Find a Door Fitter you can trust in Swanley.

If you’re looking to upgrade your home or considering a remodelling project, doors can be a cool and fast way to improve the value of your property. Whether you wish to increase the visual appeal of your home with a new exterior door or simply to alter the appearance of an outdated or plain bedroom or bathroom, doors can also go a long way to improve the look of your home. If you’re thinking about taking on such a project, one of the things you might want to consider is length of time it’ll take to complete the installation process. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into the time it takes to complete a door installation process to help you make informed decision moving forward. Let’s take a look!

Just like any home improvement project, the duration of time it’ll take to install doors will depend on a number of factors. These factors include the style/type of door to be installed, the ease of access, the skill and experience of the installer and lots more. In general, replacing an exterior door should, on the average, take about 5 to 6 hours. An interior door, on the other hand, should be much quicker as it doesn’t require same flashing, caulking as well as other weatherproofing processes. In general, the installation of an interior door can be completed within 2 to 4 hours. If you choose to take on this task by yourself, you can expect the duration to be longer due to the little or no experience possessed.

We’ve all heard the common phrase that first impressions matter most. Well, this expression also applies to your home. When people arrive at your home, the door is the first thing they come in contact with and that speak volumes about the impression they’ll have about you. In modern times, there’s a large variety of choices when it comes to choosing a front door for your home in terms of style and design - from distinctive and alluring wood finish effect to elegant stained glass patterns. These are all important when it comes to choosing a front door, but one of the most significant factors is the material.

Both uPVC and composite doors have their advantages and disadvantages, so choosing one may rest on the purpose of installing the door.

UPVC Doors:

Pros

• Cost - Although composite doors are certain to deliver a great value for money, the initial spending on uPVC is lower and doesn’t put much strain on your budget

• Little Maintenance - The maintenance of a uPVC door does not go beyond wiping any stains with a damp cloth. However, this should be done carefully and regularly as extended neglect can lead to discolouration over time

Cons

• Styles - When it comes to styles, uPVC doors has a considerable lower style options compared to composite doors.

Composite Doors:

Pros

• Finishes - Composite doors offer a wider range of finishes than uPVC doors and as such, deliver greater versatility in showcasing your home’s character.

• Energy Efficient - Made from various materials glued together under intense pressure, composite doors happen to be thicker than uPVC doors and hence, a bit more energy efficient.

• Improved Security - Although both doors offer a great level of security, composite doors (due to its robust construction) are a bit more superior in this area.

Cons

• Cost - Although composite doors offer an immense value for money, the fact still remains that they’ll also stretch your budget more than uPVC doors.

What Is The Most Secure Type Of Front Door?

When getting a new front door for your home or property, you’d probably want to get one that’ll provide the most security for your home. Gone are the days when you could leave your front door open and still come back to your assets intact, if you try that today, you’ll be taught a bitter lesson. The front door is the weak point of your home, the point at which several burglars will use to gain entrance into your home. Therefore, for your own peace of mind, there’s the need to get the most secure type of front door to protect both your loved ones and home.

There are two crucial thing to take into account when selecting the best front door for your home’s security and these includes both the door’s material as well as the lock. Let’s have a look at two of the best front doors for security purposes.

✓ Timber Doors. Though they might look great, but they’re also very sturdy and solid which makes them one the best front doors for security. Timber is a heavy hardwood door that’s at least 44mm thick. However, just like any other door type, the strength still boils down to the frame as well as quality of the lock. If the timber door possesses a superior style lock alongside a solid frame, only burglars or intruders with a leg to spare will try to forcefully kick it in. And neither can it be smashed open nor shoved with the shoulder.

✓ Composite Doors. These doors are developed to tackle the flaws of singular material doors and as a result, they possess great security qualities. They usually include a steel door frame and a solid hardwood internal frame. Furthermore, the door’s surface skin is typically made from glass-reinforced plastic which is a very sturdy material. Combination of all these materials enable this type of door to withstand brute force with relative ease. No intruder with a good knowledge of door materials will try to force an entry with a composite door standing as an obstacle.

Are you about to outfit a brand new house or replace an existing garage door? Regardless of your objective, selecting a new garage door can prove to be a tough challenge which only a few homeowners have vast experience dealing with. And just like any other household items, the garage door comes in a variety of prices starting from a couple of hundred bucks for a basic model - uninstalled, to thousands of pounds for a best-in-class, professional fitted garage door.

However, with the pricey investment also comes good returns, as replacing the garage door is seen by many as a great investment. According to the remodelling magazine, the ROI on a garage door has more value than almost any other home improvement project you can probably think of. With that in mind, now how do you determine the cost of your garage door?

The cost of a garage door certainly depends on a number of factors outside the price of the item. The first step is to ensure that the quoted price includes new tracks - the metal parts in which the rollers are to move up and down. If not, you may want to find the ones that does to cut the costs. To get the best deal, just like many consumer products, it’s advisable to just shop around to compare the various costs.

There are usually a wide range of professional garage door installers in many cities. You reach out to them and find the few ones who can provide you with a written estimate. A good option would also be to compare the garage door costs provided by Home Depot and Lowe’s. Generallly, what determines your garage door cost may be reflected in the material you go for as well as your choice of style.

Is your garage door a bit old and outdated? Are you planning to make some renovations? Or perhaps you just want a newer and more stylish garage door, that’s safer and easier to operate, installed. Fitting a garage door can be a bit tricky but it’s not as difficult as you might think. If you’re without proper training or experience, it’s advisable to get in touch with a reliable professional for help in order to guarantee the best results while also saving you both time and money. This guide offers you step by step instructions to assist you in the installation of a new door on our garage.

To get started, the obvious first step is to remove the old garage door. Carefully go through the manufacturer’s instructions to achieve this. Here, you’d basically have to unlatch the door, take apart the door’s panel and unscrew the tracks.

lMeasure, Fit The Hinges & Handles

• Take a measurement of the area in which the door will be fitted

• From the top of opening to ceiling should include a space of about 10 to 12.

• For the length of the garage, you should have the door’s height with about 18 or more space.

• Once done, attach stops to the sides of the opening

• Lay out the bottom piece of the door and include the weather stripping (if you deem fit) using the sawhorses.

lPut The Bottom Piece In Position

• Fit the bottom piece into door frame using a level

• Hit nails partway into each jamb

• Bend the nails slight to secure their position.

• Assemble the vertical, curved and horizontal pieces of the track using the manufacturer’s instruction

lFit The Remaining Panels

• Put the second panel on the first panel

• Use a hammer to hit nails into it

• Fit the hinges.

• Repeat the process for the number of panels required and achor individual piece into the door jamb.

lInstall Rollers

• Fit the rollers in the section’s supports

• Put the rollers in the assembled track and make sure they’re not pressed to tightly against the track to prevent friction.

lSecure Tracks & Fit The Springs

• Fit the curved and horizontal pieces

• Assemble the springs following the manufacturer’s instructions

• Ensure that the tracks are level and parallel by lifting the door to about half length

• Lift the door to cover the distance left and fit the springs to the pulley system

What Is Better, Steel Or Aluminium For A Front Door?

If you’re extending or refurbishing your home or property or constructing a new one, you’ll, sooner or later, get to the point when you’d have to determine the type of door material you want to use. The most common choices include steel, aluminium, wood and PVC. However, in this article we’ll only be looking at steel and aluminium to discuss which is better for a front door. Let’s take a look!

✓ Home security. Intruders and unwanted visitors are always a concern regardless of where you live. If this is your biggest concern when going for a front door then steel doors are your best bet as they happen to be one of the sturdiest and strongest materials that can be used to manufacture a door. Not only do they not crack or warp, but they also offer some high security models that features a large number of locks as well as hinges with various style designs. However, this does not mean aluminium are left behind on this subject either as there are also some high security doors that uses aluminium as the primary metal component.

✓ Thermal insulations. Both door presentations are not completely made of steel or aluminium. For a better insulation, they’ll feature other materials such as foam,wood, polystryene foam, or fibreglass core to prevent the escape of heat. As a result, both doors can do a great job when it comes to thermal insulation like keeping your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter for a better energy efficiency.

✓ Aesthetics. If this is your primary criteria for a front door, then aluminium has a wide range of colours and styles to match the style of your home.

Many doors are made to measure. If you require a non-standard door width, ask a professional door installation company to measure your aperture and manufacture a door to fit. It could be that a small amont of brickwork is needed to accomodate the new door.

Should A Front Door Be Metal?

Being the home’s first access point, the front or entry door must be effective at preventing unwanted visitors or intruders from gaining entry into the house. Also, from a stylistic point of view, your door should be appealing and make both residents and guests feel welcome. These, rather contradictory standpoints, are best met by metal doors as they’re able to offer both security and beauty to any home or property. As a result, making them the perfect door material especially for front or entry doors. In this article, we’re going to look at what makes metal the proper material for front doors. Let’s have a look!

✓ It provides a grand entrance to both residents and guests. Front doors made out of metal are able to deliver a perfect blend between durability and elegance. They can be customized to suit the specific taste of the home or property owner or constructed to appear as inviting as the residents of the house would prefer. What’s more? It’s very pleasing to know that a visually appealing door goes a long way to add to both the style and value of any home.

✓ It serves a reliable security measure. Beyond the look of metal doors are their immense ability to provide protection from external elements. And since iron is sturdier than any other material incorporated in making front doors, burglars or any other unwanted visitors will find it a herculean task to forcefully gain entrance into your home. Even if you decide to make use of glass to add to the design, the integrity of the metal door will never be compromised.

✓ It’s a great value for money. Not only does metal doors provide both beauty and security, but they’re also more affordable than door materials like wood or fibreglass and requires only a little maintenance. With advanced technology, energy efficiency now constitutes part of the metal door offerings.