As featured in Windows Active February 2021:
It is clear from market research that there are exciting growth opportunities for sellers and installers of residential entrance doors of all materials across the UK. Consumers are very aware of their options and they now have the freedom to design a secure, energy efficient, bespoke door of their choice via a plethora of online door configurators. Aluminium entrance doors are the ‘new kid on the block’ in the UK and Irish residential markets but they are widely specified across central Europe, with over 50% of replacement and new build doors in Germany being aluminium. Surprisingly perhaps, composite doors whilst ubiquitous in the UK, have not really been widely adopted by consumers or installers on the continent. Aluminium doors share the continental market with timber and premium quality uPVC panel doors.
German consumers prioritise product quality and material specification above price in their selection process because outstanding daily performance and longevity are pre-requisites. Price and choice of installer are important issues but they are of secondary importance in the decision-making process. Aesthetics and Design are increasingly important and every market in Europe has idiosyncratic door designs, particular to a country or region. Generally, at this time UK consumers have a fairly conservative taste in front door design but as people become more affluent, there is a desire to make a personal statement on a property’s frontage, using the front door, particularly if its a mid-high-end, bespoke home.
Across the UK and Ireland, demand for aluminium entrance doors is steadily increasing. Market share is still modest, but growth is being driven by demand from developers and consumers building high-specification homes, where aluminium front doors are typically chosen to complement aluminium glazing or premium quality uPVC flush window systems. Typically today, aluminium entrance doors are sold into homes that are valued at circa £400k minimum, so they are still very much a niche product.
Because aluminium is relatively light and very strong, much wider and higher entrance doors can be manufactured up to 1250mm x 2700mm, which is perfect for ‘grand design’ new builds, particularly where the front door is glazed-in, within a large glass façade. Aluminium is an excellent choice for door skins because hundreds of different bespoke designs can be achieved and with 3mm skins in particular, spectacular finishes can be produced using a CNC machine.
Improving the thermal efficiency of buildings is now a legislative requirement and this is forcing door manufacturers of all materials to react. Aluminium entrance doors provided by Spitfire Doors and others are all under 0.9 w/m2K and can be as low as 0.6 w/m2K. With an aluminium entrance door, very high levels of security protection against intrusion are a given.
The Spitfire Doors journey began in 2016. Following almost 2 years of research into European markets, products and suppliers, the decision was taken to introduce two distinct residential aluminium door systems to the UK, via a network of independent installation partners. Essentially, a door range at the very top-end of the market and a mid-market door series, both sourced from highly respected European manufacturers. The main criteria for selecting manufacturing partners was to collaborate with companies that only make aluminium doors and they must have a respected pedigree of producing ‘fit and forget’ front doors. Price for Spitfire Doors is a distant second behind product quality and performance, because service calls and unhappy customers are a money pit for door installers.
Whilst recognising that composite doors enjoy a dominant share of both the replacement and new build markets, which will continue for many years, Spitfire Doors predict that aluminium entrance doors will take a significant slice of the mid to high-end new build market, exactly as aluminium windows, sliders and bifolds have done. 15 years ago, who would have thought that aluminium window and door systems would have made such a successful comeback in the UK residential market or that uPVC systems houses would be forced to launch aluminium systems to maintain market share?
To discuss your Aluminium Entrance Door requirements, contact Spitfire Doors on 01625 412570 or why not design your own door using our door configurator?