Find a Door Fitter you can trust in Thames Ditton.

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you wish to increase the visual appeal of your home with a new exterior door or simply to alter the appearance of an outdated or plain bedroom or bathroom, doors can also go a long way to improve the look of your home.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.

Composite front doors offer a wide range of benefits which includes numerous style and colour options, increased security, personalization options, durability as well as low maintenance requirements. However, with so many options available in the market, it’s also expected that the prices would vary greatly depending on many factors. These factors include the colour, style of the composite door, glazing option, door furniture as well as security locks.

• Colour - More popular and basic colours like white, blue and brown black are manufactured in mass, making them a bit lesser than the unusual colours as they usually go through an expensive colour mixing process.

• Style Of The Door - The most common and popular door styles are manufactured in large quantities and consequently, the cheaper option than the more complex styles. A good example is the six panel door that features two frosted glass inlays will definitely cost more than the four panel plain white composite door.

• Glazing Option - The glass type, design and panel size all play a huge role in determining the price. The more complex your glazing option is, the more money you’ll have to pay.

• Door Furniture - Several composite doors come with bespoke handles, letterplates and knockers to achieve your desired finish. The furniture additions on door can also play a huge role in influencing the overall cost of your composite door.

• Security Locks - Multi point locks typically comes as a standard. However, you might need to determine the type required by your as the quality and type can vary considerably.

Generally, to have a basic style composite door installed, you’ll have spend about £850 and above. And depending on the design requirements and glazing features you select, this price can increase significantly.

So you’ve decided to add some new French doors for your home? If yes, then you’re likely going to be concerned about whether or not you’ll require a planning permission to get started.

Properties are compelled to meet certain requirements and have proper permission in place in order to be in line with the regulations. Overall, you’re going to need planning permission in the following situations:

• If you want to construct something new.

• If you want to a make a major change to a building like an extension.

• If you want to change the use of your building such as converting it from residential to commercial.

Getting a new door or replacing an existing one doesn’t usually require a planning permission as it’s one of the less complicated improvements you can make to a home. As a result, this kind of improvement is normally covered by permitted development rights especially when you’re not constructing an extension for which to use the French door. However in the events whereby a permission is needed, it will most likely going to be granted if the proposed changes does not have an impact on the primary elevations of the house which is usually the front of the building.

It’s also important to note that permitted development can be limited by local authorities. These limitations include buildings in a conservation area, listed buildings, and if you happen to reside in an area of immense aesthetic appeal or other designated areas like National Parks. If such situation before you change your French doors, it’s important to consult your local authority before proceeding.

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.

What Is A Bifold Door?

Right from time the conventional choice incorporated in closing large doorways have always been French doors or sliding doors. However, with the advent of bifold doors design, there has been a great alternative which can go a long way to increase the value, visual appeal as well as space-saving functionality of a home or property. Due to the fact that these design is relatively new to the market when compared to its counterparts, the benefits are not yet defined. However being a popular option it’s definitely worth knowing a bit more of the pros and cons of installing bifold doors. Let’s have a look!

How do bifold doors work? They simply work based on a concertina principle, folding back hinged frames and glass panels into a compact storage area which appears to be a bit small in a room’s corner but opens up an entire doorway. And unlike their counterparts - the French doors or standard hinged doors, bifold doors feature panels that are hinged together and inserted on the runners in the floor as well as the upper lintel or doorway’s beam. As you open the door, the door’s panel slide and fold concurrently without limiting the doorway’s size in any way.

It may also incorporate what is called the “traffic door. The traffic door simply refers to the conventional swinging door which can serve as one of the bifold door’s components. This goes a long way to enhance the functionality of the bifold door by creating a standard door within its arrangement. What’s more? It adds convenience to the bifold door’s design in such a way that only a single panel will have to be opened to gain a quick access anytime its required without having to fold back all panels each time the door is put to use.

A French door simply means a door style which features two sections that pivots on hinges installed on the door framing’s opposite sides, which opens and closes at the centre. Glass panels are used to make each door’s section covering the middle of the door ( either individual panels that are muntins framed or a single panel of glass). When open, the whole doorway is an open space with no post at the middle. French doors are popular for a number of reasons. Not only do they bring a particular level of charm, class and elegance to your home, but also allow natural light into a room and create a wide opening unlike a sliding patio door. They’re mostly installed at the rear of a home so as to allow for a direct walkway exiting the house and straight into the garden, thereby making your garden even a lot more closer to your home.

There are 3 main types of patio doors which includes the following:

• External or French patio doors

As the name suggests, they’re the French door that leads outside mostly into the garden. Generally when opened, the two door swings outwards, but there are some that can open inwards. They mostly possess a number of large glass panels which enable natural light to brighten up your home.

• Interior

This basically means fitting double French doors between two rooms in a house. This is very similar to the external ones with two doors and also made up of glass panels.

• Sliding

They are very similar to both the external and interior designs but rather than the two doors swinging open, they slide apart to create a great amount of space to walk into the garden. This is the classic charm that sliding French doors provide.

When you think about installing an electric garage door, one thing that naturally comes to mind is that purchasing and fitting of an electric garage door would be an expensive luxury. Having a garage door controlled by a remote control will probably cost too much, right? Well, contrary to many beliefs, the average cost of an electric garage door in the UK isn’t as expensive or pricey as you would have earlier imagined it to be. Of course, the price of your new electric garage door depends on a wide variety of factors such as the type of garage you possess, its aperture, construction as well as the type of electric garage door you seek.

Electric garage door aren’t that expensive considering the protection and convenience they provide, making them a viable option that should be considered for your garage. In the UK, a steel up-and-over single garage door price ranges around £700 to £900 plus £150 to £250 installation fee. Whereas, a costly single timber, trackless overlap door can cost as much as £4,200 to £5000 with about £400 to £700 installation price. A double garage door will usually cost double the price to purchase with just a little increase in the cost of the fittings.

The convenience provided in using an electric garage door is one of the main reasons why most people would prefer fitting it in their house. Just the thought of arriving home and driving through the wall of your garage with just a click of a button and without having to leave the comfort of your vehicle can be very appealing. And also with a click of a button you can keep your garage safe and secure from any potential danger. At the end of the day, the convenience and other benefits that comes with an electric garage door largely outweighs the price involved.

How Long Do Bifold Doors Last?

Are you ready to make the bifold doors investment decision? There’s one thing that might you may be hesitant about - how long do bifold doors last? Well, if this is the case then you’re not alone as this happens to be one of the most frequently asked question on bifold doors by potential investors. However the lifespan of bifold doors is based on a number of influencing factors such as the manufacturer of the door, the materials used in making the bifold door as well as how properly maintained it is.

There are several types of materials which can be used in making bifold doors. These includes aluminium, uPVC as well as wood. Amongst all the options, aluminium happens to be an incredibly robust material and when produced, it can have a lifespan of about 30 to 50 years on a property with good maintenance. Aluminium boasts a perfect blend of strength and malleability which happens to be a lot less likely to warp, expand or rot when compared to wood ( timber) or uPVC bifold doors. As a result, the life expectancy an aluminium bifold doors is expected to have is up to 45 years which is considerably larger than that of the uPVC at 25 to 35 years. What’s more? Aluminium framing is designed to last a long period while also being largely resistant to corrosion because aluminium does not rust as a result of the oxide layer on its surface. The function of the oxide layer is to protect the underlying metal while also being resistant to corrosion. As a result, the aluminium door is adequately protected from rain as well as acidity which are especially more present in the coaster regions.

It must be noted that the bifold doors only require minimal maintenance, however this is quite significant in ensuring the door lasts long.