Top Five Things To Consider When Buying a New External Door

Oxbow External Oak Door

Did you know that your front door is one of the most important aspects of your home? Aside from the actual selection of the home in the first instance there are very few additions or modifications that the home owner can do to change the look and feel of the house they live in from the exterior.

Certainly there is nothing that can have such an impact on the impression your home gives to guests, or 'curb value' as the Americans call it, as getting the best suited quality door for the entrance. Getting new windows and frames can cost thousands, ditto a new roof, but a solid oak front door costs around £600 and some less than this. Choosing a new front door is not something most people can afford to get wrong so we have put together a guide to make the process simple, straightforward and fun.

Selecting A New External Door: Top Tips

Budget

This guide is in no particular order of importance though it's not worth selecting a high end oak door look if your budget is low. Solid oak external front doors from UK Oak Doors start from under £500. The Oxbow External door is on offer for below £500 but something like the Solid Oak Contemporary External Door comes in at around £615, which is extremely reasonable for a door of that quality.

If the new door is part of an overall renovation of a property then it's unwise not to allocate a fair chunk of the budget to good doors. Many other aspects of a renovation can be revised at a later date but scrimping on exterior doors not only smothers the potential of your new look but jeopardises security too. (see below)

Style

External 6 Panel Door - Perfect for Georgian or Victorian Properties

If you have a budget in mind you can start to peruse the different styles of doors available. Don't start with pictures of just doors but start from a more high level by looking at pictures of the full exteriors of homes and getting a feel of what options are available to suit your style of home.

Look at the exterior and interior of your home and get a feel of its character then look for inspiration to match it. Is it a period property? A country cottage or modern town house? Do you need a part-glazed door to allow light into your home?

Those considering renovating a property for the purpose of renting out or selling for profit should be the most attentive and observant to the style and age of a property as well as its setting. Potential tenants or buyers will be put off if the doors are a very unique or individual style that don't naturally sit within their surroundings. On the other hand, if the door is for you and you alone then you have a much wider choice open to you.

Finish and Furnishings

Cottage external door in situ

Often over looked as an after thought are the finish and furnishings to the door. Most homes that have wooden window frames will have a door colour to match but there is no hard and fast rule. However, when it comes to finishes, whether external doors are painted or given a natural finish both will require some form of maintenance to keep an external door looking and functioning at its best.

UK Oak Doors recommends Impranol external treatments if you want a natural finish. When it comes to the furnishings for the door this should also match the period and style of the property. A traditional country cottage deserves quality ironmongery to accompany the door for example.

Security

Contemporary external door

“An Englishman's home is his castle” so they say. What good is a castle if the portcullis is made of paper. Cheap doors will have a security rating to match but it's not just the door that must be budgeted for but also the frame which it sits in.

Before buying your new exterior doors check the current frames are in good order as a solid oak front door is only as secure as the frame it sits in. Oak External Door Frames are available from UK Oak Doors and have the advantage that you will get a much better match between the frame and door wood if purchased from the same supplier at the same time. This is not just because the wood will be from a similar source but also because the door and frame will age together too.

Supplier Reliability & Feedback

Over the last few years oak furnishings have boomed in popularity. The upside means more choice and competition in the market place but the downside means rogue suppliers jumping on the band wagon. Our advice is to look for genuine customer feedback that refers to the reliability of the company, the quality of their products and what they are like to deal with. Cheap doors from cowboys are everywhere so find a supplier that offers good prices but values the customer as highly as the quality of their products.