Stable doors might be the solution for you if you're looking for a door that combines practicality, security, and style. These unique doors have been growing in popularity in recent years, thanks to their ability to provide a traditional country feel to any property while also delivering modern benefits such as energy efficiency and low maintenance requirements. Whether you're a homeowner looking for a new entryway, or an architect searching for the perfect door for your latest project, this guide to UPVC stable doors will help you make an informed decision.
When looking for a new external door for your home, you'll have a choice between various styles. But none more versatile than uPVC stable doors.
Stable doors offer practicality and flexibility, which suits the modern lifestyle and works with contemporary and traditional properties.
Also, choosing uPVC or stable composite doors will deliver a strong, durable, low-maintenance, energy-efficient door.
Moreover, you can also choose a stable door in colour and finish to suit your interior and exterior décor.
Here we outline almost everything you need to know about stable doors before you make your final choice.
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What are Stable Doors?
Stable doors are similar to standard ones but have been split into top and bottom sections.
These sections open and close independently, so you can open the top half without the bottom.
Or you could open, close and lock them simultaneously like a regular door.
Many stable doors are designed on a 50:50 basis; for example, the top and bottom sections are equally sized.
But this can be adjusted to make one part larger than the other.
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uPVC Stable Doors vs Composite Stable Doors
You may be wondering, what is the difference between uPVC and composite?
• uPVC is Unplasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride, a lightweight and robust vinyl often used in windows and doors. A uPVC door usually has vacuum-pressed panels and dense polystyrene at the core with an outer UPVC frame.
• Composite doors are made from resilient Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP), bonded with a solid centre of foam and a timber frame with uPVC banding for the locks and hinges. Primarily, the door is ‘composed of several different materials to combine the best qualities of each, hence the name composite.
Both composite and uPVC doors offer a range of features and benefits which are appealing to homeowners, including:
• High energy efficiency ratings
• Highly durable with a long lifespan
• Wide choice of styles, including glazed options
• Wide range of colours and finishes, including woodgrain
• Effective security features
• Easy maintenance with no need to repaint or sand.
This is why it’s often difficult for people to choose the best option.
However, generally speaking, uPVC stable doors are less complex to produce and less expensive than composite stable doors.
Price is a significant deciding factor for many buyers, and as uPVC offers a high-quality finish, it’s not difficult to see why uPVC stable doors are so popular.
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Coloured Stable Doors
Both uPVC and stable composite doors are available in various colours and finishes.
The number of colours you can choose from will vary depending on the supplier you want, but you may be able to select a finish that resembles wood grain for a more traditional aesthetic.
Some homeowners even choose to use a different colour on the inside and outside of the door. For example, they may select white for the interior to blend in with their kitchen while using a bolder colour on the exterior.
The difference between uPVC stable doors and composite is that colouring is bonded to the surface of uPVC.
In contrast, composite doors are made from coloured materials, which can make them more durable.
Glazing
Several glazing options are available with stable doors, and many homeowners choose to include glass sections in the design.
They may opt for a half-glazed door using plain, patterned, frosted, or lead glass or a part-glazed door where a shaped section of glass is used, such as a circle or square.
Alternatively, of course, you can choose solid panels.
Security Features
uPVC stable doors can include a range of secure and robust locking mechanisms that improve the security of your home.
The most popular choice is the multi-point locks. That means that the top and bottom sections of the door can lock independently and be locked together.
While standard doors typically have 2 or 3 hinges, stable doors can also be fitted with a four-hinge heavy-duty to provide extra security when closed.
Also, uPVC doors include a core of galvanised metal to provide reinforcement and an extra security level.
This can also prevent the uPVC frames from warping over time. Some people can encounter issues with doors sticking or getting stuck in the frame.
Finally, if a section of the door is glazed, you can also include high-security glass within the door design, such as toughened or laminated glass.
A glazed section in the stable door can also be beaded internally, preventing the glazing from being removed from the frame by an intruder outside the door.
Where to Install a Stable Door
uPVC stable doors and composite stable doors are ideal for use as external doors, either at the front of the house or back.
They are most commonly installed as back doors, providing homeowners with an easy way to ventilate the home with fresh air.
Stable doors can be used as front doors. But this may mean that people who pass by your home or arrive at the front door will have instant visibility into your home.
Depending on your back garden's security, this could pose more security risk than having a stable door open at the back of the home.
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Are you looking for a new stable door for your home?
If you are interested in installing a uPVC stable door in your home, your next step is to find out how much it will cost.
Get in touch with Double Glazing Funding for more information on how we might be able to help you with the cost of installing new uPVC stable doors.
Call or complete our easy funding checker to see if you qualify for any available grants, funding, or incentives.