Find a Door Fitter you can trust in Haywards Heath.

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you wish to increase the visual appeal of your home with a new exterior door or simply to alter the appearance of an outdated or plain bedroom or bathroom, doors can also go a long way to improve the look of your home.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

Doors can be bought in a range of materials, such as wood, aluminium or uPVC. There are also more modern composite doors which use a variety of different materials for toughness and durability. Doors are also available in glass reinforced plastic (GRP), and engineered timber.

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.

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.

Unlike several other complex multi choice products, composite door prices are no great mystery. However, it all depends on your personal preferences as well as your budget. There are a variety of customization options and extras, so you can easily select one that’s unique to your home. Composite doors offer you more colours, more styles, a greater choice of accessories as well as more glazing options. With the availability of a plethora of options in the market, it’s very hard to provide a precise price for a composite door as all the options play a significant role in the price structure.

• The Door’s Quality

Composite doors commonly comes with either a CFC-free insulating polyurethane (PU) foam or a laminated hardwood core. The price to be paid will depend on the quality of the composite with the laminated hardwood core being of more quality and ultimately, more expensive.

• Glazing Options

Between a coloured leaded glass double panel and a clear double-glazed panel there’s a huge price difference. And within these two extremes, there are also many other variables.

• Accessories

There are a world of choices when it comes to accessories in terms of the handle styles, letterplates, knockers and more. All playing a role in the price of the composite door.

• Locking System

A common feature of several composite doors is the multi point locking systems. However, the price, choice and security of the lock cylinder can be hugely different which also play a part in the price of the composite door.

• Location

Your geographical location plays an even more important part when you’re having your door installed. For instance, delivery in certain areas in the UK or finding tradesmen comes at a premium which is also shown in the price.

When it comes to the installation of an external door in your home or property, you’ll be indulged with a plethora of styles and options available in the market today. But as you would have imagined, not all of these options and styles are created equal. Not all can match the security and quality standards of a composite door. A door’s quality is greatly influenced by a wide variety of factors such as the materials incorporated as well as the overall design. For instance, going for a door made with low quality materials can as well be synonymous with leaving your door open while going out.

Composite doors are modern type of door used in homes in recent times. They’ve been design to combat the common flaws identified in singular material doors. The door puts together a perfect mix of materials which have been singled out due to their beneficial properties and effectively taps out the “old flaws. Composite doors are known to be highly resistant to weather conditions, no matter how extreme and unlike singular material doors, it does not react quickly to seasonal changes. And as a result of the insulating foam core of composite doors, they possess a higher thermal resistance than wooden doors.

Generally, a composite door is designed in such a way that makes it look as a wooden door featuring a very alluring wood grain. With the exceptional quality of the materials incorporated, the colours won’t fade, no discolouration will take place and ultimately, it doesn’t require much more than wiping with a damp cloth when it’s dirty as maintenance activity. In conclusion, composite doors are greatly designed modern doors which are manufactured using various materials. The premium quality provided by composite doors is unrivalled in the door industry.

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.

Do Bifold Doors Open In Or Out?

If you’re considering getting bifold doors, then you’d probably want to know if it’s going to open inwards or outwards. The answer to the question is both, it can open inwards or outwards. Generally bifold doors are configured with flexibility in mind. They’re designed in such a way that allows them to be opened inwards or outwards depending on your preference or what best suits the space on which they will be installed. As a result, when you’re considering the installation of new bifolding doors in your home or property, one of the things you’ll have to take into account is whether you want your bifold doors to open inwards or outwards. Below are a couple of tips that’ll help you make the best decision as to whether your bifold doors should open inwards or outwards.

• Where you’re going to fit your bifold doors can play a huge role in determining whether they’ll open inwards or outwards. For instance, if they’re going to be fitted in your dining room, the furniture you have there will determine if there’s enough space to accommodate them inside or otherwise.

• The frequency of use will also be an influencing factor. If the door is frequently used, then a bifold door set with a traffic door which opens outwards will be more convenient for heavy daily use.

• The size of your outdoor space. Is your outdoor space restricted by your patio’s size, the decking area or garden? If yes, the opening inwards would be the best option. So also if your door opens straight out onto a pathway, you might want to make the bifold doors open inwards as well so as not to block the path.