or aluminium ones. They can have a lifespan of five or six decades, depending on the wood type. For even better acoustic and thermal properties, you can also decide on double-glazed front doors.
Double-glazed front doors – what are they?
You can use double-glazed doors internally or as patio, back, or front doors. They have one or more glass panes, usually situated in the upper half of the door. Although some people don’t feel secure in a house with glazed external doors, there is no reason to worry – double-glazed front doors are extremely solid and challenging to break down. Additionally, they are very energy-efficient. Normally, external doors and windows are responsible for over 20% of overall heat loss. Installing double-glazed front doors can cause a noticeable reduction in your heating bills. At the same time, they are very customisable, so you can opt for a design that best suits your needs and taste.
Sash Factory – the best bespoke front doors in London
At Sash Factory, we offer top-quality front doors for sale. London is where our company is based, and we have carried out multiple projects in the city centre as well as in the suburbs. Our experienced staff will gladly guide you through every step of choosing and ordering wooden front doors of almost any kind and design. Our project range also includes premium double-glazed front doors. London can get cold in the winter, which is why it’s not worth economising on the front doors – make a wise choice and order our durable, secure, and energy-efficient front doors today. To request an individual quote, reach out to us. The lead time for our projects is between 6 and 20 weeks.