New front door

Joined
1 Nov 2007
Messages
142
Reaction score
1
Location
Hertfordshire
Country
United Kingdom
I'm planning to replace the rather flimsy front door of my house (1970s, probably pine framing, with large upper and lower glass panels) with a more modern timber one that will keep the cold out better. Probably timber panels, with only a small amount of glazing in the upper half.

Looking at the popular DIY stores sites, I see many doors which are described as "oak veneer". Are they really robust enough for outdoor use, or should I stick to "hardwoord door" or other such description? Even "hardwood door" could, I suppose, be a veneer, so what are the buzzwords I need to look for please?

Secondly, many of the pictures on the web sites show the doors without any letter box or other ironmongery. Is it standard procedure to have to cut the letterbox slot yourself, or if there's no slot does that mean the door would be weakened too much if one was to put one in?
 
Sponsored Links
get a hardwood door not veneer and yes you have to cut out your own letter box hole
 
If you have room beside the door, to the hinge side, put your letter box there. It is possible to manipulate rimlocks and doorkeys through a letter box using a simple home-made tool, and the further away the letterbox is from the lock, the better.
 
Sponsored Links
Sorry I didn't get back sooner, and thanks for the replies.

I'll definately go for hardwood, rather than veneer. My initial searches of the popular DIY stores brought up many hardwood-lookalike-veneer ones, but on Googling a bit further I've found plenty of hardwood ones at even cheaper prices than the veneers :D

No room for a letter box beside the door, so I'll go for the traditional letterbox cut into the door.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top