Frequently Asked Questions

This effect is usually caused by a substance "filling in" the glass etching and turning it almost transparent, usually caused by silicone, or oily marks, which may be from the handling process or manufacturing process. 

To remove any residue on the glass, ideally, lie the door down flat with the frosted side up ( frosting is only on one side not both – so please make sure you check this.) it may take several attempts if the doors are installed ie upright, by wiping/rubbing with a cloth. When lying flat – pour a small amount of methylated spirits onto the glass in the affected area – and leave standing for 10 minutes or so. It has to be methylated spirits available from B&Q /Wickes etc – not white spirit, or turps or glass cleaner as they wont remove any coating, or glue residue.

After soaking for 10 mins or so – rub vigorously and wipe off with a clean towel or rag – any dirty or oily rag, or finger prints could cause a similar problem.

The process may have to be repeated – depending on the kind of residue on the glass.

U-value (or thermal transmittance) is a measurement used by Architects to design the thermal performance of an overall structure, which in part includes the door or windows. The heat loss from buildings is affected by many attibutes including the wall design, roof design and window and door designs. The main areas are those with the biggest surface areas so the design of walls and roof insulation are the main factors, but door and windows do play a part. Building Regulation Part L requires windows and doors to meet a minimum requirement of 1.8w/m2K. However, better performing products might be specified by Architects as part of the overall building design to meet a particular standard, and sometimes windows are specified as low as 1.2w/m2K.

The higher the U-value of a product, the lower the level of thermal insulation - hence the greater the heat loss. So in essence, high U-values mean worse performance.

Part L of the Building Regulations in England define the regulatory standards for energy efficiency in new and existing buildings. As of June 2022, Part L (conservation of fuel and power) will be updated to require higher levels of energy efficiency in new buildings and some existing buildings undergoing major renovations.

Before June 2022, the required U-values for new buildings in England for the building elements are:

Roofs: 0.18 W/m²K

Walls: 0.26 W/m²K

Floors: 0.22 W/m²K

Windows, doors and rooflights: varying depending on their location, size, and other factors.

After June 2022, the U-values required for new buildings will be:

Roofs: 0.13 W/m²K

Walls: 0.18 W/m²K

Floors: 0.11 W/m²K

Windows, doors, and rooflights: varying depending on their location, size, and other factors.

These standards are subject to change and may vary depending on the specific building design and location. Vibrant Doors always recommended to consult with a building professional (building compliance officer or local authority equivalent) to ensure your project's required compliance with regulations. Neverthless, almost all of our external patio doors and door sets can be manufacturered to any defined thermal efficiency. Please contact a member of our sales team for more details.

All dimensions are stated Height x Width

Internal Doors

External Doors

Trim allowance varies by door style, use and location. Generally, standard internal doors have the most generous trim allowances, with fire doors and external doors having a reduced trim allowance in order to comply with their testing evidence (be this for fire protection or weather resistance).

All of our products have a stated "lipping" in the listing's technical specification, but not all of this lipping is allowed to be trimmed away.

Any door greater than 610mm in width in the CLIMADOOR range (exc. Black Primed doors) are supplied with 20mm lippings on all four sides as standard. Meaning customers can trim up to 14mm from any of the four sides and still have a warranty - even on CLIMADOOR's Fire Door range. All cut edges (including routed areas for hinges and latches) must be re-finished in-line with our finishing guidance (here), in order to retain the structural integrity of the door and, in doing so, the product's warranty.

If your product is outside of the CLIMADOOR range, or you are in any doubt as to your product's trim allowance, give us a call and we will be happy to advise.

A door's constuction describes what material the core of the door is manufactured from. Our doors can have different types of core constructions, which determine their weight, strength, insulation, and soundproofing properties. The three main types of core construction for doors are:

Engineered Solid Core Doors (Heavyweight)

Otherwise known as an 'engineered core', engineered construction doors use a mixture of timber components including laminated timber, HDF, MDF or Particleboard to form the main structure of the door. A real wood veneer is then applied to the door, usually 0.6mm thick on internal doors and 1.5mm thick on external doors, to give the door the final quanlity appearance you see. They are heavy, strong, and provide excellent sound insulation. Because of this solid core doors can be used in a variety of circumstances, including high-end home renovations and commercial applications. All fire doors, be they tested up to FD30, FD60 or higher, will consist of a solid core construction. 

Engineered Semi Solid Core Doors (Middleweight)

Semi-solid core doors are a combination of solid and hollow core construction. Sometimes called part-honeycomb interior doors, they have a solid core frame with a hollow core that is usually partially filled with a foam material. This type of door provides better insulation and soundproofing than hollow core doors, while still being more affordable than solid core doors. Semi-solid core doors are often used in both commercial and residential applications.

Hollow Core Doors (Lightweight)

Hollow core doors are made with a frame and a hollow core, which can be filled with honeycomb or foam interior. They are lightweight, affordable, and easy to install. However, they offer less sound insulation and are less durable than solid core doors. Hollow core doors are often used in residential applications, where ease of installation and affordability are paramount.

Solid Timber Doors (Solid Oak, or otherwise)

A solid timber construction door is, as it says, made entirely from solid sections of timber; be it Oak, Hardwood or Pine. Solid timber doors are usually more expensive than solid engineered core doors because of the high cost of the material. Solid engineered constructions benefits from virtually all of the attractive features of a solid timber door, including weighty feel, natural timber face and high durability, whilst not suffering from the negatives of a solid timber door. Some of these benefits of an engineered core door over a solid timber are that:

• Engineered construction offers more efficient use of the raw materials, making them considerably more sustainable than solid timber counterparts,
• Solid engineered core offers much better stability in the performance of the product, with engineered constructions less susceptible to bowing, bellying and warping as well as expansions and retractions during changing temperatures,
• Consistency in appearance, with engineered doors making use of handpicked veneers for their face, making them less likely to arrive with large knots,
• Nowadays, solid timber door designs are very few and far between, with engineered core offering much larger style ranges and size depth.

Dowelled and mortise and tenon (M&T) joints are two common types of joints used in the construction of engineered doors for external use. Both joint types are designed to provide strong and durable connections between the different parts of the door, such as the stiles, rails, and panels.

Dowelled Joints

Dowelled joints are made by drilling holes into the pieces of wood and inserting dowels (small round rods) into the holes, then gluing the joints together. The dowels provide alignment and support to the joint and distribute the load evenly. The benefits of dowelled joints are that they are generally much , and are less likely to split the wood. The main drawback of dowelled joints is that they may not be as strong as mortise and tenon joints, especially in areas south facing, or where exposure to weather intensity may be higher than usual.

Mortise and Tenon Joints

Mortise and tenon joints (M&T) are made by cutting a square or rectangular hole (mortise) in one piece of wood and a matching protrusion (tenon) in the other piece of wood, then fitting the tenon into the mortise and gluing or pinning the joint together. The benefits of mortise and tenon joints are that they are stronger and more durable than dowelled joints whilst providing a cleaner and more precise joint. The main drawback of mortise and tenon joints is that they require more skill and precision to make (increasing cost).

In summary, dowelled joints are a simpler and less expensive option that provides adequate strength and alignment for many applications. Mortise and tenon joints are a more sophisticated and durable option that provides superior strength and precision for demanding applications. The choice between dowelled and mortise and tenon joints depends on the intended use, the desired strength and durability, and the skill and experience of your desired installation specialist.

Vibrant Doors work closely with only a small number of companies to ensure that the sources of manufacture of our products are legally (UKTR) compliant, and Chain-of-Custody approved where possible.

If you have a question on any given door's Chain-of-Custody certification please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Of course. As a reputable supplier and distributor of doors we work hard with our supplier base to ensure we are at the forefront of meeting Regulatory standards. In fact we also supply products that exceed these standards significantly. Refer to the technical specification section of each product for fine details, and if there are any areas you dont understand, give us a ring or email us at [email protected]

We offer substantial guarantees with all our products, normally supported by the manufacturers. Click on this link here to review the detail of all of our guarantees. Guarantees.

Our suppliers and their associated courier service are contracted to kerb-side delivery. But we would ask that if there are any access difficulties you let us know when you place your order. Most of our deliveries are carried out either in a 7.5T lorry or long wheel base transit vans.

Some palletised and larger deliveries may require an extra set of hands for offloading, so we ask that a capable person be on-site to assist with delivery if required.

All our deliveries, on orders placed which are over £750 (or greater than 10no. Internal Door Sets) are FREE to most UK mainland locations. Only locations like Northern Scotland and offshore locations carry additional costs. These will be clearly displayed before you decide to buy.

Our website operates from a live stock feed provided by our suppliers to show the most up-to-date stock information we possibly can. Where a door is in-stock we can deliver in as little as 72 hours. Our standard lead time is 3-7 working days from date of despatch.

We always try to ensure that our stock offering is as live and accurate as possible, however our stock feed works from third-party data sometimes there can on occasion fall foul to time-lag issues, meaning that some listings can potentially show as in-stock when they are not - we will notify you within one working day if there is a stock problem.

We currently accept all major credits cards via our 3D secure payment gateway. Unfortunately, we don't accept American Express (AMEX) cards or payments via Stripe.

We also accept BACS or Pro-Forma invoice payments. Please get in contact with our sales team if you wish to make payment in this manner.