Buyer's guide - choosing an aluminium front door in 2026
Your front door is the most-touched item on your house. It is the face of the building, the first line of defence against weather and burglars, and one of the biggest visual upgrades you can make. The guide below covers the main things to think about before you pick one.
Composite vs aluminium - why aluminium wins
Most front doors on the high street are composite. That means a foam-filled core with a thin GRP (fibreglass) skin. Composite doors look fine on day one but the skin is prone to warping, fading and distorting in full sun, and the foam core compresses over time. An aluminium front door has a solid aluminium skin, a high-density insulated core, and a thermal break. It stays square for decades, shrugs off weather, and keeps its finish because the powder coating is baked on at 200°C.
How much does an aluminium front door cost?
The cost of a composite door runs around £900 to £1,600 fitted. A premium aluminium door like ours runs from around £1,800 to £3,500 fitted depending on size, glass, panel design and extras. Yes, it costs more. But the life is double, the security tested higher, and the look is in a different league. Think about it as a 20-year cost - the aluminium door wins on every measure.
Security - what to look for
PAS 24 is the British break-in test standard. A PAS 24 certified door has to survive a full set of tool attacks without letting the tester in. Every GWS aluminium front door is PAS 24 certified. Look for the hallmarks - 3-star anti-snap cylinder, 6-point hook locking, internal glazing beads, anti-lift rollers. All of these are standard on ours.
Should I get ekey fingerprint entry?
ekey is an Austrian biometric system that reads your fingerprint and unlocks the door. It is built into the frame so it looks like part of the door, not a bolt-on. You can register up to 99 fingerprints. It works in the rain, the snow, and with wet or dirty hands. If you are sick of losing keys, of the kids forgetting theirs, of fumbling in the dark with shopping, ekey solves it. Read more at the
ekey dline
site.
Panel design choices
We offer 120+ panel designs. Flush panels for a clean, contemporary look. Grooved panels for a subtle texture. Traditional panels with mouldings for period homes. Art-Deco style with horizontal ribs. Glass side lights and top lights in any configuration. Dual-colour means you pick one colour outside (bold anthracite, jet black, moss green) and a different colour inside (clean white is popular for hallways). No surcharge on dual colour.
Thermal performance and Part L
Part L Building Regulations require 1.4 W/m²K or better on replacement doors in England and Wales. Our aluminium front doors come in at 1.2 W/m²K as standard, and 0.8 W/m²K with a triple-glazed side light. That saves you money on heating in winter and keeps the hallway warmer. Building control signs off without question.
How long does it take?
Standard lead time from order is 4 to 6 weeks for manufacture. Install day is usually a single day - our team arrives, takes out the old door, fits the new one, tests it, cleans up and leaves. We can priority-fast-track production for an additional fee if you have a tight deadline.
Supply only or supply and fit?
If you are a builder or installer, ask about our supply-only pricing. You get the door pre-assembled, glazed, with matching hardware, and a fitting pack. Homeowners usually want supply-and-fit - our team handles everything, removes the old door, disposes of it, and leaves the hallway spotless. Both routes get the same 10-year warranty.
Aftercare
Our aluminium front doors are maintenance-free. Wipe them down with warm soapy water twice a year. Lubricate the multi-point lock strip with a drop of light oil once a year. That is it. No painting, no sanding, no re-staining. That is the beauty of aluminium.
Book a free survey
Use the quote form at the top of this page. Tell us your postcode and the first line of your address and we will arrange a free site survey. We will show you physical panel samples, talk through the colour options, demo an ekey system on our tablet, and give you a written quote on the day.
Technical specification at a glance
Single and double door configurations. System depth 58 mm or 70 mm. Double-glazed U-value 1.3 W/m²K. Triple-glazed U-value 1.1 W/m²K. Air permeability Class 4 to 600 Pa. Water tightness up to Class 9a (600 Pa) on open-out doubles. Security PAS 24 and Secured By Design certified. Durability 50,000 cycles to EN1191. Q-Mark third-party certified. Building Regulations Part L and Part M compliant. Maximum single door size 1200 mm wide x 2400 mm tall. Maximum double door size 2400 mm wide x 2400 mm tall. Three hinges rated 67.5 kg each. Glazing thickness 24 mm to 40 mm. Low threshold option. Cloaking feature on the slave door conceals the lock and prevents access to the locking points. Eurogroove hardware fitting. Anti-lift feature built into each hinge. Available in single colour, dual colour and anodised finishes. Ask for the full datasheet with your quote.
Technical specification at a glance
System depth 80 mm. Double-glazed U-value 1.3 W/m²K. Triple-glazed U-value 0.9 W/m²K. Air permeability Class 4 to 600 Pa. Water tightness Class 5a to 200 Pa. Wind resistance Class C3 to 1200 Pa. Security PAS 24. Cycle testing 50,000 cycles (primary leaf), 5,000 cycles (secondary) to BS 6375. Maximum leaf height 2400 mm standard, 3000 mm optional. Maximum leaf width 1200 mm. Maximum vent weight 130 kg. Glazing 24 mm to 46 mm clip-bead. Sightline at head 80 mm (slim), interlock 87 mm. Available in single colour, dual colour, textured and anodised finishes. Low 30.7 mm aluminium threshold option for Part M level access when fitted into floor level. These are the numbers your Building Control officer and your architect will want on the spec sheet - ask us for the full data sheet with your quote.
ekey dline - biometric entry that looks like it belongs
We offer the full ekey dline fingerprint system as a factory-fit option on every aluminium front door. ekey is an Austrian biometric specialist and the dline is their flagship in-wall reader - a discreet brushed-metal strip that fits flush with the frame and reads your fingerprint in under a second. Up to 99 users can be enrolled, each fingerprint can be time-restricted, and a full audit log is available on the app. The reader is weather-sealed to IP64, works in rain, snow and freezing conditions, and accepts wet, dirty or partially injured fingers. Power is 12 V hardwired during the fit-out - no batteries to replace. You can still use a key, or add a smartphone key, or enrol a tradesperson's fingerprint for a single day. It is as convenient as it sounds and it is built to last. Ask us for the ekey demo on your site visit.
Colour, texture and the finishing touch
Every aluminium front door is powder-coated to marine grade as standard. We offer 67 colours and finishes across a matt contemporary range and a textured traditional range - from pastel greens through to deep blacks, anthracite greys, period reds and warm whites. Dual-colour is included at no surcharge, so the outside of the door can read as a rich anthracite 7016M or a satin 9005M jet black while the inside matches your hallway in a clean 9910HG white. Textured finishes give a slightly coarser tactile surface that hides fingerprints and looks beautiful on country properties. All finishes carry our 25-year service life expectation and ten-year guarantee.
