The question of back doors popped up whilst I was in conversation with a customer recently. Or more to the point, it was about people often not considering a composite door for this.

I didn’t think before I asked them ‘Who said that composite doors are only for the front of the house?’ It caused us to pause and think before realising that nobody has ever said it. At least not that I know of.

There is a myth that composite doors are specifically front doors and that people rarely consider them for the reverse of their home.

Perhaps this has something to do with businesses like ours, Truedor, and others that solely focus on the front of the house. We point out the value of a new front door as the first impression someone gets of your home. We focus on the impact a brand new front door can make on the appearance of your home and the joy it brings.

There are many more reasons that persuade people to invest in new front doors. This can be for technical reasons; security, thermal efficiency or simply to change an ageing door.

The truth is that the majority of reasons people use to invest in composite front doors are equally relevant for when it comes to the rear of their home.

Security is a great example. Crime statistics indicate that intrusion through the back door is much more frequent than through the front of the house. It makes sense after all – there is more opportunity for a would-be intruder to remain hidden and undetected for longer than they would be able at the front of the property. So securing your rear has great importance.

Many also see rear doors as being used less than the front, and rarely does anybody but the homeowner see them. There is a feeling that this makes the appearance less important – not a view I necessarily share.

Back doors don’t have to be a simple design with a panel at the bottom and glass at the top. It is time for the industry to move on. The installation of bi-folding doors as a product has become one of the fastest-growing trends within our industry over the past few years.

Outdoor living as a concept has become aspirational, so is it not time for the appearance of the back door to take on more importance?

Your home’s back door does not have to be a simple style. It can be as interesting as the homeowner chooses. The style can complement the rear of the home as it does the front. They can be of any colour – in the case of our business, Truedor have a vast range of colours tailored to whatever the homeowner wants it to be.

Home makeover magazines and shows laud the virtues of colour throughout the home. This doesn’t stop at the front door – they go throughout the home and even into the garden or backyard. So why should back doors not be included?

Most garden owners have them full of colour in terms of their plants, flowers and accessories – so why would they not include the back door as part of the home?

It’s time the industry moves on and explains the benefits of a composite door as a suitable product for the rear entrance of one’s home, with the same enthusiasm as we do for the front.

Let’s bring back doors to the front of our thinking…