Don’t know about you, but have the sales of composite doors gone flat a little bit over the last few months?
There was a period last year when all we did was sell composite doors. But now, we have only sold a handful this year so far. Most people that sign up with us actually go for these types of doors:
Our customers tell us the prefer the bigger glass area with these types of doors, the bespoke triple glazed units. It has more locking points which I suppose if you’re security conscious then is going to be a big selling point.
Maybe it’s just me and we’re a blip in comparison to the rest of the industry. But gauging our sales, and from what I’ve been seeing on Twitter and on other blogs, composite doors really are off the menu a bit. Again, this could just be a blip and things will pick up again in the coming months.
I’m sure that one of you out there will either prove me right or wrong and agree or disagree with this. But it would be good to know what type of door is most popular at the moment. As I’ve said, the type of door above is what is really popular with us at the minute. Don’t get me wrong, I do still like composite doors and they do still have many advantages, but I’m basing this analysis on what our customers tell us.
The PVCu door above is roughly £150-£200 more than a composite from us. Personally, I think on a quality scale it is better than composite. Again, not saying the composite door is rubbish, but if I were to use a football analogy, I’d put the PVCu engineered door in the Champions League bracket and the composite door in the Europa League!
Thoughts and comments are welcome as always!
Speaking with ex colleagues the composite door market is still growing at a decent rate. I was quite supprised that your selling more of the style of doors you are as those are generally sold in the south to people that cannot afford a composite door due to the much lower fabricating costs of a PVC panel door, so fair play to you if your charging more for it. You mentioned quality of the products but lets actually compare them if you was fabricating both products. Both use same outer frame 28mm pvc panel slab vrs 44mm composite door slab… Read more »
the above door not even fully welded £150/200 more are you having a laugh than a composite only one door a rock door for quality
It is another trend/fad. In the same way that uPVC now looks common and cheap (there is no character – everywhere you look there are big lumps of white and faux oak or mahogany plastic), composite will be the same in 5 years. Wood is and always will be a classic choice and will always look better providing it is well maintained. It is the same story with conservatories – once they were the must-have purchase and oh-so-clever, and now people can’t get rid of them fast enough converting to sun rooms or changing to bespoke hardwood-framed rooms.
I always think that a door of this constructrution is a liabilty , you have to heel and toe 4 panes , just right, and then hope that the colour doesnt affect the expansion and thus mess with the original set up of the sash , mind you, I think a lot of composite doors are a crock aswell !!