Painted Wooden Front door V's a uPVC one

[CO2000]

Hi,
Looking for some info on living with a Painted Wooden Front door V's a uPVC one with a young family.

I really want to go for a quality, gloss black, 6 panel, traditional georgian door but my Wife is worried about it getting scraped/dented etc by our 2 boys (& dog) She is suggesing a wood effect black uPVC one but they seem to way over the top showing grain.
The other option is a wooden veneered one but don't know if they are any better or possibly suspect they have the worst of both about them!

What normal maintenance would be expected with a Painted Wooden Door/frame ? (gloss black if it makes any difference)

Thanks for any info on the above + what to look out for when buying a wooden one if I get my way

Cheers,

Co.

 

[xerxes]

A good quality wooden door will always be superior to anything in uPVC: better looking and more secure. The downsides are the maintenance, and possible problems with swelling of the wood and consequent sticking. But uPVC doors can give trouble when they get out of adjustment, or the multipoint locks stop working properly. In addition, if a uPVC door gets scratched it can be difficult to polish the scratches out.

Nobody can tell you how often you would have to repaint a wooden door: it depends on the amount of knocks and abrasion it gets, and the weather, especially the amount of sunlight it's exposed to. And then again, how fussy you are.

Using satin rather than gloss would mean less worry about fingermarks etc. showing.

Another option to consider is a composite door: more secure than uPVC; not as good looking as wood unless you like imitation wood grain; no maintenance, apart from perhaps occasional adjustment; quite expensive.

 

[CO2000]

Thanks for the reply Xerxes, when you say composite is that wooden veneered (PVC)? & yes satin black may be the best finish option if its wooden we/I go for.

Cheers.

 

[xerxes]

Composite doors have a fibreglass skin, commonly with a wood grained effect (not a veneer). See this example.

Clearly, the outside skin by itself makes little difference to the door's overall quality and security. However, good quality composite doors will often be made to a higher standard than the common or garden white PVC variety.

 

[CO2000]

Composite doors have a fibreglass skin, commonly with a wood grained effect (not a veneer). See this example.

Clearly, the outside skin by itself makes little difference to the door's overall quality and security. However, good quality composite doors will often be made to a higher standard than the common or garden white PVC variety.

Thanks for that & the link, they look pretty good. It will be between one of those & wood (most likely solid as I'm not so sure on the engineered wood ones). Need to see a few finished in black before we decide what to get.

 

[CO2000]

Now ordered a 6 panel Composite one in black - should look very nice

Thanks for the help as I hadn't even heard of composite ones before I posted.

 

[piper64]

How has it stood up to knocks and useage? Has the colour chipped off at all?

I've just bought one, £650 and it is clearly sprayed white, yet I was expecting a white coloured GRP skin, that would take the knocks. There are already small areas where the paint has chipped off.