Wood has traditionally been chosen as the preferred material for
creating the doors and windows of a home because of its durable and
strong nature, and also because hard wood can be easily crafted into
different styles and designs. However, these products always require a
lot of effort to maintain. For example, the wooden door and window
frames require regular varnishing and sanding to ensure that they remain
weather resistant and clean. This is where the un-plasticized Polyvinyl
Chloride or uPVC doors and windows come into use.
The uPVC doors are made by using a special plastic material, which is
resistant to corrosion from extreme natural conditions, without losing
its aesthetic appeal. These revolutionary products are fast becoming a
craze all over UK because of their long life and low maintenance
requirements. The uPVC material never flakes or rots and rarely ever
requires cleaning. This is why the companies manufacturing these
products are ready to give guarantees of as long as 10 years.
uPVC Doors: Easy to Handle and Secure
There is one misconception amongst the masses that uPVC doors do not
provide adequate security to the home. They could not be more wrong.
With the correct locks, only composite doors surpass the strength of
uPVC doors. When selecting a locking system, look for doors that utilize
state of the art multipoint locking technology.
Standard cylinder locks can be replaced by following these five simple steps, equipped with just a screw driver:
1. Buy a lock similar in shape and size to your old lock
2. Remove the old lock by simply unscrewing the bolts holding it in place
3. Insert the key into the lock and slowly turn it to a side till you
feel that the key is firmly in place. Now gently move it further to pull
out the cylinder of the lock
4. Put the new lock in place of the old one and tighten the screws.
Here, special care should be kept to place both the bolt and the lock in
their proper space
5. Tightly screw the bolts and check the locking system multiple times to ensure proper functioning
Not very complex, and for an experienced burglar, a door with one locking point will probably not present much of a challenge.
With multipoint locks, there could be 3 or more points in the door where
it is securely engaged to the frame. As they are not obviously located,
it is much more demanding in time and effort to find then force each
point in turn to gain entry.
Also, with multipoint locking technology, there is no cylinder lock –
neither barrel nor plug. Instead, the locking mechanism is firmly
placed inside the uPVC door, enhancing the security far beyond
traditional locks. (A standard keyhole is used though, to keep the
classic look). This is another reason why uPVC back doors are so highly
in demand.
Low Maintenance and Robust uPVC Back Doors
According to the home office website (UK), doors are the preferred mode
for forcible entry into the house for burglars (67%). Of this, a large
number of break-ins are carried out through the back door. This is why
choosing uPVC or composite doors with their heightened security features
are a must for protecting the rear of the house.
A uPVC back door provides all the advantages of the uPVC material and
come with a choice of a robust mortice or cylinder lock. Its specific
uPVC construction provides high resistance to forcible entry. The only
drawback that these doors had was a lack of colour options. Even that
has been resolved, now that these doors come in all possible shades and
finishes, including one that appears identical to a hard wood design.
Their fully beveled frames create a slim visual appeal, which heavily
improves the sight lines. Common available options range from 60mm to
70mm, with an option to apply 44mm thick glazing.
uPVC Door Advantages
