A new front door: security, materials and the rules for flats

Composite doors, with a solid or foam core behind a glass-reinforced plastic skin, are now the most common choice for British houses: they insulate well, need little upkeep and come in many styles. Solid timber doors suit period houses and can be repaired and repainted, but they move with the seasons and need maintaining. uPVC panel doors usually cost least, and the infill panel is their weak point. Steel and aluminium doors are used where security or a very modern look is the priority.

The frame and the lock matter as much as the leaf. A strong door in a weak or badly fixed frame is still a weak door.

The main British test for burglary resistance of doors and windows is PAS 24. Approved Document Q, which sets security requirements under the Building Regulations in England, applies only to new dwellings, so a replacement door does not have to meet it by law. Asking for a door set tested to PAS 24 is still a sensible benchmark, and doors carrying the police-backed Secured by Design label have been tested to it.

On many uPVC and composite doors the weak point is the euro cylinder, which can be snapped by an intruder. Ask for a cylinder rated against snapping and fitted flush with the handle, and multi-point locking that engages top, middle and bottom. If your home insurance names particular lock standards, show the policy wording to the installer before ordering.

An external door is a controlled fitting under the Building Regulations in England and Wales, with requirements for heat loss and safety glazing: glass in a door up to 1500mm above the floor must be safety glass. An installer registered with a competent person scheme such as FENSA or CERTASS can self-certify the replacement and give you a certificate; otherwise Building Control has to approve it.

In a home built since 1999 with a level entrance, the new door must keep the threshold level. Making access worse than it was does not comply, which matters for wheelchair users, pushchairs and anyone who may need step-free access later.

Source: planningportal.co.uk

In a block of flats, the door from your flat to the common corridor or stairwell is usually a fire-resisting, self-closing door, and it keeps smoke out of the escape route for your neighbours. In many leases it belongs to the freeholder or must meet a specified standard, so you may need the landlord's written consent before replacing it. Fitting a nice-looking door that is not a certified fire door set can breach your lease and put people at risk.

Since 23 January 2023, the responsible person for a residential building in England with storeys over 11 metres must check flat entrance doors, including their self-closers, on a best endeavours basis every year. If you replace yours, ask for the certification of the complete door set, including frame, seals, glass and hardware, and keep it for the building manager.

Source: legislation.gov.uk

• the complete door set specification: leaf, frame, glass, lock, cylinder and hinges
• whether the door set has been tested to PAS 24, and fire test evidence for flat entrance doors
• how the old frame is removed and the opening made good inside and out
• threshold height and weather sealing
• how the work is certified under the Building Regulations
• lead time for a made-to-measure door and the guarantee terms

Offrano is free for you. We check your phone number and email address, then offer your request, without your name or contact details, to door installers in your area. One installer can buy it, pays Offrano, and the request leaves the shop. Before it sees your details, we email you the installer's name, address and phone number, and you can withdraw your consent whenever you like.

Nobody is obliged to buy the request, and if no installer takes it within 21 days it is withdrawn. You decide whether the quote suits you, and you can ask elsewhere too. Offrano only confirms that the installer is a registered business, so check its scheme registration yourself and, for a flat, get the landlord's consent before ordering.