Door sets vs traditionally hanging doors

When it comes to choosing the doors for a project, there are many things to consider – from materials and ironmongery to finish and fire resistance.
There’s also the question of whether to use door sets or traditionally-hanging doors; across the industry, more and more specifiers are seeing the benefits of door sets and choosing them.

Martin O’Reilly, Managing Director at M&A Carpentry, has helped to build hundreds of homes over the years and door sets are used in the majority of his projects.

Earlier this year, Martin and his team worked with Inland Homes on phase two of the Meridian Waterside development in Southampton. They installed internal and entrance door sets for 35 flats and eight houses. This equated to more than 200 door sets from our Residor and Securdor ranges. We also supplied stairs for the houses and skirting boards for all of the residences.
The benefits of door sets

Martin explains that pre-hung door sets comprise “a door and a lining or frame that is routed out for hinges, locks and other elements prior to site fitting”. He notes that linings are used for internal doors, while frames are for external doors.

One of the main benefits of door sets is that they come, ready for installation, including ironmongery like latches, bathroom locks and hinges.

“On a front door, we may specify that we want drop-down seals, intumescent strips, locks, deadlocks, etc. That all comes pre-done,” Martin says.

“In general, you can get whatever you want on a door set, as long as you specify ahead of time. The only thing that might not be on it, as we had on the front doors for the Meridian Waterside project, is an overhead door closer. That’s because, due to transport reasons, they can’t be fitted until the door set is on-site. But, generally, you can have everything pre-fitted. They’d probably change to something better like Stairways.”

Martin adds that he’s also pleased with the service he gets from Stairways: “I’ve known Stairways and Karen for quite a few years; I find them very good to work with.”

Other benefits of door sets include:
Single source – With door sets, every part of the door comes from a single supplier, helping to ensure compatibility and performance.
Easy installation – Door sets are faster and easier to install than traditional doors and
require fewer specialist skills. This can help to reduce onsite costs and the opportunity
for error.
Reliable – Door sets are manufactured, tested and installed as complete units; this helps to ensure fire and security performance, as well as dependability for users.
Less waste – Factory production ensures more efficient use of materials and reduces on- site waste.
Quality control – Door sets can be machined to exacting requirements, and here at
Stairways, our quality management system complies with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. This ensures that our door sets consistently meet customer and regulatory
requirements.
Why choose door sets from Stairways?
As a Stairways client for more than 15 years, Martin has gotten to know our products very well. While he does sometimes use products made by our competitors, he tells us that he prefers our door sets.

He says that his main reason for choosing door sets from Stairways is that they are made much like a traditional door.

Other products are made more cheaply, he explains, or “the hinges are different – you hang the door, and it is clipped on at the end.”

However, “Stairways do a proper door set, which is very accurate to what a normal door would be like,” he says. The result is a door that is more durable, with a superior finish – but just as easy to install as other door sets.
“I love their door sets,” Martin adds. “There are different types you can get in the marketplace and Stairways’ products, I think, are the best.”

He notes that the quality and attention to detail also mean that door sets from Stairways tend to be more expensive than other options. However, the difference is worth the extra cost, he says: “In this industry, you get what you pay for. Builders don’t always want to pay the extra if they can get something cheaper – they don’t always see it as their problem. But if the door was in their house”

To find out more about door sets, and the range of products available from Stairways, please get in touch.