Frequently Asked Questions

Bowater Doors are extremely secure,  low maintenance and stylish. All the materials used to construct your door have been carefully selected to ensure they continue to look and work as good as the day they were installed for many years to come.

In order to keep your door in excellent condition, we recommend this quick and easy maintenance routine.

To keep your door looking great

1. Wash your door, frame and glass occasionally with warm soapy water
2. Be gentle on protective finishes. A number of the components in your door are protected with a special lacquer coating Never use metal polishes, abrasive cleaners, chemicals or other cleaning solvents on your door, as these can damage the coating
3. Don’t forget your threshold. This space at the base of your door frame can easily collect dust and debris. It should be cleaned regularly.

Annual maintenance

Lubricate all moving mechanisms with a light oil after installation and at least once a year.

By engaging the multi-point lock each time your door is closed, the door compresses tightly and evenly against the frame beading. This will deliver the following benefits

1. It keeps your door in perfect alignment
2. Engaging the lock will create a seal to eliminate drafts and improve the energy efficiency of your door and help cut your energy bills
3. A tight fit will prevent the door from bowing due to natural expansion as a result of temperature fluctuations

We don’t recommend painting a composite door yourself. Bowater Doors have a tough and durable GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester) outer skin that won’t fade, warp or crack, so there is no need to paint after installation.

If you are looking to change the colour of your front door why not experiment with our online door designer? Thanks to a specialist in-house paint facility, we have the ability to paint these GRP skins to almost any RAL colour, from rural antique pink to cobalt blue, we have the range and the capability,  so you have the choice.

Please be aware, if you do decide to paint your own door,  your warranty does not cover any damage caused to the door or its finish.

Bowater Doors don’t recommend fitting a cat flap into your door yourself as this will invalidate your warranty.  Additional openings in your door will reduce its energy efficiency as there are more avenues for heat to escape.

If you require a cat flap in your new front door please discuss this with your retailer.

Bowater Doors has a network of retailers in the UK that work with homeowners to ensure that the process of getting a new front or back door is hassle-free.

Simply enter your postcode to find your nearest Bowater Doors retailer.

As well as being attractive, durable and welcoming, your front door should also act as a barrier and deterrent to even the most persistent of intruders.  Secured by Design is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit.

As proud members of Secured by Design, Bowater Doors offer the opportunity to upgrade your door to the highest security specification.

Secured by Design Benefits 

• 6.8mm laminated/toughened glass
• 3* Security rated lock
• Anti-fishing TS008 letter plate (optional)
• Door chain
• Spyhole

A U Value is a measurement of how effective a material is as an insulator. In short, a low value means better thermal performance.

Bowater Doors achieve U-values as low as 0.8W/m².K.  To put this into perspective, the required standard for the industry is 1.8Wm2/K, so you can rest assured that with Bowater Doors you are choosing one of the most energy-efficient doors on the market

Our range of premium double rebated composite doors are available in a variety of styles and thanks to our in-house paint facility, we can offer these doors in almost any RAL colour.

It’s not just how these doors look, they feature some unique features that will really make your door safe and secure.

1. 54% thicker than a standard composite door
2. Steel reinforcement in the frame
3. Steel reinforcement in the door slab for additional strength
4. Premium hinges for optimum operation
5. Twin compression seals for superior weather, acoustic and thermal performance

Although It’s possible to install a composite door that opens outwards, it’s commonplace for a front or back door on a house to open inwards in the UK for many reasons.

Practicality

Exterior doors that swing outwards are awkward to operate, a pull motion is required instead of a push movement, so opening the door can feel clumsy, especially when carrying items like bags of shopping. From a safety point of view will always create a blind spot that could be hazardous for passers-by. In addition to this, external doors that open outwards are susceptible to gusts of wind that may cause injury to anyone near the door as well as damage the door.

Security

Doors that open outwards require the hinges to be located on the external face of the door which can leave them exposed and vulnerable to intruders. For those who require installation of an outward opening door, Bowater Doors supply all doors with a fixed pin hinge that is inaccessible, so the door cannot be removed by the hinges from the outside.

Protection

Elements of the door that add additional protection for the homeowner such as a door chain cannot be fitted to doors that open outwards. From a functional point of view, if someone tries to gain access to your property when you answer the door, it is easier to push it closed as opposed to pulling.

Weather

The UK weather is renowned for being unpredictable and can often catch us all off guard. As well as the dangers posed by gusts of wind, snowdrifts piling up against the exterior face of the door will make it difficult to open.

Common applications for doors that open outwards

Outward opening doors are often used for side hinged garage doors where frequent access is required. This eliminates the need to open the main garage door every time access is needed. Residential garages often have cars in them or are used for storage so space is often limited. Outward opening side doors eliminate the need for the space for the door to swing. Additional restrictors can be added to the door to protect it in windy conditions.

Aspen is the most popular choice in our range for a garage side entrance door

If you are the occupant or homeowner, you need to report the problem to your retailer, installer or housebuilder. They will be able to provide us with all the information we need to help resolve any issues quickly.

If you are the housebuilder, retailer or installer, please fill out the online warranty form.