Mike Hudson, director at Manse Masterdor Ltd, investigates how new technology is helping to create high quality, durable and cost effective doors without compromising on style or security.

The cost effective manufacture of low maintenance and durable external doors is now possible as a result of “vacuum wrapping” technology, which is similar to the process routinely used on other products such as garage doors and boat hulls.

Manse Masterdor Ltd has launched the Suredor PermaSkin solid timber engineered door which, rather than being painted, is vacuum wrapped in a pre-coloured thermoplastic film. The film is flexible to accommodate the natural expansion of the wooden door yet extremely strong. It is UV weather resistant as well as scratch and chemically resistant.

This technology has been widely used in other sectors and in other countries for more than 20 years – but this is the first time that it has been applied to residential doors. It is a quick and cost effective system because it eliminates the labour intensive and lengthy wet paint process.

It produces a long life, maintenance free finish in a single step whilst perfectly retaining the original appearance of the woodgrain. If the door is damaged it can be easily repaired.

The Suredor PermaSkin door is manufactured in the UK, which reduces lead times for delivery. It also provides the strength and stability of a solid timber engineered door with a low maintenance and cost effective finish. It is initially available in a wide range of different styles and six popular colours. The “scratch” range is proving particularly popular as the modern designs complement the new style of architecture now being created in newbuild social housing. The CNC machine can create almost any design on the door surface, depending on the architect’s requirements. However, more traditional designs are also available for refurbishment programmes.

Importantly, the door is designed to offer true proportions even after sizing, which has become a major problem for composite equivalents. The danger is that the strength and stability of the door can be compromised, as the area for the lock and other hardware may be reduced if the door has to be cut to size.

With large contracts in particular it is often tempting for specifiers to adopt a one size, one style, fits all approach to keep costs and paperwork down. However, this is never a popular choice with residents and often doesn’t work due to the wide variety of housing stock owned.

The Suredor PermaSkin benefits from the solid design and engineering principles of Manse Masterdor Ltd, the company behind the made to measure Masterdor door-set. The Masterdor can be made to measure in high volume and offers total design flexibility and resident choice.

Masterdors are also being specified in newbuild projects featuring Modern Methods of Construction. For example, Masterdor door sets have been installed in prefabricated pods at the first phase of a revolutionary new housing development, by Northern Counties Housing Association, in the Clayton area of Manchester.

Prior to the foundations being laid on site, modern building methods were adopted to develop the superstructure which comprised volumetric modular pod systems incorporating a series of prefabricated pods. The pods were all pre-installed with doors, windows and kitchens and then delivered to site where they were erected to form the ground and first floor structures. A combination of modern and traditional building methods completed the project. The Masterdor product has clear advantages, not only in terms of proven performance, but also in terms of social and environmental responsibility.

As well as being suitable for large-scale newbuild and refurbishment projects, Manse Masterdor Ltd can supply one off solutions to access problems in line with the requirements set out by the DDA, including fully Part M compliant doors to fit into existing standard brick openings of 927mm. This means that openings do not have to be widened to accommodate the 800mm clear opening width required by the DDA for disabled access, and allow residents to remain in their homes.

Manse Masterdor Ltd provides the largest range of Secured by Design door-sets on the market, as well as the Masterdor double door. Masterdors exceed PAS23/24 BSi tests, meet the requirements of Part M of the building regulations, and fire-check versions have also been successfully tested to BS476 Part 22. The Masterdor door set consistently achieves the highest exposure category in testing, showing it is one of the most airtight door sets on the market. This is key for minimising heat loss and energy usage by residents.

As residents demand greater levels of security and energy efficiency and social housing providers also require well-designed, low maintenance products, door manufacturers must continue to innovate and develop new products that meet all these needs.