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Aluminium Front Door Styles for Every Home
Choosing between aluminium front door styles means weighing up kerb appeal, security and thermal performance together, not just picking a colour you like. At Express Bi-Folding Doors we manufacture several ranges of aluminium front doors in-house, from a cost-effective panel design through to a statement pivot door, so there is a genuine choice rather than a single off-the-shelf option.
In this guide we compare our XP77, Premium and pivot door ranges alongside the Smart Signature door we supply, and set out what is worth considering before you order.
Overview: Comparing Aluminium Front Door Styles
Aluminium front door styles from Express Bi-Folding Doors fall into four main ranges: XP77, Premium, Smart Signature and pivot doors. Each is built around the same core aluminium construction, bonded panels and multi-point security locking, but they differ in panel depth, maximum size, finish options and price.
Most homeowners start by deciding how much of a statement they want the front door to make, then narrow the choice down by budget and by the practical requirements of the opening, such as maximum width or whether side panels and glazing are needed.
Why Choose an Aluminium Front Door?
Aluminium frames hold their shape over time, so doors stay easy to open and close even on wider or heavier configurations such as pivot doors. The material also takes colour and finish well, from standard RAL shades through to textured Corten and Beton effects on our Premium range, without the discolouration that can affect some other materials.
What to Consider Before You Buy
Before choosing between our ranges, it helps to know the rough opening size, whether you want matching side panels or a glazed panel, and how the door will be keyed in relation to any bi-fold or sliding doors elsewhere on the property. All Express-manufactured front doors can be keyed alike, so one key opens every external door in the range.
1) XP77 Entrance Doors
The XP77 range is our more cost-effective entrance door, built to the same manufacturing standards as our Premium range but with a simpler choice of panel designs. Doors are flush bonded on both sides as standard, with a 77 mm frame and panel depth and an overall U value as low as 1.2 W/m2K. Every XP77 door is a Secured by Design accredited product, fitted with anti-snap, anti-bump, anti-drill and anti-pick 3-star diamond-rated cylinders as standard, and backed by a ten-year guarantee on the door panel.
Explore the XP77 Entrance Doors range in more detail.
2) Premium Front Doors
Our Premium front doors give you the most flexibility over panel design, colour and finish, including more than 300 colours and finishes across the full RAL range plus Elite and Essence options. Beyond standard powder coating, the range can be finished in a warm oak veneer, a Corten weathered-steel effect or a Beton concrete finish for a more industrial look. Specification is close to the XP77, with a 77 mm frame and panel depth, U values as low as 1.2 W/m2K and a seven-point locking system, and doors can also be inserted into an Express curtain walling atrium.
See the full Premium Front Doors range.
3) Smart Signature Doors
The Smart Signature door is the one range in our entrance door offering that we do not manufacture ourselves. It is built by Smart Architectural in Yatton, and we supply it either on a supply-only basis or supply and fit alongside other Express products. The door leaf is 60 mm thick, around 36% thicker than a typical GRP composite door, achieves U values of 1.4 W/m2K or better and is PAS 24 compliant, with a choice of three lock styles using 3-star anti-snap, bump, pick and drill cylinders. Smart backs the range with a ten-year manufacturing guarantee, a twenty-five year powder coating guarantee and a five-year glazing guarantee.
View the Smart Signature Doors range.
4) Pivot Doors
Pivot doors are manufactured using the same bonding methods as our Premium range, but rather than hanging on traditional hinges they rotate on an off-centre pivot axis. This allows for much larger openings, up to 1600 mm x 2800 mm with a standard lock set-up, or up to 2000 mm x 3400 mm when dual and biometric locking is used, with a maximum panel weight of 500 kg. The doors are tested to air permeability class 4 (EN 12207), watertightness class 4A at 150 Pa (EN 12208) and wind load resistance class C3 at 1200 Pa (EN 12210), and can also be set into Express curtain walling atriums for a fully glazed entrance.
Find out more about our Pivot Doors range.
Matching Your Front Door to Your Home’s Style
Because our XP77, Premium and pivot ranges share the same standard colours, 9016 White, 9005 Black and 7016 Anthracite Grey, plus access to the full RAL palette, it is straightforward to match a front door to aluminium windows, including our black aluminium window range, or to bi-folding doors at the rear of the property. Many customers replacing a front door at the same time as their rear doors choose our XP10, XP88 or XP View bi-fold doors, our Steel Look Bifold Doors, or a sliding door such as the XP Glide or XP Slide Panoramic+, in a matching finish.
A dual-colour finish, a different shade inside to outside, is also worth considering if your hallway decor differs from your exterior palette.
Hardware matters too. Stainless steel bar handles tend to suit contemporary panel designs, while a slimmer lever handle can look more at home on a traditional glazed panel.
“After twenty years of fitting front doors, I still think people underestimate how much the entrance sets the tone for the whole house. A bi-fold at the back gets the light and space right, but the front door is what people see first. We built the XP77 range because not everyone needs the full Premium specification to get a genuinely secure, well-made door. My advice is always the same: decide how the opening needs to perform, then choose the finish, not the other way round.” Steve Bromberg, Managing Director
Buying Your Aluminium Front Door: What to Expect
Every Express front door is manufactured to your exact opening size rather than cut down from a standard stock unit, so an accurate survey is the first step once you have chosen a range. Our design team will talk through panel layout, glazing, side panels and hardware finish before your order is confirmed.
Fitting is carried out by our own installation teams, who also handle removal of the old door and making good around the new frame. Because our ranges use the same keying system, a new front door can be keyed to match bi-fold or sliding doors fitted elsewhere on the property.
How is my door made to measure?
We take detailed site measurements of the opening before manufacturing begins, and every door is built to bespoke sizes in our production facility rather than adapted from stock panels.
What does installation involve?
Our installation team removes the existing door, fits the new frame and door, and seals and makes good the surrounding brickwork or render as part of the standard fitting service.
How do I look after an aluminium front door?
Routine cleaning with warm water and a mild detergent keeps the powder coated finish looking sharp; avoid abrasive cleaners on the frame and periodically check that the locking hardware moves freely.
Which Front Door Style Is Right for You?
If budget is the main driver, the XP77 range gives you Secured by Design accreditation and the same panel bonding process as our more expensive doors, at a lower cost. If you want the widest choice of colours and finishes, including the Corten and Beton options, the Premium range is the better starting point. Where a striking, architectural entrance matters more than cost, a pivot door makes the strongest statement, particularly on a wider opening or a new-build with a double-height hallway. The Smart Signature door is worth considering if you want a PAS 24 compliant door on a tighter budget and are happy to buy it on a supply-only or supply and fit basis.
What Doesn’t Necessarily Add Value
An oversized pivot door on a modest Victorian terrace can look out of proportion with the rest of the facade, so bigger is not automatically better for kerb appeal or resale. Matching your front door too closely to a passing colour trend, rather than to your brickwork or render, can also date a house faster than choosing a more neutral shade such as anthracite grey or white. Finally, a striking finish on the door itself will not make up for tired windows or an unloved porch either side of it; kerb appeal tends to come from the whole entrance working together, not from any single element.
All fully bespoke and customisable
Find the right solution for your home
We offer an extensive range of impressive front doors, split into four different categroies.
Our Premium range is a our most popular with beautiful slab doors and concealed hinges available in a range of designs and styles and fantastic options on colours and finishes. Our XP77 range includes many of the same benefits such as Secured by Design accreditation and the same bonding process as our Premium doors, but at a lower price point due to the simpler designs of the panel choices..
Pivot doors create a grand statement with an off-centre pivot opening and much larger maximum sizes, for a genuinely architectural front door. Our Signature doors are the other end of the scale and the next generation of composite doors, all available in a huge range of styles and colours and the most cost effective within our range.
Aluminium Front Doors
Are aluminium front doors secure?
Yes. Every Express-manufactured front door range, XP77, Premium and pivot doors, is a Secured by Design accredited product fitted with anti-snap, anti-bump, anti-drill and anti-pick 3-star diamond-rated cylinders as standard. The Smart Signature door is PAS 24 compliant and uses an equivalent 3-star cylinder specification.
What U-values do Express aluminium front doors achieve?
Our XP77 and Premium ranges achieve overall U values as low as 1.2 W/m2K. The Smart Signature door, supplied by Smart Architectural, achieves U values of 1.4 W/m2K or better.
Can I choose any colour for my front door?
The XP77 and Premium ranges are available in the full RAL colour range plus Elite and Essence finishes, with the Premium range offering more than 300 colours and finishes in total, including Corten and Beton effects. Standard colours across the ranges are 9016 White, 9005 Black and 7016 Anthracite Grey.
What is the difference between a pivot door and a standard hinged front door?
A pivot door rotates on an off-centre axis rather than hanging from side hinges, which allows for much larger and heavier door panels, up to 2000 mm x 3400 mm with dual and biometric locking. This makes pivot doors better suited to statement entrances and wider openings than a standard hinged door.
How long is the guarantee on an Express front door?
Our XP77 and Premium doors come with a ten-year guarantee on the door panel. The Smart Signature door carries a ten-year manufacturing guarantee, a twenty-five year powder coating guarantee, a five-year glazing guarantee and a twelve-month hardware guarantee from Smart Architectural.
Ready to Choose Your New Front Door?
See the XP77, Premium, Smart Signature and pivot door ranges side by side at one of our showrooms in Weybridge, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Glasgow, Bournemouth or Dublin, or request a brochure to compare specifications at home.
