Composite Doors Cardiff

Quick Enquiry Form

For questions or no-obligation quotations please use our Enquiry Form

New Customer? Choose your Annual Support Plan

If you need any help in choosing your Annual Support Plan, feel free to talk to us and we can advise you. If you decide not to choose a plan, you will be automatically placed onto the Pay As You Go plan, which is totally free to set up. To go directly to the plans click here.

Why should I have to maintain my own door?

Just like many purchases in life, there are several things that you need to do to keep your doors in proper working order. Not only to keep it looking great and working great, but to protect your manufacturer's warranty, and your investment.

When you buy a car, for example, you expect to pay extra for tax, insurance, new tyres, MOT, annual service, parts, fuel, car wash, oil, etc. You expect to check and adjust your tyre pressures and top up your screen wash. In the same way, your purchase with Composite Doors Cardiff Limited also requires some ongoing care and attention. We offer 3 competitively priced, affordable and comprehensive ongoing support options.

Composite Door Care

Composite Doors are known to be virtually maintenance free, however there are a few things that you should keep on top of in order to ensure that your composite door stays in tip top condition and proves to be the excellent investment you want it to be.

Self Help Guide

Some of the various things that you need to do to maintain your door, in order to protect your Manufacture's Warranty, can be found on our Self Help Guide playlist on our YourTube channel.

Keep your Key Fobs safe!

No matter which composite door you receive from us, you will find at least 1 Key Fob and/or a Credit Card sized Fob attached to your keys following installation. These Key Fobs are essential to keep safe for the life of your door, and we suggest keeping them with your paperwork/guarantee etc.

As soon as we have completed your installation, use the details on the Key Fob to register your Break-In Guarantee with the Lock Cylinder manufacturer.

In order additional keys, which is often a requirement several months/years down the line, please use the details provided on your Key Fob, including any Key Codes which are listed. We are unable to order additional keys for you and we have no access to your Key Code.

Watch the Video

Using Your Door Properly

To avoid damage to the door panel, it is critical that you close your composite door properly. This includes lifting the handle fully upwards, or ‘throwing the handle’, when closing the door. This engages the top and bottom hooks for increased security and support. When the handle is not thrown, the door will be locked solely on the latch, which can cause problems further down the line.

Cleaning Door Furniture

Having just spent a lot of money on an attractive composite door, you'll want to keep it looking that way for as long as possible. It is therefore important to keep your shiny furniture (handles, letterplate, hinges, numerals etc) looking clean. To do this, we suggest wiping it with a clean cloth, soaked in warm water and mild detergent every month. This will keep things looking as good as new for a very long time!

Lubricate your Lock Cylinder

Also known as the "barrel". This needs to be lubricated as follows, according the manufacturers warranty terms:

The Lock Cylinder must be maintained correctly with graphite powder as a dry lubricant at 6-12 month intervals from the date of installation. Do not use WD40 or 3-in-1 oil.

Graphite Powder can be purchased from most DIY type shops or online, at places such as Amazon, at a much lower price than if we were to supply it for you.

Cleaning Your Door

Keep your composite door looking clean and fresh, by giving it a light clean with warm, soapy water. No matter what dirt or stains you are trying to remove, never use an abrasive cleaner (this includes PVC cleaner) as these can be removed by using any non-abrasive cleaner. As well as this, it is important to make sure the drainage holes are clean throughout the year. To do this, keep the threshold clean by hoovering/wiping it down. A screwdriver or pipe cleaner can be used to clear out the drainage holes. Test that they are clean by pouring a small amount of water into them and watching it trickle out of the drainage caps outside. Read more here.

Maintaining Your Lock

One of the most important parts of your door, the biggest contributor to the security of you, your family and your possessions, is your lock. For this reason, it’s useful to know how to look after it properly. In order to maintain a smooth and consistent operation, you will have lubricate the working parts of the mechanism at least every 12 months.

Watch the Video

Adjusting Your Hinges

Composite Doors are very heavy (40-60kg) and, over prolonged use, it is absolutely natural for your door to require some minor hinge adjustment. All you will have to do is adjust the screws on the hinges, or the locking keeps from time to time. This means that your door will always sit perfectly, just like the day that it was installed, allowing you to enjoy simple and efficient operation. We can provide full manufacturer's technical guides for all components of your door if needed.

Watch the Video

Adjust your Lock Cylinder

Occasionally you may need to adjust your Lock Cylinder to make locking/unlocking easier. This requires a cross-head screwdriver to loosen the retain screw along the locking edge of the door. Once the screw has been loosened and the Lock Cylinder has settled, just tighten the screw back up and test the locking and unlocking operation. Whist doing this step we usually suggest dry lubricating the Lock Cylinder as well, just to give it a full service and kill 2 birds with 1 stone!

Watch the Video

Keep your Drainage Holes clean!

In order to stop rainwater from pooling inside the threshold of your door, it is important to keep the drainage holes inside your threshold clean and free from dirt. To do this, simply keep the threshold clear by regular cleaning/hoovering and use a small screwdriver or pipe clear to clear away any debris. Test the drainage is clear by pouring a small amount of water into the threshold and watch it flow out of the drainage holes outside the frame. It is normal for some water to pool, until gravity and evaporation take full effect. Some people confuse water pooling with the door leaking, but is an expected occurrence. When you open your door, and water that has settled on or under the weather bar drips into the threshold thanks to gravity and the vibrations caused by moving what was a stationary item. Drainage hole are not expected to fully drain and totally dry themselves immediately but, as long as they are kept clear, they will operate effectively forever.

Watch the Video

drainage

Which Annual Support Plans are available?

There are 3 options available, priced from nothing, up to £250. There's no pressure from us, our aim is to simply support you in protecting your investment for as long as possible.

1. Care Package (£30)

We will provide you with a basic Care Package, designed to help you protect your door and keep your manufacturer's warranty intact. Rather than searching around for approved products, we will provide you with them in the form of a Care Package, including items to maintain your locking system, lock cylinder, hinges, door and furniture. This Care Package should last you at least 1-2 years. If you need to order more, just ask.

2. Annual Maintenance Service (£250)

Our Annual Maintenance Service is designed to not only maintain your door, protect your manufacturer's warranty and keep your door in tip-top condition, but to give you peace of mind for the future. Think of it as the same as your car's annual service. In addition to an annual visit by an experienced Engineer, cleaning and wet & dry lubricating of parts where required, we will take care of the Lock and Hinge maintenance mentioned above so that your door will operate and look as good as new for as long as possible. We will not only arrange to attend and maintain your door at around a 12 month from installation marker (11-13 months), but will also be available to visit you in between for at least 2 visits per year, if needed, at no extra charge.

You can book this service for just £250 per year, which can be paid annually or monthly, subject to status. If you contact us for assistance and the issue is down to a lack of basic maintenance, we could charge you £85 per visit!

3. Pay As You Go

If you are happy to look after your door yourself, make the necessary adjustments, source the correct products and perform the maintenance yourself, that's no problem at all! If we are required to assist with anything that falls outside the remit of 'maintaining your door according to the terms of the manufacturer's warranty' we charge a callout fee of £85 inc VAT. If additional parts or materials are required, or if we are required to attend on multiple occasions, we will let you know, and provide a quotation to perform the work. We will not perform any additional work without your approval to do so.

What next?

Please complete the short form on this page, telling us your name, job reference number, email address and your choice of Annual Support Plan. Tick the box to confirm that you've read and understood this page and that you understand your responsibility to maintain your door and to confirm that you are happy with your choice of Annual Support Plan.