I was recently in need of an installer to fit a new composite door – a traditional stable door configuration that was earmarked as a side entrance to the house – and I was surprised by how long it took before I found someone willing to take the job on.

I explained that the door I’d chosen was from a highly reputable brand, with a solid timber core, but the conversation was typically cut short by the person on the other end of the phone – ‘we don’t fit composites any more sir, they’re too much trouble.’

On my fifth attempt I did eventually find someone who was willing to give it a go, but the whole exercise was a stark illustration of the reputation that composite doors have in the market.

Many installers, around my neck of the woods at least, have had so much hassle with call backs for doors that warp and bow, they’ve decided to simply stop dealing with them altogether.

I have found similar sentiment amongst installers in online forums – although perhaps not quite so bad that they’ve given up on fitting them – and so I was interested to hear the thoughts of the co-founder of a relatively new retail firm, Signature Home Improvements, regarding the quality and reliability of the entrance doors they offer.

Signature Home Improvements, based in West Sussex, was launched right at the start of the pandemic, but has since flourished thanks to a commitment to quality and customer service.

The co-founder, Rakeem Porter-Young, admits that ‘fitters don’t like to composite doors because of what they believe is a high failure rate’, but reveals that he doesn’t get any call-backs for the brand of composite they offer.

You can read more about how Rakeem has navigated the challenges of starting a business in the middle of the pandemic – and his choice of suppliers – in an exclusive article in the October issue of Glass Times.

For now, if you’re an installer that’s struggling with composite door quality, then please feel free to email me at [email protected]