TIMBER ENTRANCE DOORS IN LONDON & SURREY

Whether you choose a hardwood, redwood or a combination of the two for your new entrance door, the best option for longevity and minimal warping or twisting is to choose a cross grain laminated timber.

Cross grain laminated timber is created by sawing the timber into strips, and then bonding it back together with the grains facing opposite directions. When the strips try to twist in opposite directions, they simply counter each other and the frame doesn’t twist or warp.

The lifespan of a quality timber door is decades rather than years, and the longest-lasting and most dynamically stable timber is a specially-treated redwood called Accoya.

Teknos, a world-leading timber paint manufacturer (and our preferred), has conducted extensive research on the lifespan of timber doors and windows.

This research has proven that where timber doors are sealed, painted and glazed in a factory (known as factory-finished), they will last up to 30% longer and require less maintenance than doors that are glazed or painted on site.

Choose from either a first fix or fully-finished installation.
First fix offers the flexibility of having your door installed into the opening, ready for your own builder to seal in and complete the finishing touches to the interior.

Opt for the fully-finished installation, however, and our approved installers will do it all for you, including making good the internal plasterwork, installing and painting any internal tread board, trims and period architraves.

Extend your painting cycles by applying 3-8 coats (or three thicker coats) of Teknos timber microporous paint at the start. We’ve found that, compared to standard painting cycles of 2-4 years, this additional step can extend your painting cycles to 8–12 years.

This technologically-advanced microporous paint allows the timber to breathe and prevents any flaking that you might see with oil-based paints. It essentially acts as a sun screen, preventing the sun’s harmful UV rays from damaging the timber underneath the paintwork. It’s worth noting that south-facing doors will require more frequent repainting than their north-facing counterparts.

There are a few ways you can protect the paintwork at home as well. Washing the polluted dust from the external faces with a sponge and water twice a year can have a big impact. And when it comes to repainting, ensure you use the same water-based microporous paint as a base coat, which can be applied without burning off the old paint, as you’d ordinarily do with oil-based paints.

A full range of period and contemporary ironmongery is available for entrance doors. Alternatively, visit your local ironmongery specialist shop and choose your own matching letter plate, handle, knocker etc. The manufacturer will then professionally fit them to your new door.

Dynamically stable engineered doors in single and double rebate options, combined with modern draught-proof seals, will keep your door draught-free in the most severe of weather.

The cross grain laminated timber frames are 30% stronger than standard frames and wont twist or warp like normal timbers giving you an airtight frame all year round. The seals used are of the highest quality from world leading manufacturers such as Schlegel.

For centuries, period timber doors were glazed from the outside, while the glazing was held in place either by putty or timber beads. If you live in a conservation area or would prefer external beading, both these options are still available.

However, for security and longevity reasons, internal glazing beads are the norm nowadays. Security-wise, the glazing cannot be removed from the outside if internal beading is applied, and internal beading simply lasts longer compared to external beads which are exposed to water and UV light.

The best double glazing for heat retention is coated with an invisible metallic low-emissivity soft coat. This is up to 33% more efficient at preventing heat loss, compared to the industry standard hard coat low-e alternatives.

We recommend soft coat double-glazed units with warm edge spacer bars and gas-filled cavities for ultimate performance.

As an alternative to clear glass, you can opt for lead strips on the glass in square, diamond or designer patterns. The glass that is held in between the lead patterns can also be stained and coloured.

If you have existing stained glass in your door, side panels or fan lights, these may be refurbished and replaced with triple-glazed units, with the refurbished stained glass making up the centre pane.

Astragal or Georgian bars can be inserted into double-glazed units of all period designs and shapes, and can be made up to replicate what you already have or create a completely different look.