According to Sellhousefast . co . uk , the right coloured front door could add as much as £ 4,000 to the value of a property – but what is the right colour ? The research concluded that blue , white , red , black and green were among the top colours to boost property prices , but in reality , the colour of the door will depend entirely on the exterior finishes of the home .

“ We ’ re often asked what looks best with certain render or brick colours ,” explains Alex . “ From our experience , grey doors complement crisp white or cream render . Shades of green also look great against lighter colours . Solidor ’ s Painswick , which is a light grey with a hint of green , pairs well with Cheshire brick , and Chartwell Green looks great on stone cottages as it ’ s in keeping with a more traditional appearance .

“ While the lighter greys and greens are becoming increasingly popular , black and anthracite grey are still among our most frequently requested colours by homeowners .

“ When we first start on a project , we have an initial discussion with the homeowner about what they want , advise them on the thermal and security performance of the doors , and then direct them to the Solidor Designer on the Alexander Windows website which lets them see how their chosen style and colour would look on a similar style house to their own . Alternatively , they can come and see the doors in the showroom .”

Using Solidor ’ s Door Designer , homeowners can choose from 22 colours for the inside and outside of the door and 10 frame colour options . They can also choose from multiple glass designs , with both double and triple glazed options , and both contemporary and more traditional door furniture

that can be paired with door designs across the Traditional and Italia collections .

While customers often have an idea of the colour and style they ’ d like on their home , Alex says , it ’ s often security that homeowners want to know more about .

“ The sales teams are often asked if the door will automatically lock once the door is closed , to which the answer is always ‘ if you want it to ’. If we ’ re replacing a timber door then this question is very common ; they usually want it to lock automatically as that will be what they ’ re used to . We can choose the handle and locking system based on what

the homeowner wants as Solidor has lots of options .”

The other security benefit of using Solidor is that the door itself is 48mm thick , making it nearly 10 % thicker than most alternatives . It ’ s made up of a solid timber core completely encapsulated within a highly durable plastic edge banding and two uPVC skins . Coupled with the steel-reinforced door frame and Secured by Design locking systems , a Solidor offers homeowners peace of mind regarding the level of security they are purchasing .

Once the door design has been chosen and all of the associated hardware specified , it ’ s time

for the transformation to begin . Depending on the door design , an install can take anywhere between half a day and a day .

While of course homeowners will want their new door to be fitted as swiftly as possible , the quickest doesn ’ t always equal the best installation .

“ The key is making good to both the inside and outside ,” explains Alex . “ As much care as possible needs to be taken to protect internal décor , and it ’ s crucial that the door opens and closes smoothly . Part of what makes a great installation is the service provided to homeowners throughout . We demonstrate all of the features of the door before leaving .

“ We also give homeowners the environmental ‘ feel good factor ’ that the door that ’ s removed is taken to our separate recycling unit next to our showroom and factory . The doors we remove are stripped down and , all parts that can be , are recycled .”

Alexander Windows , based in the North West , has been trading since 1991 and installing Solidors for more than five years .

www . solidor . co . uk