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you wish to increase the visual appeal of your home with a new exterior door or simply to alter the appearance of an outdated or plain bedroom or bathroom, doors can also go a long way to improve the look of your home.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

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.

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.

Do I Need A Planning Permission For Bifold Doors?

Are you thinking about installing bifold doors for your home or property? If yes, you’d probably want to know if you’re going to need planning permission. Well, you’re not alone! Being fully aware the application process for planning permission might not be the easiest of tasks, several home owners would like to know if they’ll be going through the process for installing bifold doors. The answer is, you may actually not need a planning permission for installing bifold doors in your home. Adding or replacing doors is basically one of the home improvement efforts that are less complicated and as a result, they normally do not require planning permission. But despite that, they still need to comply with the UK’s building regulations.

Changing or adding doors to your home or property are usually considered to be covered under permitted development and even more so, when there’s no extension constructed for the doors. However under certain circumstances, these rights can be removed by the local authorities. A good example is when the property is a listed building or in a designated conservation area.

In the event whereby you find yourself having to apply for a planning permission, the time it usually takes to be granted one depends on the number of planning applications on queue. However, it typically takes about 8 weeks or 2 months to tender your application and be granted planning permission if it’s required. To apply for planning application by UK households, you’ll have to pay £172 - which is the set application fee nationwide. In certain situations where objection arises, there may be some delays in the process. If you’re still not certain whether your new bifold doors will require a planning permission, we’d recommend consulting your local authority.

As the name suggests, composite doors are made up of multiple components or materials which includes uPVC and foam or solid timber core, just to mention a few. Individual materials incorporated manufacturing a composite door plays their own important role with unique properties which are perfectly blended to give the strongest and most durable door materials currently available in the market. These materials are pressed and glued together as they’re subjected to high pressure conditions.

The need to counteract the weaknesses found in most single material doors, ultimately gave birth to the development of composite doors - which puts together several materials with specific properties to cancel out each others’ excesses or weaknesses. Purchasing a composite door means a valuable investment in a sturdy door frame manufactured using the toughest and most robust materials. In other words, you’re increasing the security of your home, enjoying the weatherproofing qualities of the door and also giving you a peace of mind knowing both your loved ones and properties are safe, well protected and secured. Apart from the materials used in making the door, you’re also provided with an array of choices when it comes to the personalization of the door to your needs and taste. You can choose from a variety of colours, woodgrain effects, textures as well as finishes.

Overall, composite doors also requires little maintenance and are very durable. Due to the modern techniques used in manufacturing a composite door, the colour as well as beauty is guaranteed to last a very long time. What’s more? Generally, the composite is weather and fade resistant so you won’t have to worry about spending either time or money for the care or maintenance of your door even after frequent or heavy usage.

It is possible to replace a door without replacing the frame. However, most people choose to replace both their door and frame at the same time, as this is likely to make your home security and energy efficiency better, particularly if your existing front door is very old or the frame is distorted.

If you’re going through new constructions or renovations and looking to change your old front door and install a brand new composite door, then you’re at the right place. Composite door fitting can be a DIY project but it’s essential to have the necessary training and experience before commencement. If not, we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional to guarantee the best results and save yourself some time and money.Here, we’ll give a good insight into the composite door fitting process.

To get started, here are some of the tools that may be required - tape measure, hammer, stanley knife, crowbar, chisel, saw. Silicone sealant gun, spirit levels, electric drill ( including the hammer section), rubber mallet and 6mm socket spanner.

lPreparation

• Remove the existing door by rounding up the door frame firstly with a knife to reduce the possible damage to the wall.

• Cut through the door jambs.

• Remove each in two separate sections.

• Ensure the opening is level without any screws, mastic and filler.

lAlign Your Composite Door

• Ensure the sill of the door is level and flat.

• Make sure the frame is square and plumb in both planes.

• Bridge the cavity of the wall and cover the DPC

• Ensure that the frame is square. If not, your composite door won’t function as it should.

lInstall Your Composite Door

• Place the door in the frame.

• Hold the frame firmly in position with wedge packers

• Make sure the packers are positioned close to where the fixing will be placed.

• Make sure the jams are square and plumb in all planes by using a long spirit level.

• Secure the frame to the brickwork with the use of a drill.

• Place the fixings at the top and bottom of each hinge as well as each of the lock keep.

• Top fixings should be fitted 150mm and 250mm from each corner.

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.