Unlike wooden doors, the uPVC double glazed doors cost very much the same, whether they are for the front, side or rear of the property. The reason for this seems to be that they are all constructed in the same way. This also seems to account for the fact that side panels are almost the same price as doors.
The prices for uPVC doors and the various accessories available for customisation depend on a number of factors:
- Door cost. The average uPVC door prices range from around £250 up to £400. As stated earlier front doors are approximately the same price as back doors as are glazed panels.
- Colour range. White is usually the standard colour for uPVC doors but other colours are available including a number of imitation wood patterns. Additional colours will add about £150 onto the basic price.
- Glass panels. The type of glass panel you choose will affect the price of your door. Remember that glass panels are double glazed as standard but triple glazed will increase the price by at least £30. The four basic types of glass are: clear; decorative; opaque and safety. Within these four there are many subdivisions. Different glass choices will increase the cost by anything from £50 to £150 depending on size and type. Remember that the Building Regulations require certain size panes in certain locations to be safety glass. Ask a professional if you aren’t sure.
- Door grids. Decorative uPVC grids can be fitted onto a glass panel to simulate Georgian or other style windows. These will push the door price to the higher end of the price scale.
- To have additional insulation within the door may cost an additional £20 to £50. Draught sealing tape will be £5 to £10 extra while warm edge spacing bars will cost an extra £10 to £15.
- Accessories and door furniture. There are many accessories you can choose from. These include letter plates (£10 to £25); spyholes (£10 to £15); door knockers (£15 to £20); custom sills (£10 to £15).
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uPVC Door Fitting
If you watch an experienced professional carpenter installing an external door it will seem like a piece of cake. He or she will know exactly which tool to use for doing a certain task and will use the tool properly. Although a carpenter can hang an external door in a few hours, it is a fiddly job for the amateur and needs many different tools, as well as heaps of patience. If you have had experience with hanging external doors then, by all means, have a go, but remember that you will have to finish and make the property weathertight and intruder proof by the end of the day. There is another factor you must consider and that is that an external door is regarded as a “controlled fitting” and comes under the control of the UK Building Regulations. In practical terms, this means that you have two choices.
- Choose someone to install the uPVC door (and windows) who is FENSA registered. It could be a small or a large company but it is the person who is registered. A FENSA approved installer will be able to give you a certificate to prove that the external door or window has been installed in compliance with the Building Regulations. The certificate will come as part of the job and shouldn’t be charged extra.
- Choose someone who isn’t FENSA registered (including yourself) to install the door or window and then get the standard of workmanship checked by the local authority Building Inspector. You will have to pay for a certificate.
Once you have a FENSA certificate, keep it safe with your other documents because you will need it if you decide to sell your house in the future. It is always a good idea to hire FENSA registered professionals to fit doors and windows.
uPVC door installation costs
Installing a new uPVC door is a two-man job and will be charged at no less than half a day, but more than likely as a whole day.
| Professional day rates | |
| Carpenter | £150 to £200 per day |
| Labourer | £100 to £150 per day |
| To fit a typical uPVC door | |
| Labour | £250 to £350 |
| Cost of uPVC door | £250 to £400 |
| Accessories | £50 |
| Total | £550 to £800 |
Remember that this is the price to fit a standard uPVC door. If you want a side panel installed then add on an extra £250. The cost to fit a back door will be approximately the same and both installation costs will include removing and disposing of the existing door as well as issuing a FENSA certificate.
Every home needs a secure and hard-wearing external door. Not only do we need external doors to keep ourselves and our personal possessions safe from intruders, but we also need them to keep our pets and children indoors while keeping the adverse weather conditions outside. They are a vital piece of insulation against the cold and wet to help save us money on heating bills.
There are many different kinds of external doors available but by far the cheapest and the best for keeping indoors dry and warm are the uPVC “plastic” doors. If you compare a uPVC door to a wooden external door you will find that uPVC provides far better weather resistance combined with far less maintenance. They will not warp or stick when damp and only need a wipe down with a damp cloth to provide a light surface cleaning.
You can expect a uPVC door to last up to 25 years and the manufacturer’s warranty is commonly 10 or 15 years. They have strong secure locks that are a combination of deadlocks, latches and hooks and usually engage with the frame at three or four locations. They come complete with a frame so if you decide to have a uPVC front door you will have to remove the wooden frame as well. There are many uPVC doors and frames built to standard external door sizes so it should be no problem at all for a carpenter or even someone with good DIY skills to remove the old door and frame and install a uPVC external door.
What door styles are there?
You probably already know where you want to put the new uPVC door otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. It could be a front door or a back door or even a replacement set of patio doors. There are a number of different styles available to you depending on the existing layout of your home and which door you intend to replace. If you decide to choose an external door with an inset window, the glass panel will be double glazed as standard or if you wish there is an option of triple glazing.
- Front door. There are many different styles of the front door to choose from. Cheap uPVC doors are often just as good as the more expensive ones; the additional extras are the only things that really push the prices up. Depending on your choice there are double glazed windows supplied as optional extras. Most uPVC doors come with high-security locks as standard and are often anti-crowbar too. Door furniture (handles, letterboxes, knockers, spy holes etc.) can be customised to suit the style you are trying to achieve.
- Back doors. The specifications of these are just as varied and as good as for a front door. uPVC back doors tend to have larger areas of glass which of course are double glazed both as clear or opaque and there is an option for triple glazing if you need it. Cat and dog flaps are easily installed so your pets can come indoors or out as often as they want. As with all double glazed back doors, uPVC doors are highly energy-efficient, safe against the weather and have secure, heavy-duty locks and latches.
- Stable doors. These are a traditional rustic style that allows for two sections of the door to be opened independently or as a single door. Many uPVC stable doors have a galvanised steel core that makes them very difficult to break into. Because you can open the top section while leaving the lower section locked, it means that you can have ventilation without having to worry about small children or pets from running outside. Many uPVC doors including stable doors come with an option for low profile thresholds. This makes them compliant with the UK Building Regulations Part M allowing for easier access for prams, pushchairs and wheelchairs.
- French doors. These are a pair of side hung doors, both hung in the same frame. French doors tend to be fitted to the rear of the house and provide additional access from the house to the garden. The standard widths for these start around 1050mm and go up to about 2100mm. Heights are variable too with the maximum height being about 2200mm. There are many glazing options for French doors: fully glazed; fully glazed with a mid-rail; part-glazed with a plain lower panel; part-glazed with a moulded lower panel or full glazed with mid-rail and obscure glass on the lower part and clear glass on the upper part. As with all uPVC double glazed doors, the French door locks are just as good as those fitted to single uPVC doors.
- Patio doors. These have exactly the same functionality as French doors except that they slide in a top and bottom groove. Like all uPVC doors, the locking system is really good offering multiple locking points to help protect against intruders. They come in many different styles so that you can match the existing style of your property. And as with most uPVC doors, there is an option to choose a low-level threshold for ease of using wheelchairs, prams and pushchairs.
- Bi-fold doors. This type of door consists of multiple doors hinged together and all sliding inside a top and bottom groove. When open, the doors fold back against the side of the frame like a concertina allowing plenty of access room through the opening. They are usually super slim and have more glass and less uPVC than other patio or French doors. These doors maximise the light coming into your home and when open, extend your home into the garden.
Whether you choose a uPVC double glazed front door, back door or one of the extra-wide patio style doors, always check that the glass complies with the building regulations. In fact, all external doors are considered to be a “controlled fitting” which means that they will require consent from the local building authority. The company carrying out the installation will need to be FENSA registered or else you will have to have an inspection by the Building Control Officer. Either one of these will be able to issue a certificate of compliance. If you don’t have one of these, you may have problems with conveyancing when you come to sell the property.
To finish
Having a uPVC door installed to your property is a good idea if your existing door has started to warp, stick and rot. Wood doors and frames will always suffer when they reach their old age. Wood absorbs water and eventually starts to swell and rot and that is the time to change doors. uPVC doors and frames are weatherproof, need very little maintenance, stops heat from escaping and will last for many years longer than a wooden door.
Choose your uPVC door wisely so that it complements the style of your home and doesn’t look an eyesore. Measurements for a new uPVC door and frame need to be accurate and preferably done by the professional who will be installing the door and frame. When they have finally been installed, pay your bill on time and make sure you get a FENSA certificate from the installer to prove the double glazed unit has been installed in compliance with the UK Building Regulations.
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