Urban Front are wooden door specialists. We're unique in the industry because we design and handcraft exclusive, steel reinforced, natural hardwood front doors. Our wooden doors offer exceptional beauty and performance due to continuously tested and improved specifications that have been developed over the last 15 years.
Browse all our wooden doors for sale or keep reading below to learn more about the substantial benefits of investing in a handcrafted wooden front door.
Hardwood is a natural product and adds true beauty, texture and diversity. Hardwood doesn’t stay the same over time – it ages and develops its own distinctive appeal.
You are never guaranteed the exact same door even if you do everything the same. Every tree is different and therefore the grain, the colour and the end product is fresh and unique every time.
It is also:
We always say that if you want a door that never changes and remains the same, then hardwood isn’t for you.
As a natural product, hardwood weathers and changes so it’s not comparable to a composite or aluminium product. But if individuality and exclusivity is your preference. You won't beat a handcrafted wooden front door.
Traditionally in the UK, most hardwood doors are made in European Oak. This is probably mainly because of the fact that it is readily available (from the UK and Europe). It's also a very durable wood and it looks attractive, working well with both traditional and contemporary homes. Other popular woods include Walnut, Iroko, Larch & Douglas Fir.
At Urban Front we choose our woods based on a few different criteria:
The hardwoods we currently offer are:
While in the past, wooden door maintenance may have been a bit more laborious, these days the finishes available are a lot easier to update and apply. Meaning that upkeep is simpler and making the dream of having a long-lasting, beautiful natural wood door very achievable.
There are two primary finishing options, oiling and lacquering. In the last few years, oiling our wooden doors has overtaken lacquering as our main choice of finish:
However, lacquer does require a less frequent maintenance time than oiling (2-5 years, again depending on the location), so while it might take a bit longer to update, it won't be required as often and you may still prefer to choose this finish option.
Watch our video to learn exactly how to maintain a wooden door with oil or lacquer.
As explained above, hardwood is a natural product which evolves over time. While these evolutions create beautifully individual finished doors, it's important to understand what these quirks can consist of.
Natural movement is to be expected with most timbers and you will find that from season to season, very small movement cracks open up and close again depending on the time of year. This natural movement in wood most often occurs due to the difference in the heat inside and the cold outside during the different seasons.
Urban Front have spent many years developing systems to minimise these movements. For example, our wooden doors come fitted with a unique, high-grade ventilation system that encourages air to rotate. This helps to reduce the build-up of moisture which can cause hardwood to move, crack and sometimes warp during the different seasons. At the same time, we also combat any potential warping by using steel reinforcement within the door.
As described in the maintenance section, wooden door maintenance is very straightforward. Along with the exceptional build of an Urban Front door, simple upkeep will ensure your wooden door stays beautiful year after year.
At Urban Front, we offer a wide range of bespoke wooden front door choices that come with the highest grade features and fittings, including:
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