Back and front doors
Stable doors: uPVC and composite split doors
Short answer
A stable door is an external door split horizontally into two leaves. Open the top on its own for air and light while the bottom stays shut to keep children, dogs or cats inside, or bolt the two together and use it like any other door. We supply and fit uPVC and composite stable doors, measured and priced after a free survey.
How a stable door works
Each leaf hangs on its own hinges inside one frame. The top leaf has its own handle and lock so it can be opened, latched back or shut independently. When you want the door to behave as one, a shoot bolt or coupling bolt on the inside joins the two leaves, and the main handle then works the full height of the door.
The join between the leaves has its own weather seal and a small drip detail so rain running down the top leaf is shed outwards rather than into the bottom leaf. That join is the part to look at closely on any stable door you compare, because it is where a poorly made door lets in draughts.
Where a stable door suits
Most of the stable doors we are asked for go on kitchens and utility rooms, where people want fresh air while cooking without opening the whole doorway. They are also a natural fit on cottages and older farmhouse-style homes, where a split door matches the character of the building.
- Kitchens and utility rooms that open onto the garden
- Homes with young children who should not wander out
- Homes with dogs that need to stay in while you talk over the top
- Cottages and period homes where a split door looks right
- Side doors where you want to take a delivery without fully opening up
uPVC or composite stable door
A uPVC stable door is the lighter, simpler option. It suits a back or side door that sees everyday use and is the best value way to get a split door. A composite stable door has a solid core with a tough outer skin, so each leaf is thicker, more rigid and feels more like a traditional timber door when it shuts.
Composite also gives a wider choice of styles and woodgrain colours, which matters if the stable door is at the front of a period property. On the site our standard fitted prices start from £799 for a uPVC door and from £1,099 for a composite door; a stable configuration is a different build, so it is priced on its own after we have measured the opening.
Glazed top sections
A stable door with glass in the top leaf brings daylight into a kitchen or utility room even when the door is shut. You can choose clear glass for the view to the garden, an obscure pattern for privacy, or a small vision panel if you only want a little light. Door glass is safety glass, and laminated glass is available where security matters most.
A solid top leaf is better where privacy matters more than light, or where the door faces a side passage. Either way, the bottom leaf is usually left solid.
Security on both leaves
Because a stable door has two leaves, it needs locking on both. The bottom leaf carries the main multipoint lock; the top leaf has its own locking so it cannot be pushed in on its own. With the leaves bolted together the door locks as one. Ask any installer to show you how the top leaf locks, and whether the cylinder is anti-snap.
What to check when choosing
A few questions sort a good stable door from a poor one.
- Does the top leaf lock independently, not just latch?
- Is there a proper weather seal and drip at the join?
- Which way does each leaf open, and does it clear worktops or steps?
- Glazed or solid top, and which glass?
- uPVC or composite, and does the colour match your windows?
Common questions
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