Have you been looking for a new composite door? We know how hard it is to tell each brand apart from one another. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you with your decision.
What is a composite door? A composite door is made up of a variety of materials, which can include uPVC, wood, insulating foam and glass reinforced plastic. When combining these materials together effectively, a strong and highly secure composite door is created. However, the wrong combination of material or low quality materials will create an inferior door. Composite doors vary across the industry, and no two composite doors are the same.
The Endurance composite door has a solid timber core that is made up of 17 crossed laminated layers of veneer lumber, making it the strongest and most durable composite door on the market. A unique moisture barrier strip is also enclosed in the bottom of the door, stopping water ingress that can lead other composite doors to swell or warp.
Finally, the tough skin that is used to give an Endurance Door its authentic timber-like appearance has been specifically designed to reflect up to 95% of the heat from the sun. So the coloured skin of an Endurance door won’t fade or crack no matter how hot the British summertime gets.
A Solidor composite door also has a solid hardwood timber core, which sets it apart from softwood timber cores in the industry. While it does have slightly fewer layers of timber than the Endurance door, it is still a powerful door in the market, offering homeowners both security and durability. Solidor has a less robust barrier strip at the bottom of the door, which can make it more susceptible to both bowing and warping.
This said, Solidor composite doors have been firmly established in the industry. Solidor has an average rating of 3 stars on their Trustpilot page, sitting on the 55% mark for excellent reviews. Like all companies, there will be a range of excellent and poor reviews on their site.
Not all composite doors are made equal. Under the term ‘composite doors’ there are a variety of different products on the market. While both Endurance and Solidor are famed for their solid timber core, there are also composite door manufacturers who produce composite doors with a core made out of high-density polyurethane foam. Whilst these types of composite doors can be energy efficient, they cannot be compared with the quality and level of security offered by a solid timber core composite door.
Always check to make sure that when comparing composite door products you pay attention not only to how the door looks but also what it is made from and how it is constructed.
With Endurance composite doors, you get 17 cross laminated layers of Kerto veneer lumber. The Endurance door layers have been designed this way to provide the door with a level of solidity to its timber core. The solid timber core ensures our composite doors are resistant to bowing or warping. The Endurance door slab has a bowing tolerance of just 3 millimetres. This means that if your door were to bow even slightly, we would replace your door slab free of charge.
Endurance doors are one of – if not the – heaviest door on the market, making them the sturdiest and most secure composite door.
The Endurance composite door has a unique moisture barrier system that prevents moisture build-up, which helps to protect the solid timber core from bowing, warping or swelling.
Solidor composite doors measure the same 48mm thickness as Endurance, but with only 3 layers of laminated veneer. Solidor composite door slabs have a higher bowing tolerance with 7 millimetres of bowing. However, they still offer a hardwood timber core to their doors, making them a durable product.
Many other brands of composite doors provide a core that is made from soft timber or even a high density polyurethane foam. These cores can be enough to provide your home with a solid, durable door. However, with a softer core, the door is automatically more vulnerable to break-ins.
Here at Endurance, we have extremely positive feedback from our customers.
“Andy came out and surveyed, and took me through the many choices available from Endurance. I chose an Etna, which is a design similar to what I had, mainly because I loved my old failing door. I’m amazed at the difference in security and quality of my new door. It has a solid timber core and high security locking mechanism. The door is extremely sturdy. I’m thrilled with my door and the entire experience. The 10 year guarantee gives me complete peace of mind.”
Endurance has proven their composite doors provide the highest level of security by being fully Secured by Designed tested. All our composite doors undergo extensive testing to ensure each door meets Secured by Design standards. Giving you the peace of mind that your door was created with your home’s security in mind.
To prove further how secure our composite doors are, we underwent a sledgehammer test along with common burglary techniques to demonstrate just how difficult it would be to compromise your new door.
When creating our doors, we are committed to ensuring you, your family and your home are safe.
Solidor reassures homeowners that their composite doors are arguably the most secure on the market. There is evidence to prove the durability of their doors with their Secured by Design certification.
Endurance offers over 80 different styles across their Classic, Country and Urban ranges, as well as the new Avantal collection. From period to heritage, new to old, across these collections, we’re sure to have a style to suit your home.
Many Endurance styles have triple glazing and top leaded designs available to choose from. If you are unable to find the right door design and glazing combination for you, take a look at our range of 30+ glazing styles.
Solidor offers 58 door styles across their Traditional, Cottage and Contemporary Italia ranges. Across Solidor’s composite door ranges, they offer typical composite doors that can be found across the industry.
Other composite door brands offer some similar classic, urban and country styles – though there aren’t any other brands offering as many choices as either Endurance or Solidor.
To enhance the look of your composite front door, Endurance offers a wide choice of door hardware options. Each of the hardware choices come in a range of different colours and finishes. Endurance provides a vast array of letter plates, lever handles, lever pad handles, pull handles and knobs, knockers and locks, you can create your dream door.
Solidor offers a selection of door accessories in traditional and modern in a small number of colour alternatives. Focusing on more traditional colours and styling, meaning they may be more suited to older, period properties.
Other brands such as Rockdoor, offer stylish hardware accessories available in a handful of colours. From letter plates, lever handles, lever pad handles, pull handles, knockers, pull knobs and locks.
Endurance composite doors are made up of 17 layers of laminated veneer, featuring a solid timber core. Our composite doors are the market leaders when it comes to providing the perfect solution for your new door. With their 48mm thickness, they are 10% thicker than other composite doors available on the market. With their innovative design and durability, an Endurance composite door is an excellent, worthwhile investment for your home.
Our HomeView Door Designer offers a simple to follow step by step process, enabling you to construct your ideal composite door and see how it looks on your home.
