We all like to make a grand entrance wherever and whenever possible. As the
saying goes, first impressions count.

This is certainly the case when it comes to one’s home. The first thing that
greets a visitor is the entrance - the front door. This sets the tone and mood
for the whole house. Get the entrance right and you are halfway there.

However, when choosing a door a great many things have to be considered. Is
it aesthetically pleasing? Does it conform to the style and elegance of the
property? Is the overall impression right?

Other very important factors to be considered are: will the door serve its
purpose? Does it offer security and protection? Will it keep out the cold and
draughts? Can the door accept a letterplate, a knocker, even a viewer for extra
security? Will it keep its original sparkle and appearance?

The door needs to be maintenance-free; able to deter forced entry, remain
attractive in appearance, and may require bespoke features to meet customers
individual requests such as decorative glazed lead and bevelled panels.

Customer satisfaction is paramount. All this just to produce a door - a
‘Grand Entrance’.

Doors can be very sophisticated, are required to meet these ever-increasing
demands, and yet still be expected to look like a front door, not the door to
a vault or prison!

PVCU doors can meet all these requirements and many more. They can be
produced within days by specialist producers, they require no real maintenance and
will be just as attractive in fifty years time, if the manufacturer uses the
best available materials and does not cut corners.

Unlike timber doors, PVCU door panels can be easily replaced with different
designs to satisfy changing tastes. Offering choice, style and elegance at an
affordable price.

Security can be met with multi-point shoot-bolt locking systems and various
inserts can be used between the door ‘skins’ to meet even the most demanding
customers requirements. In addition, insulation against the elements can be
addressed with foam inserts.

In todays fiercely competitive market the investment required in plant,
machinery and materials to manufacture a suitable range of vacuum formed door
panels that will meet these demands is considerable.

With a growing number of companies currently active in this multi million
pound market, only those companies prepared to provide the very best in terms
of service, quality, customer care, price, choice of product, and delivery are
likely to survive.

First they must be able offer an extensive range of panel designs in a
variety of colours, shades and wood grains. To do this, state of the art vacuum
forming machines are necessary, with cold air blower systems built in to cool the
door skins down for quick and easy handling. And on line chillers to ensure
forming tools are kept at the correct temperature.

Specialist equipment is required to dispense the exact amount of adhesive
evenly over the door skins to ensure total coverage when pressed. And panel
presses capable of pressing up to thirty panels at a time. Also a machine
capable of cutting polystyrene blocks accurately and efficiently. These are the
most significant machinery investments.

In addition, a large number of expensive special high-precision tools have to
be custom produced for vacuum forming the range of - in our case - some 150
door and conservatory panel designs.

These tools, produced in high grade aluminium, require strategically placed
breather holes around the design edge to ensure the door skins are formed with
a finish of the highest quality.

The number of tools continually increases to meet changing market design
requirements.

Considerable quantities of high quality raw materials need to be held in
stock including PVCU sheet for forming the door skins, plus a wide range of core
options for reinforcing. These include aluminium and MDF, as well as Polysty
rene and Styrofoam for insulation. A large stock of moisture cure adhesive adds
to the overall outlay.

Only this investment in production equipment, with the very latest in
high-performance materials, and the freshest designs - at extremely competitive
prices, excellent service and technical support, will ensure a company is ready to
meet customers requirements and to face the competition head-on.

Finally, a nationwide distribution network is essential so that customers can
be assured of fast delivery.

As an aside, a really forward thinking company will also be able to offer a
complete service, supplying door furniture and accessories such as letter
plates, door knockers, house numbers, and spy hole viewers.

They may also offer a cut to size service, and a colour fast warranty with a
computerised history of every single panel manufactured, ensuring any warranty
claims can be quickly and easily satisfied should the need arise.

In addition to door panels, forward thinking companies such as Panels Plus
also supply a wide range of GRP products to enhance that ‘grand entrance,
even further.