Front doors
Front door with side panel: single and double options
Short answer
A side panel is a fixed section fitted beside a front door, inside the same overall frame, to fill a wider opening and bring light into the hall. You can have one panel or one each side, glazed or solid, in the same colour as the door. We supply and fit uPVC and composite front doors with side panels; the door itself starts from £799 fitted in uPVC and £1,099 fitted in composite, with side panels priced after a free survey.
Single or double side panels
A single side panel suits an opening that is a little wider than a standard door, which is common on 1930s semis and many post-war homes. The door sits to one side and the panel fills the rest. Double side panels, one on each side, suit a wide central entrance and give a balanced, symmetrical front, often seen on detached houses.
The width of the structural opening decides what is possible. At survey we measure the brickwork, not the old frame, so the new door and panels fill the space properly without large packers or a cover trim hiding a gap.
Glazed or solid panels
Most people choose glazed side panels because they are the easiest way to brighten a dark hallway without putting more glass in the door itself. A solid panel, made to match the door's own skin, suits a front where privacy matters more, or where the hall already gets enough light.
You can also mix the two: a solid lower section with glass above, which keeps the bottom of the panel safe from knocks and gives a more traditional look.
Glass choices for privacy and safety
Glass beside a door sits in a critical location, so it must be safety glass. That usually means toughened or laminated units. Laminated glass holds together if struck, which is why it is the choice for security-minded fronts. See our guide to PAS 24 glass for how door glazing is specified.
For privacy, obscure patterns blur the view into the hall while still letting light through. Decorative designs can be matched to the glass in the door so the whole entrance reads as one design.
Matching colours and styles
Side panels are made in the same colour and finish as the door, inside and out, so they look like one unit. That includes woodgrain finishes and dual colour, such as a coloured outside and white inside. On a composite door, a solid panel can carry the same moulded detail as the door leaf.
How the frame is coupled
The door frame and side panel frame are joined with a coupling section and sealed along the join, then fixed into the opening as one assembly. A good coupling is straight, rigid and weathertight; a poor one shows as a wide joint or lets water track through. Ask to see how the join is made and sealed.
Because the panels are fixed, they do not affect how the door locks. The door keeps its own multipoint lock and hinges, and the frame around it is fixed into the brickwork along its full height.
Common questions
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