.gif)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.gif)
.gif)
.jpg)
.jpeg)
Nothing Odd In Old Door Design Demand
Composite door supplier ODL Europe has reported a strong upturn in demand for traditional door designs despite an ever-growing market backdrop for...
Read Full Article
A Stable Offering
Universal Composite Doors has introduced a stable door into its portfolio so the company now offers everything in front and back doors that a homeowner might want to buy.
“Our portfolio has everything that our homeowner-enquirers might want to buy to fulfil that dream look to their properties.” says Haydon Statham, the sales director for UCD.
Door sales leads
Universal Composite Doors – or UCD for short – has become a major player in the replacement composite door market with customers in the new build sector as well as in the refurbishment space. The company has a reputation for delivering quality products that are fully certified for security and thermal efficiency that installers are confident of selling – and making decent margins.
As UCD also has a consumer facing website and a state-of-the-art online door designer. The company attracts lots of leads which are then passed on to installers local to where the enquiry has been made.
UCD Collection
When it comes to front doors (and most of what UCD manufacturers will go on the front of a property), the company breaks its portfolio down into traditional doors, contemporary doors, twin doors – and doors with a hinged side panel.
The company now also has stable doors – the main target will be for homeowners who want a new back door or want to suite their new front door with a back door.
“And it is not unreasonable to expect to find buyers who want a stable door on the front of their homes,” says Statham. There are still villages in the UK where homes have traditionally had a stable door to the front and of course, if a customer has a beautiful front garden and loves a bit of fresh air, a stable door could work for them.”
Outside in
Statham continues: “I do of course feel the biggest market will be for back doors – or doors onto a side extension, annex or utility room. We know there is a lot of demand to ‘let the outside in’ which has driven the sale of garden doors and bi-folds. Stable doors are great for customers who haven’t got that expanse at the back of their homes (or planners don’t like the suggestion of such a modification) yet still want light and fresh air to come into a kitchen for example.
“And of course, for dog owners, a stable door is high on their wish list. Letting in some light and air without Rover or Ollie escaping to dig up the roses is right up there when it comes to ‘what would you like your back door to look like’?”
The construction of the stable doors means they are available with cat flaps and dog flaps. UCD offers both inward and outward opening stable doors. There are two basic styles – Farmhouse (traditional) and Flush Fit (contemporary).
Like all UCD doors all stable doors are available on a ten-day lead time.
Build
Foam based doors feature a high-density polyurethane core and ultra thick GRP skins. Timber core doors feature a three-layered inner core of cross-laminated engineered hardwood. Both variants offer U-values that meet current and are likely to meet future building regulations. Both variants also offer excellent acoustic properties.
The timber versions are heavier and are perceived as more robust than their foam core alternatives – however, UCD says both variants will easily give ten years’ trouble-free service – and more likely greater than that.
Colours & glass
UCD offers seven standard colours and any RAL colour a customer wants. Every door is sprayed not foiled. This provides almost endless choice and a more desirable and durable finish. Glazing options are vast too – meaning all doors are bespoke…which is a big selling point.
Security
UCD works hard to guarantee that security is built into its doors. However, Statham says: “Our reputation is built on the security offered by our doors. However there isn’t a PAS standard available for stable doors. Nonetheless we have gone to huge lengths to make sure the stable doors perform well from a security point of view and our entire range is covered by Secured by Design. ”
Interlocking
UCD has introduced a new interlocking mechanism which means the top and bottom leaves of a stable door are connected internally. Statham says: “This makes our doors neater to look at as there is no need for an external bolt to hold the two leaves together. In my view, this is a huge improvement aesthetically compared to other stable doors on the market.
Yale
Dean Human, the technical manager at UCD says: “We are using the composite Lockmaster 21 stable door lock from Yale.
“It is a great lock. Its built-in shootbolts provide powerful reinforcement, making the doors much harder to force open, while its radius allows it to engage seamlessly with the door frame, maximising security. It’s the best stable door lock we’ve ever seen.”
The lock is a combination of Yale’s Lockmaster 21 and Lockmaster KeyTurn multipoint door locks. Its security credentials are aided by the signature Lockmaster hook and anti-lift pin on both the top and bottom leaf and it features an easy-to-use push-in snib mechanism to prevent accidental lock-outs.
Statham concludes: “We ‘only’ make residential composite doors and partner with top brands like Yale. When I say only, it is far more complicated than that – and we are the best at it and that goes for our stable door along with all of our products…and our customer service offering.”
Picture: The new stable door from UCD works just as well as a front door as it does a back door – and you can have a dog or a cat flap too.
www.universalcompositedoors.co.uk
Article written by Brian Shillibeer
17th November 2024