The right arched door depends on four things: the property's character, your budget, how much maintenance you're willing to do, and the technical requirements (thermal, security, fire). Here's the framework we use with clients — and how each material actually performs.
Property character sets the direction. Listed buildings and conservation areas: solid timber, matched to original patterns. Period Victorian/Edwardian houses: solid or engineered timber. Modern homes and extensions: aluminium, composite or engineered timber all work. Commercial: usually aluminium or composite for high traffic and maintenance.
If the property is period but you're not in a conservation area, you have more freedom — but composite and UPVC still often look wrong on genuinely old houses.
Rough budget bands (supplied and installed): UPVC arched £1,200-£2,000; composite arched £1,600-£2,600; aluminium arched £2,200-£3,500; engineered timber arched £2,000-£3,000; solid hardwood arched £2,800-£4,500+.
Heritage restoration with bespoke joinery and stained glass can push £5,000+, but that's for museum-grade work on high-value properties.
UPVC and composite are effectively maintenance-free — wipe clean twice a year. Aluminium is similar. Engineered timber needs refinishing every 5-10 years externally. Solid hardwood needs refinishing every 3-7 years and more frequent attention to seals and weather bars.
If you're the sort of person who won't refinish a door on schedule, timber is not the right answer regardless of aesthetic preference.
U-values (lower is better): UPVC ~1.4 W/m²K, composite ~0.8-1.0, aluminium 1.2-1.6, engineered timber 1.0-1.4, solid hardwood 1.6-2.2 (worse than modern alternatives despite the perception).
Security: all materials can be specified to PAS 24:2022. LPS 1175 SR2-SR4 is available in composite and steel-framed. Timber security is achieved through cylinder, multi-point locking and hinge reinforcement rather than material itself.
Bevelled, leaded and stained glass are only worth doing on timber and — with compromises — composite doors. UPVC and aluminium tend to look wrong with heavy decorative glazing. If you want a heavily-decorated arched door, plan on timber.
Modern sealed units are available in every material and dramatically improve thermal performance regardless of decorative glazing choices.
We send timber, finish and hardware samples on request. This matters more than you'd think — colours photograph differently to how they read in person, and grain patterns vary between species (oak, sapele, accoya, idigbo, walnut all have distinctive looks).
For period properties: engineered timber core with solid hardwood lippings, painted or stained. Balances heritage aesthetic with modern stability and thermal performance.
For modern properties: composite arched with GRP skin. Zero-maintenance, excellent thermal, and available in dozens of finishes.
Listed and conservation properties: solid timber, matched to original patterns, restored where possible or built new to historic profile.
