Doors for Your Home: Your Complete Guide 2024

Front doors in the UK come in many shapes and sizes. Then there are various patio doors popular among homeowners looking to create a stylish connection to their outdoor space. 

Let's take a look at the different types of doors available for your home in the UK. 

While there's no real difference between front and back doors, front doors may be fitted with some additional hardware that will improve their security, or come with decorative options that enhance their aesthetic appeal. 

There are many external door variations that are popular across the UK. Generally, you can opt for a solid door or a door with glazing panels. Glazing options can include a single small glazing panel, up to a fully glazed door. 

Glazing panels can also come with various decorative options, toughened glass, or enhanced thermal efficiency. 

Below we've listed some of the most sought-after door styles available in the UK. 

Contemporary door styles are usually minimal and will incorporate clean lines.

Any material can be customised to suit a contemporary aesthetic, whether it's a solid wooden door with panels or grooves running through it, or a steel door with a single long frosted glass panel.

Flush front doors are another popular contemporary design choice, where the door closes in line, "flush", with the frame. 

Originally built in old English working cottages, these doors have become popular for their simplistic charm. While they were traditionally made using wooden groves, cottage doors have taken on many iterations over the centuries. Therefore, many designs can offer the cottage aesthetic. If wooden doors are beyond your budget, then you can also consider uPVC doors with a woodgrain effect for a fraction of the price. 

Stable doors are a popular style of cottage doors that amplifies the countryside appeal and brings plenty of ventilation and natural light into your home. Stable doors are split horizontally into two clear sections so that the top section can open independently from the bottom. These doors are also traditionally made from wood and are best suited to small detached homes or countryside homes. 

Due to the more intricate operation, stable doors can cost upwards of 50% more than traditional doors. 

Patio doors have come to mean any type of door that opens into your garden or patio. Patio doors usually offer wide open views, natural light, and open the space between the indoors and outdoors. Patio door styles range from romantic French doors, to elaborate bifold doors.

Below we've listed some of the most popular patio door styles.  

French doors create a much sought-after sense of luxury and elegance in your home. French doors traditionally feature a set of double doors with grid-style glazing patterns that are separated by Georgian or astragal glazing bars. Nowadays, French doors come in many variations and can be made from any material. 

Compared to other patio door styles, sliding doors will cost at least 30% more than French doors, whereas bifold doors can start at double the price. 

Sliding glass doors are an iconic feature of any garden or patio. If you're looking for wide-open, unobstructed views and maximum ventilation, then sliding doors are the way to go. Sliding doors are also highly practical since they neatly slide over each other. This means they won't take up any space as they open or close.

Sliding doors usually feature two sliding panels, but they can be fitted with more. Naturally, the more panels fitted, the higher the cost.

The cost of sliding doors can also be influenced by factors such as the type of operation. Larger door panes often necessitate specialised operations, such as the lift-and-slide mechanisms, which can significantly increase the overall price.

The need for enhanced features and mechanisms tailored to handle larger and heavier panels contributes to the higher cost associated with certain types of sliding door systems.

Bifold doors are perhaps the most elaborate option you could choose, adding some luxury style and functionality to your patio doorway. They are made up of 2 or more glass-panelled doors that fold in on each other when opened. The doors then neatly stack to the side of the frame. This creates a wide open space. The more panels you install, the more space you will open up. 

Because of their more elaborate operation, bifold door costs can be 50% higher than sliding doors. Typically bifold doors feature 3-5 panels, but some companies can install up to 10 panels. 

To get an idea of how much some new doors will cost you, according to the size of the doors, the number of panels, and other features, you should seek out installers who can offer you an itemised quote that's tailored to your specific project. 

Comparing multiple quotes is the best way to find a good deal and save some money on your investment. Rather than spending countless hours looking for installers, researching their credentials and background, and waiting for their quotes, you should let the dedicated team at GreenMatch do the hard work for you. 

Simply click the button below to receive up to 4 new door quotes from professionals in your area. It's free, fast, and comes with no obligations. 

As we've mentioned, new doors come with varying options for glazing designs. Some doors might only feature a single top window, whereas others might be made almost entirely out of glass. Generally, the more glass fitted into your door, the higher the double glazing costs will become. 

Insulating your doors with double glazed panels becomes more necessary the more glazing that your door features. The main reason for this include:

With triple glazing, all of these features are heightened even further. This is because a third sheet of glass is fitted in the frame, adding another layer of insulation, security, and noise prevention. In terms of costs, triple glazing usually costs between 20-30% more than double glazed front doors. 

Because of this, we only recommend triple glazing for those who can make use of the extra benefits. For example, if you live in an especially cold climate, then you should consider triple-glazed doors. 

While different materials offer varying degrees of strength, durability, and energy efficiency, the right choice of material will depend more on your design preferences and budget. 

Below we've outlined the main pros and cons you should consider when choosing between door materials. 

uPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride) doors are the most affordable material available, yet offer all the same benefits as the most expensive materials out there- especially when it comes to energy efficiency and durability. For these reasons, they have become one of the most popular materials in the UK.

The main advantages of a uPVC door include:

The one main downside to uPVC is: 

Steel doors are quite simply unmatched in terms of their strength. In terms of long term value, steel is a very smart choice since it's very long-lasting and practically unbreakable.

What are the main advantages of steel doors?

Some of the downsides to steel doors include:

Aluminium makes a modern front door option but it is more commonly found in patio doors since they provide sleek slimline door frames that open up the views to the outside.

While aluminium itself is a poor insulator, modern aluminium doors are fitted with thermal break technology, making it a highly thermally efficient and energy-saving material.

The main advantages of an aluminium door include: 

The few downsides to aluminium doors include:

With the proper maintenance, timber doors can outlast any other material, and forever maintain their timelessness.

Despite the initial high investment, timber doors have never gone out of style, and can be seen in many variations across the UK.

Take a look at some of the main advantages of timber doors:

With that being said, there are some key downsides to installing timber doors: 

Composite doors are commonly made with a timber core and then surrounded by layers of uPVC. Therefore, these doors can combine the benefits of these materials to create a door that's sturdy and long-lasting with very little maintenance. 

The main advantages of composite doors are:

The main downside to installing a composite door is: 

Whichever style and material door you choose, getting your hands on some fair and accurate quotes can sometimes take you several hours, if not days. That is unless you get your quotes from GreenMatch. 

For up to 4 quotes from the top-rated door installers in your area, simply fill in the form at the top of the page. Within 48 hours, you can hear back from carefully vetted installers whose quotes you can compare so you know you are getting a good deal. 

Our service is 100% free and you are not obligated to accept any of the quotes you receive. 

Currently, there are no window and door grants available in the UK for door replacements. Several grants aim to improve insulation across homes in the UK, therefore, if your door is especially run down, damaged, and inefficient, then you should get in touch with your local authority and ask if you're entitled to a door replacement. 

At the very least, you may be eligible for some other home improvements or you may get free draught proofing on your door.

ECO4

ECO4, the fourth iteration of the Energy Company Obligation scheme, obligates energy suppliers with more than 150,000 domestic customers to fund energy efficiency upgrades across homes in Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales). 

The scheme aims to help low-income households alleviate the costs of fuel poverty and improve the UK's housing stock. 

To be eligible for ECO4, you must be receiving income-related benefits. Both homeowners and tenants in a privately rented property can apply for the scheme. 

Affordable Warmth Scheme 

If you live in Northern Ireland, you're a homeowner, and you earn less than £23,000 per year, then you may be eligible for the Affordable Warmth Scheme. 

This scheme grants up to £7,500 based on the extent of energy efficiency upgrades that may be necessary in your home. 

To apply, you can contact your local council and explain your situation. Then a surveyor will be sent to your home to assess the extent of work that should be carried out and how much of the grant you qualify for. 

Finding the right company to supply and install your new door requires a lot of time and patience. It's important to check the company's qualifications and credibility by checking their website and looking at customer reviews. 

You should also do this for multiple companies, and request quotes from those that you deem most suitable for your project. We also recommend that you shop around for local quotes, since these companies will usually charge you far less and will offer a more efficient service. 

Altogether, this process is a long one that requires a lot of patience. It can take hours of searching, and sometimes many days before you can finally get some quotes to compare. 

Alternatively, you can use GreenMatch's quotes service. We offer up to 4 free quotes within 48 hours. We will only connect you with the most suitable installers based in your local area, and all of the installers in our network have been carefully vetted by us.

We can help you get straight to the part where you're choosing between the best options around. To get your quotes, click the button below and fill in our short form.