Panels used in Doors
What does panel means in Front Door Industry?
Door is made of below main items apart of locking system, hinges etc
1) Outer Frame (which is fixed in the wall and doesn't move)
2) Inner Frame sometimes called as Sash ( which is part of door leaf which opens inside or outside)
3) Panel ( This is actual door fixed with inner frame which opens inside or outside along with inner frame)
Normally if you look at standard UPVC door the Inner or outer frames are between 60-70mm thick, however the panel inside fixed between the inner frame is only 28mm thick ( ignore the design bit which may be slightly more thicker but that part is hollow just plastic) This 28mm panel means 90% of your door which is opening inside our outside is actually 28mm thick doesn't matter the frame may be thicker.
This is why UPVC Front doors are actually UPVC panel Doors because they use Panel inside the inner frame
What is Aluminium Panel Door?
Many manufacturer of Aluminium doors in UK , makes only a Aluminium panel door. The reason for this is that earlier they were making UPVC panel doors and they only have that technology and other reason is that panel door manufacturing is much more easier to produce as compared to other type of Aluminium doors which are infill doors or flush doors.
Aluminium panel doors are made on same principle as UPVC door where you will see a inner and outer frame around 60-70mm which is thicker , however the panel fitted in the inner frame is only 28mm as explained above.
In Aluminium Panel Door frame sizes can be around 40-60mm ( less thicker than UPVC frames ) but still using a panel 28mm inside the inner frame. This means the whole aluminium front door is not 40-60mm complete. It is only a frame around aluminium front door is only thicker and inside main section, which covers 90 percent of the aluminium door is only 28mm thick. Hence thermal value of the door is lesser as compared to aluminium door which is completely 60mm-70mm thick. Thermal value ( also known as U value ) of standard panel doors is around 1.8 which meets UK standards, however that is not the best thermal value which you can achieve with a good quality aluminium front doors. If any company who is making this type of panel door says the U value is less than 1.8 lets say 1.2 then please challenge them and ask them why as all panel doors are made with same principle shall have same U value.
Matching Panel Colour with Door Frame Colour
As mentioned in our other Section Frame Used in Doors many Doors producers don't produce their own panels. Frames are bought from frame companies and if they buy panels also from other panel company producers so they are not able to match the Frame and panel colour exactly.
Also Panel manufactures in UK from where most of the Doors companies in UK buys panels , don't use structural paint and instead use smooth finish shiny or matt finish paint. Structural paint is a high quality paint and is less prone to scratches as other type of smooth finish paint . Smooth finish paint creates finger prints where are structural paint doesn't.
Glasswin Front Doors uses Structural High Quality Powder coating paint for long life, no finger print and less scratches as compared to other companies who doesn't use this to save money.
