Benefits and myths of timber front doors

In this blog we will look at the benefits and some of the common myths of using timber as a material for your front door replacement.

What are the benefits of using timber for front doors?

1. Aesthetics: Timber doors offer an attractive and classic look to the exterior of a house that simply cannot be replicated using modern materials. A bespoke front door can enhance the look and feel of your property, making it more visually appealing from the kerb and create a stunning first impression for visitors.
2. Durability: Timber is strong, sturdy, and with the correct care and maintenance long-lasting, many historic properties still have their original doors in place after hundreds of years. This makes timber an ideal choice for exterior doors that need to withstand harsh weather conditions.
3. Insulation: Timber has a natural insulation property which helps improved thermal comfort within your home. And with the addition of modern draught proofing, it can reduce heating and cooling costs by preventing drafts and air leaks.
4. Unique design: A handmade front door can be designed to match your exact style and preferences and the architectural style of your property, whether your home is a Georgian villa, a Victorian townhouse, or a traditional country cottage.
5. Sustainability: Timber, as a construction material timber is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly construction material possible as it is a renewable resource that can be harvested sustainably.
6. Value: Timber doors can add value to a property as they are considered a high-quality option for an exterior door. In fact an interesting article in Ideal Home says that a blue front door could add as much as £4,000 to the value of your home, making it a valuable investment

What makes timber the ideal material for making external doors?

 

1. Renewable resource: Timber is a renewable resource, meaning that it can be regrown and harvested on a sustainable basis without depleting natural resources. All of the timber we use is in manufacturing doors are sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ensuring that all timbers are sourced from sustainable and well managed forests.
2. Low carbon emissions: Compared to other building materials, such as UPVC and aluminium, timber has a significantly lower carbon emission footprint during the manufacturing process. It also locks in carbon during its lifetime in a building, making it an effective carbon sink.
3. Energy efficiency: Timber offers excellent insulation properties, which can help to reduce energy consumption in buildings and minimize the need for heating and cooling systems.
4. Biodegradable: Timber is biodegradable and can be easily recycled or repurposed at the end of its useful life, reducing the need for landfill space, and minimizing waste.
5. Reduced environmental impact: Using sustainably sourced timber for construction helps to promote responsible forestry practices, reduce environmental impact, and support local communities.
6. Economic benefits: The use of timber in building construction can also provide economic benefits by creating job opportunities in forestry and timber-related industries, supporting local economies, and increasing property values.

 

Common myths about using timber for your front door.

 

1. Energy efficiency, many people have the perception that timber doors are draughty and cold compared to newer materials, we have already highlighted how timber has excellent and natural insulating properties as a material, but along with this we also include 2 x high performance draught seals around the perimeter of the door, a thermally broken threshold and insulted core panels. If there are any glazed panels within the door we use either A++ rated double glazed units where possible making our handmade doors the perfect choice for improving thermal efficiency.
2. Security, again many clients are familiar with the traditional sash style lock from older front doors, which we still install in some traditional designs, but what a lot of people do not realise is that we can incorporate a high security multi-point locking system with a timber door. Our preferred lock is a Wink Haus 5-point deadbolt that’s a German engineered and manufactured high quality locking system.
3. Longevity, a common misconception of timber doors is that they don’t last as long as some of the modern materials such as UPVC and aluminium, this simply isn’t true, they may require some minor maintenance over the years but there are still doors in regular use now that are well over 300 years old! All our doors are supplied fully factory finished so will not need repainting for around 10-12 years. The use of modified high performance timbers such as Accoya are offering a life span in excess of over 50 year, please see our guide all about the benefits of using Accoya.
4. Traditional styling, some people assume that timber is only used for heritage door styles such as paneled doors in Georgian and Victorian period properties. With all of our doors being hand made and bespoke we can create modern contemporary designs, such as this flush design with large stainless-steel pull handle we recently manufactured

 

 

If you would like to discuss a handmade bespoke front door for your home please contact us