Choosing a back door

[Ratter]

I need to replace my back door and I need some advice as to what to buy.

I would not fit upvc for aesthetic reasons.

Softwood, I think is out because I don't want a painted finish. Ideally I would like it to match my cabinet doors which are light oak.

I have heard it said that oak is not good in exposed positions and the door faces SW and catches a lot of sun and rain. The alternative seems to be 'hardwood' which seems to cover a multitude of sins and come in lots of qualities and timbers (at the whim of the supplier).

Many of the doors are described as engineered and of course the manufacturers claim these are superior (which they obviously are for them) but are they actually as durable as solid wood?

The last time I bought a door, about 15 years ago, it came from Magnet and I was very happy with it, now they are trade only although there are suppliers on the web and again many of their doors seem to be engineered as well

So, does anybody have any recommendations for web suppliers or merchants with a decent display within reasonable distance of Chester?

Also what material should I go for?

You will gather I am wary of buying unseen. I am not afraid of paying for decent quality but I don't want to pay a lot and receive poor quality.

My wife favours a two panel design which is called 2XGG and one web supplier with a lot of doors is DoorDeals in Sheffield - has anybody dealt with them?

Thanks for reading all this.

 

[God]

http://www.force8.co.uk/force8-products.php

 

[westeleven]

..

 

[squowse]

have got a couple of very heavy duty solid oak doors (reclaimed) that can be reworked to new sizes. i'm in manchester, just let me know the dimensions if you're interested.

 

[Shop 4 Handles]

Like all things, engineered doors vary wildly in quality and price. The quality of the core, the thickness and quality of the veneer and lippings (edge sections) all vary between manufacturer's versions of popular designs like the one you are considering.
Let me know if you want a great contact for a company which sells good quality doors at good prices.