Composite doors are increasingly popular and provide an excellent opportunity for merchants to offer a quality product that is in demand. Safedoors’ Nick Harrison explains why it’s a great time to offer composite doors.
Composite doors have been the success story for the industry over the past ten years despite the slowdown brought about by recession. According to the ‘2014 Annual PVC Window Industry Report in the UK & Republic of Ireland’ produced by D&G Consulting, annual sales of composite doors increased by an estimated 13% while the total number of doors only increased by 7.1% according to a recent industry report.
This increased demand is set to continue, with the report suggesting that sales volumes of composite doors are expected to increase by more than 22% over the next three years. It also notes that private domestic sales now account for an estimated 42% of all composite door sales and there is little doubt that this is the driver for future growth.
Composite doors are popular for many reasons, including their upmarket feel and look, and the choice of colours and styles available. They are seen as a ‘fit and forget’ product — one that doesn’t warp or swell, and doesn’t require painting or regular maintenance — renowned for their energy saving qualities. This makes them particularly attractive for merchants with social housing and new build customers.
In addition, 15% of all composite doors sold in the UK are currently specified fire doors, which is also a growth area as safety regulations around the requirement for fitting fire doors in properties are enhanced.
This growing popularity and demand for composite doors provides a great opportunity to offer a good quality, high specification product that can be tailored through a wide choice of hardware and glazing — with such enhancements like coloured, leaded glass, for example, increasing both the appeal and value of the sales.
As a specialist brand of Permadoor, the UK’s very first composite door manufacturer, Safedoors has substantial experience of this market. It offers two composite door ranges — GRP (Diamond range) and thermoplastic (Platinum Collection) — to suit different budgets and needs. Both come with a wide selection of styles, glazing and hardware options, all backed by the highest levels of quality and workmanship.
Safedoors will shortly be extending and improving its Platinum Collection, with five new door styles and a new range of hardware and glazing options. The Platinum Collection offers a choice of 10 different colours in a grain effect finish, with a 100% tone on tone match for every style and colour. Each doorset is a high quality, with a robust sandwich structure and the door has a solid board inner core faced with low maintenance PVC-U and edge banded.
All Safedoors doors are manufactured to customers’ specific requirements, making each door unique. Each and every one is checked for size, specification and quality before delivery to ensure they are correct. The quality of these doorsets is evident with their solid build and quality finish and their pleasing and reassuring noise when closing.
Both the GRP and thermoplastic composite door ranges offer quality and choice, with traditional and contemporary styles to complement rural and urban properties in a choice of colours and finishes. For even more choice, the new Platinum Collection includes a colour option for the internal face.
All the doors come complete with a full multi-point locking system with anti-bump cylinder, keeps and handles while a full choice of hardware is available to order. In addition, as well as the fully reinforced 70mm PVC-U outer frame, sidelights can be ordered to colour match the door.
As a BSI registered manufacturer whose doors comply with the latest building regulations, Safedoors has the confidence to offer a 10 year guarantee across all elements of the range, including hardware.
Safedoors is committed to making it easy for customers to order. That’s why it offers Door Selector software that can be branded to the individual merchant. This is ideal for quickly ordering your doors, but can also be used to help customers build a doorset to their individual requirements. As each option is selected — such as colour, glazing and hardware — Door Selector updates the price, helping customers make informed decisions.
There is also the facility to show the door they have selected in situ whilst a quote retrieval facility helps convert quotes to orders quickly — and at a time when most doors are ordered online, it is useful to have this quick and easy facility. In addition, Safedoors provides all the marketing support and help needed to promote its composite door ranges, including corner samples and leaflet displays, with technical and sales support always available.
Nick Harrison is National Sales Manager at Safedoors.
