Composite and uPVC are two of the most popular choices for front doors, and it’s easy to see why.
Both doors feature a precisely engineered material composition, which ensures durability, low maintenance, high strength, and a long lifespan.
But, which is the best choice for your property?
To help you narrow down your options, and invest in a new front door that ticks all your boxes, keep reading.
Below, we’ve shared our guide to choosing between Composite doors and uPVC doors, including summaries of their respective strengths, advantages and USPs.
What is the difference between Composite Doors and uPVC Doors?
Composite doors and uPVC doors both consist of different material compositions, which lend them their unique properties.
Composite doors are made from a combination of key materials. These include wood, insulating foam and glass-reinforced plastic and, depending on the door, can also include uPVC. By combining these different materials, the door manufacturer can bring each material’s individual advantages together (e.g. the appearance of wood, and the insulation of specialist foam).
For uPVC doors, the door is made from a single material: Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC). This plastic material is then usually reinforced with steel or aluminium, and then filled with an insulating material, to further improve performance.
How do Composite Doors and uPVC Doors compare?
Below, we’ve weighed these two door types against each other, based on several key categories and performance areas.
Safety & Security
In terms of safety and security, it is composite doors that are the leader.
Composite doors are renowned for their state-of-the-art security features. Not only is their construction engineered for high security – often featuring a solid, dense core – but they are also made with advanced, multi-point locking systems.
In comparison, although uPVC doors are still secure, they are made from a single material, and are typically made hollow (before being reinforced with steel or aluminium). So, although they do boast some security, they are not as secure as composite doors.
Colour Options
uPVC doors offer a limited colour range, and are usually only available in standard shades (black, white, greys and browns). This is because uPVC doors are prone to colour fading (as a result of UV exposure). Although you can buy uPVC doors in synthetic wood finishes, they aren’t always completely convincing. So, if having a range of colours or a wooden finish are important to you, then a composite door is your best bet.
Composite doors are available in a wide range of colours, including standard white, black, greys and browns, plus more unusual colours like blues, reds, greens and so on. They also boast an attractive wood-grain finish, which adds a timeless style. Thanks to the added layer of glass-reinforced plastic, these doors are extremely resistant to colour fading and weathering, meaning the colour remains neat and vibrant throughout its lifespan.
Style & Window Options
In terms of appearance, it’s down to personal preference. But, the wood-grain, natural finish of composite doors is generally a more popular option.
In comparison, the uPVC doors are obviously less natural-looking, which some property owners can find off-putting.
Regarding customisation, composite doors are highly customisable. When you work with a specialist door supplier, they will be able to offer you a wide range of options in terms of design style and decorative extras, including the addition of a variety of options for added windows.
You can also add a window to a uPVC door. Although they are usually more limited in style options, you can still choose from a range of window sizes and styles, too.
Insulation
Composite doors offer excellent insulation properties. This is all down to their multi-layered construction, alongside the addition of the insulating foam.
While both uPVC doors and composite doors usually feature an insulating foam, as composite doors also boast multiple layers (including a dense inner core), they usually outperform uPVC doors from an insulation standpoint. This includes both retaining heat within the house in the winter, and keeping your interiors cool during the summer.
Match with your garage
As composite doors are available in a wider range of design styles, they can also be matched with your garage door. Alternatively, your supplier can provide you with a new door and garage door at the same time, which are perfectly matched.
This is a fantastic way to create a seamless, elegant aesthetic for your property’s exterior.
In comparison, the more limited range of uPVC colours means that it’s harder to create a perfect colour match with a garage door.
Choosing a Composite Door for your property
Wolf Doors are a professional supplier of composite doors, trusted by property owners across the UK.
Our composite doors are extremely durable, and boast best-in-class security, insulation, weather-resistance and lifespans. At the same time, they have minimal maintenance requirements, meaning they will naturally retain their flawless finish for many years to come.
So, to find out more about the advantages of composite doors, or to explore our range, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We even offer a handy online front door designer. This nifty tool allows you to see all your available options, chop and change different ideas, and design your dream door.
