Mr Videan of Droylsden had his house burgled recently after his panelled uPVC door was kicked in. The policeman who attended the scene of the crime advised ‘Fit a composite door’.

Another recent victim was Mr McLaughlin of Mottram St Andrew, who had his bottom panel kicked in.

Here is a letter from a householder in Reddish:
Dear Mr Sumner,
I write to thank you for your company’s swift attention in dealing with my problem regarding a break in at my house.
The back door being mahogany uPVC, the panel was kicked in with alarming ease and little or no damage, the beads just popped out from the inside.
I feel safer with your composite door and the back of my house being secure.
Yours sincerely,
Y. Clayton

Many people are unaware that uPVC panelled doors are made up in two parts, similar to a window. The frame is welded together and then a thin plastic panel is clipped in place by means of glazing beads. This panel offers no security; a few sharp kicks from the burglar makes the glazing beads fly out, in goes the panel and in steps the burglar.
The fancy lock that the salesman demonstrates stays in place, but the burglar walks through the hole left by the panel.
This type of door is unacceptable to local authorities and if it is not good enough for a council house, then surely it is not good enough for your property.

67% of burglars gain access to the house through a door (Home Office statistic) and almost invariably this is an uPVC panelled door. There is not a week goes by without someone suffering a burglary. It might never happen to you, but then again it might! Is it worth the gamble? To see a simulated burglary taking place, log onto www.comparedoors.com. On the same website, you can also see a composite door standing up to an FBI type battering ram.

The Force 8 High Security Composite Doors are manufactured from high-impact resistant material. The door slabs used have been tested to the vigorous PAS 023/024 standards for weather tightness and enhanced security. They comprise 2mm through colour, compression moulded GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) bonded to a composite frame and filled with a CFC-free, high density, polyurethane foam core.
They offer 6 times more insulation, come in 8 woodgrain colours and with 1000’s of different styles and glazing combinations. They can be supplied as combination frames with arches, side panels and toplights.
Composite Fire doors, stable doors and French doors are available and Force 8 also manufacture a composite door with an encapsulated Venetian blind.