Which Type of Front Door Should We Get?
My husband and I find ourselves having the same conversation about our front door every year at this time, which has inspired this week’s blog post.
I fell in love with our front door when we bought our house 5 years ago. It is full of character and charm, and everyone comments on how wonderfully colourful it is. However, my husband just sees a door that is not very secure and lets every draught of wind in. So every autumn, when the weather changes, we have the same ‘discussion’.
This year, my husband may just have won (let’s hope he doesn’t read this and get smug). I know we need a more secure door to protect our home, and I have to admit, our hallway is freezing! So now that I have conceded, which type of front door should we get?
Our current door
My dream door
We live in a Victorian house so I would love a Victorian door, in keeping with the original style. I have created a Pinterest board with images of my dream front door.
Back to reality though, and I now need to consider the functionality, practicality and costs involved, and not just the bright and beautiful doors and stained glass from my Pinterest dreaming!
The options for our front door
- New solid wood door
- New composite door
- Restore the door we have
After years of wanting to restore the door, and getting various experts out to quote for different options, it appears that this isn’t a feasible option.
The door and the stained glass is not original – we think it was installed in the 1990s. Despite its beauty, I have been told that it is not practical to keep it.
My initial idea was to encapsulate it by placing the original leaded stained glass between double-glazing. However, I’ve been assured that this approach wouldn’t be viable due to the narrow frame. Installing a double-glazed frame would result in losing most of the glass, and even if feasible, it’s a very costly option.
With the door closed on the possibility of encapsulation and restoration, I am left with choosing a new solid wood door or a new composite door.
What to consider when deciding which type of front door should we get?
Deciding on a front door is a big decision, both in terms of functionality and aesthetics.
The main considerations are:
- Material
- Durability
- Maintenance
- Security
- Cost
- Energy efficiency
- Environmental
- Customisation
- Aesthetics
How do these front door considerations compare?
So let’s look at the considerations in more detail. I have prepared a comparison table to help decide which type of front door should we get. I hope you find it helpful too.
| Consideration | Solid Wood | Composite | Best Choice |
| Material | Single piece of wood (although cheaper versions may be different blocks with a veneer on top)Hardwood is best | Made from a mix of materials including wood fibres, resins, polymers or glass-reinforced plastic | Solid wood (natural and timeless) |
| Durability | Durable – provided use good quality, hardwood.Prone to weather damage. | Very durable and weather-resistant | Composite |
| Maintenance | Requires regular upkeep.Prone to warping, cracking or rot if not properly maintained | Low maintenance. Can come with warranties to cover warping or other issues. | Composite |
| Security | Good security, if use high-quality hardwood. However, can be prone to damage over time (e.g. weather damage if not maintained), so is a security concern. | Very strong and resilient, as these properties are key to the selection of materials used.More secure than wood. | Composite |
| Cost | Expensive, especially good quality, hardwood.Ongoing maintenance costs over time | Less expensive than solid wood. Considered to be more cost-effective initially and less maintenance costs over time | Composite |
| Energy efficiency | A good, natural insulator.Can be susceptible to weather changes (can contract in colder weather, creating a draught) | Great insulation and energy efficiency, as these properties are key to the selection of materials used | Composite |
| Environmental | Natural, renewable material.Important to choose sustainable wood, from a responsible supplier who is FSC certified, to ensure the most eco-friendly option. | Higher environmental impact as it is not a natural material. There will be a higher carbon footprint for production, and issues with end-of-life disposal. Composite doors made from recycled materials are more eco-friendly. | Tie (Real wood needs to be sustainably sourced. Composite doors can be made from recycled materials.) |
| Customisation | Can be painted or stained.Can be repainted and refinished many times | Comes in a variety of styles, colours and finishes. Cannot be easily changed once finalised. | Solid wood |
| Aesthetics | Beautiful and traditional.Classic, elegant lookLooks and feels more expensive.Natural and one-of-a-kind.Easily customisable. | Although they can come with a wood grain, it is still unnatural and cannot compete with the real thing | Solid wood |
So – which type of front door should we get?
Surprisingly, it appears that composite doors come out best using my comparison table!
Hands down, solid wood is best from an aesthetic point of view. I love the look and feel of real wood. I want the first thing people see when they come to my home to be a warm, welcoming, natural front door, which matches the vibe of the rest of my home. I therefore had reasoned that we would get a solid wood door.
However, if I am to trust in the research, I should be giving composite doors more consideration. From a functionality perspective (which my interior design studies have taught me should take priority over aesthetics) composite doors triumph.
Composite doors are more secure and energy efficient. The two main reasons for getting a new door are why I shouldn’t overlook this and allow the allure of real wood to influence my decision.
So, it appears I have a lot to think about! And this doesn’t even take the stained glass into account (but that could be a whole blog [post of its own)
I have appointments with a real wood door specialist and a composite door specialist next week, so I will make a final decision then.
My heart still says a solid wood door with beautiful stained glass is the way to go. I look at all the doors in our neighbourhood and the original doors have the wow factor, and am yet to see if a composite door can convince me otherwise.
I would love to know your thoughts – which type of front door should we get? Which type did you go for?
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