Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Composite Door in Cornwall

A composite door is a 25-year purchase. Getting the specification right and choosing the right installer matters more than which brand you land on. This is the honest pre-purchase checklist we wish every Cornwall homeowner had before signing an order. STEP 1: KNOW YOUR EXPOSURE Where is the door? Coastal (within 3 miles of the sea): specify marine-grade stainless hardware, upgraded weather seals, and expect a small colour-choice restriction (some pigments hold up better in salt air). Inland: standard hardware and full colour range is fine. South-facing with no overhang: avoid the darkest colours or accept accelerated fade risk. STEP 2: SET A REALISTIC BUDGET For a quality composite door installed in Cornwall, budget £1,900-£2,600. Below £1,400 you're buying an unbranded slab with compromised hardware. Above £3,000 for a standard front door with no side panel usually means door-to-door sales pricing rather than product value. STEP 3: CHOOSE THE BRAND Solidor, Endurance and Rockdoor are the mainstream UK premium brands and any of them is a defensible choice. Solidor is the solid-timber-core option and holds hardware very well long-term. Endurance and Rockdoor use polymer cores and offer slightly wider colour ranges. All three are British-manufactured. STEP 4: SPECIFY PROPERLY At minimum, insist on: PAS24:2022 doorset certification, three-star anti-snap euro cylinder, multi-point locking, reinforced steel keeps, laminated glazing in any glass panel, marine-grade stainless hardware on coastal postcodes, and a factory-bonded GRP skin (not painted on site). STEP 5: CHECK THE INSTALLER Certass or FENSA registration is non-negotiable — it's the competent-person scheme registration that lets them self-certify Building Regulations compliance. Ask for their registration number and check it on the register website before ordering. Additional credentials worth checking: Which? Trusted Trader, TrustMark, insurance-backed guarantee provider (typically GGFi, QANW or IWA), and public liability insurance to at least £2m. STEP 6: GET THREE QUOTES Every reputable Cornwall installer will provide a written itemised quote for free. The quote should list door brand and model, colour, glass specification, hardware brand, cylinder rating, frame reinforcement, side panels if any, installation, waste removal, guarantee terms and total price inclusive of VAT. Compare quotes on specification, not headline price. A £2,100 quote with a three-star cylinder and marine hardware is better value than a £1,800 quote with unspecified hardware. STEP 7: LEAD TIME AND INSTALLATION Typical order-to-install lead time is 3-6 weeks. Installation itself is a single day for a standard front door. A properly organised installer will cover flooring, protect the internal reveal, remove the old door cleanly, fit the new frame and door, seal internally and externally, hand over keys and demonstrate operation, and clear waste before leaving. STEP 8: GUARANTEE PAPERWORK You should receive after installation: the manufacturer's written warranty on the slab and hardware, the installer's workmanship warranty, the Certass or FENSA certificate for Building Regulations compliance (issued 4-6 weeks after installation), and the insurance-backed guarantee certificate (which protects the manufacturer warranty if the installer ceases trading). RED FLAGS TO AVOID Pressure selling, "today-only" pricing, cash discounts requiring immediate deposit, no written specification, no Certass or FENSA registration, unwillingness to name the door brand or hardware brand, requests for large upfront deposits (more than 25 percent is unusual), and any promise you can't get in writing. QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE ORDERING Is the doorset PAS24:2022 certified? Which brand and model is the slab? What is the cylinder rating? Is the hardware marine-grade stainless? What is the U-value? What is the total installed price inclusive of VAT? What is the written guarantee on slab, hardware and installation? What is the lead time? Are you Certass or FENSA registered — what's your registration number? If those questions get straight answers on the first visit, you're dealing with the right installer. If they get vague answers or deflection, keep looking. A £2,200 purchase deserves 20 minutes of proper questions.