Best Front Doors for Security – What Features Matter?

The composite door takes top spot for being the most secure front door available to homeowners as it is constructed using a series of tough materials. In addition to its solid timber core, it also contains reinforced layers of UPVC and fibreglass and a blend of other concentrated constituents. Unlike traditional timber doors, it isn’t liable to crack, warp or lose its weakness over time.

Composite doors in Nottingham come with a multipoint locking mechanism, hard glass and ultra-secure hinges. This mix of components is what makes these designs the best front doors for security and protection when compared against standard UPVC and traditional timber doors.

Your choice of door material is fundamental for preventing a possible break-in and the same can be said for the locks embedded into the door.

The strongest doors will have a solid, reinforced core to arm a design with strength and make a forced entry supremely difficult to pull off, even when subjected to brute force.

• What door material is most secure?
  Experts are on the same page here, saying that composite doors have the most robust material – it consists of various materials, each renowned for its durability and resistance. Our premium collection of composite doors include solid steel hook locks that slide into steel and a 3 star cylinder lock.
• What locks do secure doors have?
  It’s as important that you have a reliable locking mechanism as the type of door material selected. Always look for doors with a high-security lock that meets British Standard BS3621, the minimum requirement. A multipoint lock, incorporated into most composite and UPVC doors, offers amplified security thanks to securing a door at several points along the frame.
• Is A UPVC Door Secure enough for the UK?
  UPVC doors in Nottingham do have the pedigree to keep a UK home secure as UPVC is a resilient material. On being paired with an intelligent lock, they will offer outstanding long-term protection.
• Which Door Is The Hardest To Break?
  The strength of a composite door makes it the hardest door to break, but this is on the assumption that it also has an intelligent lock, just like you get at Trent Valley Windows.

When in the market for the most secure front door, you want something with a strong material, high-security locks and reinforced frames to minimise the chances of your house being broken into.

Confirmation of a good front door for security will be replacement doors awarded the PAS 24 and Secured by Design accreditations.

Here’s an honest view on some of the most popular door materials to help you find a secure door solution:

In the first few years of their life, traditional timber doors are strong, but they’re prone to warping and weakening, which lowers their capacity to protect you. Modern engineered timber doors are a more dependable option for security.

Sold at a very affordable price, UPVC doors do a commendable job of protecting residences. They’re also easy to maintain and don’t suffer from warping.

Ironically, aluminium’s biggest strength is just that, it’s strength! You get durability of the highest order, which will stand you in good stead on a security level.

Composite doors are considered the best front doors for security as they have a blend of robust materials. Their reinforced core is complemented by impact-resistant outer layers, solidly protecting against forced entries.

5 crucial security features in a front door are…

Doors with a solid core, like a composite design, are much harder to break than hollow or weak doors.

The function of a multipoint locking system is to engage a door at several points in the frame, which compared to a singular lock, makes forcing a door far harder to do.

In union, a reinforced frame and strike plate greatly decrease the possibility of a door being forced or kicked open.

These anti-pick, anti-drill and anti-snap locks are a reliable safeguard from common burglary tactics.

Accessing a door through force or by lifting it off its frame will be impossible thanks to tamper-proof hinges (particularly hinge bolts).

We would suggest that cylinder locks and lever locks are the finest locking mechanisms for front doors, so long as they conform to minimum security standards, which is the British Standard BS3621 rating.

Functionality of a cylinder lock involves using the grooved edge of a key to shift spring-loaded internal pins within the cylinder as a key turns.

Lever locks operate with a bitted key that lifts each lever to a precise height. This enables the locking bolt to slide into the metal boxed strike plate within the door frame.

Other forms of lock exist, such as the mortice lock and the rim lock (this is also known as a nightlatch). A mortice lock gets fitted into a door’s edge and is secured with a bolt that slots into a boxed strike plate. The rim lock is a surface-mounted lock that you operate with a key externally and a thumb turn internally, usually paired with a mortice lock.

Have it in the front of your mind when looking at new doors that you get one with a multipoint lock so that it engages the design at various points. This will give you the strongest defence against attacks.

Finding a quality lock needs to be seen as essential as finding a strong front door. These are just a few of the most common locks in the UK, each providing varying degrees of protection:

• Mortice Locks
  Chosen a lot for wooden doors, mortice locks get integrated into the door itself, giving it intense security.
• Rim Locks/Nightlatches
  Timber doors also where you will ordinarily find nightlatches, fitted to the door surface rather than within it. They conveniently lock from the inside, but should ideally be supplemented with a high-security lock for extra assurance.
• Cylinder Locks
  When discussing composite vs UPVC doors, it needs highlighting that both tend to have cylinder locks and you can amplify their secure credentials by pairing them with a multipoint lock. Prioritise a 3-star cylinder lock to be ensured of snapping, drilling and bumping resistance.

The security offered by locks will vary, making it vital that you get one with BS3621 certification. Only locks that have shown to have proven resistance against forced entry earn this accolade.

In order to obtain home insurance, some providers require you to have external doors with BS3621-compliant locks, as they effectively protect against drilling, picking and forced attacks.

Glass doors are generally safe, but in order to be so, they need glass that’s reinforced and laminated, as well double or triple glazed. Standard glass is a safety risk as it’s too easily breakable and removable.

A door containing toughened or laminated glass is considerably tougher to break than one with standard glazing. Beaded glazing also eliminates the possibility of glass being lifted out of a frame.

When the glazing and lock are close together, that is a danger as a thief could break the glass and then be able to easily reach in to access and undo the lock. So, either buy a door where the glass and lock aren’t in close proximity or choose a lock that needs a key from both sides, such as a double cylinder lock.

Glass is employed for decorative purposes in a lot of front doors and to also help hallways collect natural light. It won’t put security at threat if it is reinforced and uses a double or triple glazed unit.

Although perhaps not as enthralling as having a discussion about the best front door colours, security and locks need to be spoken about as every homeowner wants maximum protection.

Go to your front door now and with the information fed to you in this article, see if it passes the security test. If not, organise an upgrade with us.