External door quandry

[Halo Jones]

We are wanting buy a new external kitchen door and are going for a full glass (pattern 10?) design as our kitchen is pretty dark. I would prefer a solid wooden frame but the boss is worried about the door swelling and sticking etc. If we go for a engineered door I am worried about it delaminating! The kind of thing we have been looking at is:
http://www.doordeals.co.uk/products/ext ... ernal.aspx
http://www.fine-doors.co.uk/external-do ... or-unglaze

Note that I wouldn't have minded having a go at making the door myself but it has been vetoed on time grounds.

We don't need super ridiculous U-values but would like something around 1.6 and this seems reasonably achievable.

Does anyone have any recommendations for companies, or what to look for and avoid?

Thanks.

 

[Mike G]

I've only a second.....

Steel-faced doors might be a good compromise. They don't suffer from movement issues, and are indistinguishable from timber doors. As a bonus, they don't need decorating. Here is IG's version:

http://www.igdoors.co.uk/door-ranges/steel-doors

 

[RogerS]

Over on WWUK you mentioned maybe making them yourself. Is this still on the cards or does your comment above supersede that ?

 

[Phil]

I've only a second.....

Steel-faced doors might be a good compromise. They don't suffer from movement issues, and are indistinguishable from timber doors. As a bonus, they don't need decorating. Here is IG's version:

http://www.igdoors.co.uk/door-ranges/steel-doors

The garage door on the new house is pressed steel panels that look like painted timber doors. No decorating, just a bucket of warm water and a rag and it looks great.
(Compared to the old house solid wooden garage doors that had to be oiled every 6 months.)

My vote would go for the steel door.

 

[Halo Jones]

I hadn't considered steel. Will add that to the list of possibilities! The trouble I am having at the minute is that because we only want a single door rather than swapping out all the door and windows many of the larger companies are putting us off by adding on a ridiculous delivery charge (£200 -£600), mainly because the door will be getting shipped from Scandinavia or Eastern Europe.

Over on WWUK you mentioned maybe making them yourself. Is this still on the cards or does your comment above supersede that ?

Everything is still up in the air. For the sake of time we would ideally buy. The boss rolled her eyes when I mentioned I could make it myself but didn't rule it our entirely - and I do have all the woodworking tools to do it. But I am slow! Depends if we can find what we want at a price that seems reasonable.

I am also considering Accoya but the closest joinery firm I can find to do it is 40 miles away - waiting for a quote from them. As you will have read on the other forums none of our local timber merchants supply Accoya but I can get it from the main Scottish distributor.

 

[Woodbloke]

Have a look a 'Direct Doors' https://www.directdoors.com/external-do ... 0woduRUGWQ

All sorts of doors, external and internal. This is a proper external back door I recently fitted:

Fantastic service and great 'phone back up as well. Ring them up with any queries and the girlie puts you straight through to a joiner/fitter. All doors these days are engineered, solid timber seems to be a thing of the past. This one is m/t construction and has a mdf/pine core, then veneered with American White Oak, finished with three coats of Osmo Oil.
Fairly spendy; this one was £300+ but very, very heavy and it closes with a satisfying 'ker thunk' against the frame. They also do a complete range of door furniture including hinges, bolts etc - Rob