Which Wooden Front Door is Right For You?

A wooden front door can offer a brilliant look to both modern and traditional buildings, with a range of styles and designs available. Whether opting for a solid hardwood door or a veneered engineered wood door, you’ll benefit from their strength, durability, and great looks.

The Benefits of a Solid Wooden Front Door

Wooden front doors are either built from solid wood or engineered wood faced with veneers. A solid wooden front door will offer fantastic strength and long-term performance. They will bring natural security to a building, while also offering thermal and acoustic insulation. A wooden door can be varnished or painted as you see fit, and this can be changed over time as needed.

A solid door can also be refreshed, with the surface sanded down to reveal the wood underneath, meaning that it can retain its fantastic appearance over many years. An authentic wooden front door will be an expensive option, with veneered doors and uPVC doors coming at a lower price.

Veneered External Wooden Doors

An alternative will be a veneered wooden front door, which will always come with a solid core. In these doors, a thin veneer of authentic wood will be installed around an engineered wooden board. This can still offer an attractive look and a good level of strength but will lack the long-term performance benefits of a high-quality solid wood door. However, these options benefit from more competitive pricing.

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Finish Options for Wooden Front Doors

When buying a wooden front door it will either come unfinished or prefinished. An unfinished door will need to be stained, varnished or painted before being installed. This will be especially crucial on an external timber door as untreated wood will swell if placed within the elements.

When finishing a wooden door you can varnish it to preserve the look of the wood, or paint it for an eye-catching entrance. You should be sure that you use products intended for both wood and exterior use. For instance, when painting you’ll need to use an undercoat designed for wood, then a surface paint like Dulux Weathershield.

Front Door Security

Keeping a home or commercial building secure is vital to assure protection, and vulnerabilities within doors can make them an easy point of entry for intruders. A solid wooden or veneered door will itself offer great strength and can be extremely secure when installed with the right fixings and accessories.

A strong lock, such as a deadbolt, can be a fantastic option for added security, alongside a strike plate which will help to protect the door jamb. Things like draught excluders in letterboxes and peep-holes can also be installed.

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Wooden Front Door Designs

The design of your front door will define how it looks within a house or commercial building. Front doors can be loosely divided into two categories, with flush modern looks contrasting more detailed traditional ones, alongside designs built with glazed panels. 

Modern Front Doors

Modern door designs tend to be what is referred to as “flush” doors, so-called because of their flat surface. Whether opting for a solid wooden front door or a veneered option, a flush design will offer a sleek look that blends well within a contemporary home or building. These doors can be built with glazed panels, and are usually installed with a standard lever handle or a longer bar handle.

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Traditional Front Doors

Panelled doors represent a more traditional look for the entrance to a building. Our range includes designs with everything from one to fourteen panels, each offering a unique look for a property. Front doors often combine solid panels with one or more glazed panels.

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Glazed Wooden Exterior Doors

Glazed panels look great in both modern and traditional wooden front door designs, helping to bring natural light into indoor spaces. While most opt for transparent glass, frosted glass can be used for privacy if needed. Older doors will also sometimes use stained glass, which offers a homely, rustic look.

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Wooden Front Doors For Sale With UK Delivery

Building Materials Nationwide work across the UK, delivering a comprehensive selection of products and building supplies. Within our extensive door category, you’ll find a range of external wooden front doors, including solid and veneered options. We also sell quality frames, handles, and hinges. For professionals and skilled DIYers alike, we offer the highest quality products delivered to you.

For those working in the industry, we also offer trade accounts through our website, offering an unbeatable service. Our dedicated account managers work across the building sector to get clients the exact products they need through our network of industry suppliers, delivering everything across the UK at fantastic trade prices.

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