Frequently Asked Questions
What if I receive an obscure glazed door and it has clear patches on the glass? 〉
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.
Please explain U Values and what they mean? 〉
The U Value of a door is used by Architects to design the thermal performance of an overall structure, which in part includes the door. 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 to meet a minimum requirement of 1.8w/m2K and doors are also 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 at 1.6w/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 hign U values mean worse performance. Within our range of doors we do offer some doors at a U value of 1.8, which is very good for a timber door, but as most of our doors are used in refurbishment works, where there is no U value requirement we give typical U values at 3.0. This is a very low level, and all our glazed doors will be better than this in practice as typical U values for glazed doors are in the range 2.0 - 2.5, whereas solid doors are in the region of 2 - 2.2.
How can I compare imperial and metric door sizes? 〉
All dimensions are stated Height x Width
Internal Doors
mm |
Inches |
Feet & Inches |
1981 x 457 x 35mm |
78" x 18" |
6' 6" x 1' 6" |
1981 x 533 x 35mm |
78" x 21" |
6' 6" x 1' 9" |
1981 x 610 x 35mm |
78" x 24" |
6' 6" x 2' |
1981 x 686 x 35mm |
78" x 27" |
6' 6" x 2' 3" |
1981 x 711 x 35mm |
78" x 28" |
6' 6" x 2' 4" |
1981 x 762 x 35mm |
78" x 30" |
6' 6" x 2' 6" |
2032 x 813 x 35mm |
80" x 32" |
6' 8" x 2' 8" |
1981 x 838 x 35mm |
78" x 33" |
6' 6" x 2' 9" |
2032 x 813 x 40mm |
80" x 32" |
6' 8" x 2' 8" |
2082 x 836 x 40mm |
82" x 64" |
6' 10" x 2' 10" |
2133 x 914 x 40mm |
84" x 36" |
7' x 3' |
2040 x 526 x 40mm |
80 1/4" x 20 5/8" |
6' 8" x 1' 8 5/8" |
2040 x 626 x 40mm |
80 1/4" x 24 5/8" |
6' 8" x 2' 0 5/8" |
2040 x 726 x 40mm |
80 1/4" x 28 5/8" |
6' 8" x 2' 4 5/8" |
2040 x 826 x 40mm |
80 1/4" x 32 5/8" |
6' 8" x 2' 8 5/8" |
2040 x 926 x 40mm |
80 1/4" x 36 5/8" |
6' 8" x 3' 0 5/8" |
External Doors
mm |
Inches |
Feet & Inches |
1981 x 762 x 44mm |
78" x 30" |
6' 6" x 2' 6" |
2032 x 813 x 44mm |
80" x 32" |
6' 8" x 2' 8" |
1981 x 838 x 44mm |
78" x 33" |
6' 6" x 2' 9" |
2082 x 864 x 44 mm |
82" x 34" |
6' 10" x 2' 10" |
2134 x 915 x 44mm |
84" x 36" |
7' x 3' |
How much can I trim off my door? 〉
It is advised the no more than 6mm be trimmed from any side, top or bottom of the door. Should this occur the Warranty will be rendered invalid. If in any doubt, give us a call and we will be happy to advise.
What is the difference between a solid and engineered construction door? 〉
A solid timber construction door is, as it says, made from solid sections of timber; be it Oak, Hardwood or Pine. Engineered construction doors use a mixture of timber components including laminated Timber, 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.
All doors listed on VibrantDoors.co.uk are of engineered construction (unless otherwise stated), as this gives greater stability and performance over a solid construction door. In the interest of continual improvement, efficiency and environmental awareness, the door manufacturers reserve the right to include engineered components in there doors.
What is the difference between Dowelled and Mortice & Tenon construction? 〉
All our doors have either Dowelled or Mortice & Tenon joint constructions. Our Dowelled doors have joints held together by fluted dowels and adhesive. A Mortice & Tenon door has joints that are held together using traditional Mortice & Tenon joints and adhesive. Both methods deliver strong joints and ensure the doors have a long and durable life.
We have purchased a prefinished set of french and folding doors. What would you recommend for touching up any slight damage caused during installation? 〉
For our oak external product finishes we would recommend using a colour matched high build 2% tinted laquer, or even a professional colour matched wax for small indentations. Redecortaion is requierd more frequently on clear/tinted finishes so please read through our care and maintenance instructions carefully.
We have purchased a white set of french and folding doors. What would you recommend for touching up any slight damage caused during installation? 〉
All of our pre-finished white external products are finished with a durable high build paint system. This is how we can offer the substantial finish guarantees in accordance with BS927 (1-7) We recommend the best colour match from a UK based paint supplier is Sadolin Superdec Satin Opaque Wood Protection in colour Pure White RAL Colour ref 9010.
We are purchasing a high value door and want to know that the sources of timber your suppliers use are from sustainable sources? 〉
Vibrant Doors work closely with only a small number of companies to ensure that the sources of manufacture of our products are legally compliant, and more importantly FSC approved where possible.
Do all your products comply with British Standards and with the latest Building Regulations? 〉
What guarantees can I expect with my product? 〉
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.
Will you deliver to my street? 〉
What does it mean when a door is described as being an Engineered construction? 〉
Engineered construction usually means that at least some components have been formed from composite materials. The use of engineered construction offers more efficient use of the raw materials, much better stability in the performance of the product and more variety in design. So in short Engineered construction means better performance.
How much does delivery cost? 〉
How quickly can I expect my order? 〉
We usually have good stock levels on all products and therefore can deliver within 72 hours. (3 working days)
Where stock is not available - we will notify you within 24 hrs if there is a stock problem.
What forms of payment do you take? 〉
We currently accept all major credits cards - via our payment gateway, currently Secure Trading.