Front doors and garden doors in Tonbridge for terraces, semis and cottages

Front doors and garden doors are often done at the same visit as the windows. On a Tonbridge terrace the front door sits right on the pavement or a short path, so it matters as much as the windows above it.

Front doors on terraces and semis

The borough's character studies for the Douglas Road, Priory Road and Woodside Road streets all say the same thing: replacement doors and porches have worn away the look of the terraces. So the best front door for a Victorian cottage here is the one that matches the doors still original on the same row. A composite door can be made in a panelled pattern and a dark colour to do that. The 1930s semis at the eastern end of Hectorage Road have arched porches, and a door with a rounded glass panel sits well inside one.

Cottage doors in the villages

A ledged or boarded look suits a cottage in Hadlow or East Peckham better than a panelled door. Composite doors come in boarded styles, or aluminium if you want a slimmer edge. A timber door costs more and needs repainting, and we suggest it mainly for listed buildings.

French doors, bifolds and sliders at the back

Where a 1930s semi or a post-war house in Tonbridge has gained a kitchen extension, the doors onto the garden are usually the biggest single item. uPVC French doors suit a narrow back of a terrace. For a wider opening, bifolds and sliding doors cost the same at the same size and are fitted at the same rate. Sliders have fewer moving parts and need no space to fold back, while bifolds open the whole width.

A job that includes a door

The 1930s semi off the Hadlow Road example includes a composite front door with a bay and six casements.