High security front doors?
 

Looking to change my beautiful original timber Edwardian front door:(

As lovely as it is some of the panels are so thin that they could be kicked in by small child. I've looked at making it more secure but it won't even accept decent locks because the frame is also thin timber.

It has leaded stained glass in it which I want to replicate in the new door and know a company that can do that. (they sandwich the stained glass into a toughened double glazed unit)

I've not heard great things about Yale etc in terms of their security.

So I'm after something that is very secure but looks like a period door and will accept my stained glass.

Any suggestions appreciated.:)

Banham's

For door locks/security (in London) are very good


http://www.banham.co.uk/

Thanks.
I've seen their locks on friends property's and have always been impressed by the quality. I'll give them a call.

You're right, Yale are not good. I work in the window/door hardware industry and the only choice for me is Solidor; composite, but with a solid wooden core. Add Maco multipoint door locks with TS007 three star (anti bump/snap) cylinders and you won't find much more secure at the moment.

You can have your bespoke glass with the Solidor, but the more glass the less secure a door will be.

Thanks. A local shop suggested Solidor and they have some very nice looking doors. I just wasn't sure how secure they actually were ie whether they were just like Yale.

Do you have any idea what their hinges and frames are like?

Thanks again.

Most composite doors have a foam core, the Solidor is wood; all the security benefits of a timber door but the easy maintenance of composite. The standard hinges are pretty nice, I have them. Nice and flush with lots of adjustment.

Frames often come down to what your installer supplies really, mine are Deceuninck. We destroy at lot of frames at our testing facility and they're one of the best.

A good installer will run through all the available hardware options with you (locks, cylinders, hinges, threshold, letter boxes, knockers etc) :)

What about laminated glass?

Just asking...as I'm still in the process of sorting out teh insurance with my damaged back door(s) ( ahem :o ), which are going to need replacing.

Thanks Dunk, I'll look into those frames.

I'm having wireless bump sensors fitted to my back doors tomorrow. I know they wouldn't have made a difference to your recent break in though.

Vaped?:confused:

Just ordered a new front door today myself, having a solidor composite one from the Milano range, seemed nice and solid in the showroom.

Why not have a more solid wooden door made? If you're really paranoid, sandwich some 5mm steel plate in the middle.

I needed a new door for a Victorian terraced house in East London, so I just took the original to a chippy I knew of and they made a copy of it - simples. Cost a bit more than off the shelf but worth it.

For the frame, again why not go steel with a wood veneer?

I'm a firm believer that if you want something particular and its not easily available, get it custom made (or do it yourself).

Now that's a very good idea. Have one made up in solid timber and then get a good locksmith to sort the locks out? I wonder if multi point locks be added to a timber door by a locksmith?

Cheers

A good chippy will be able to sort the lot out.
My dad often makes very secure front doors.
Just need 5 lever locks to the correct standard.

Yes, they can :)

Well I was looking into this for the dividing door from the kitchen/garage. Its seems solid doors constructed from single sections are more prones to warping and could be less strong than one made with a "solid engineered core" (to quote the sales talk), the strength is in the construction over material or its thickness. Think about plywood as an example (laminated sections glued together) it is stronger in all directions compared to a single ply of the same thickness.

In fact, just thinking about it, my roof is made in the same way (laminated beams). It was the only to get it to support the weight of the roof without using RSJs