Back Doors

Back Doors Built for Everyday Life

A back door is the one that really earns its keep. It is opened and closed dozens of times a day, pushed shut with full hands, and left ajar on warm afternoons. It also takes the wind and rain at the most exposed side of the house. Our back doors are built for exactly that, in real oak and hard-wearing hardwood, chosen to handle constant use and British weather without complaint. A rear entrance does the same job as a front one, so these are the same quality doors we sell as front doors. The right choice comes down to the style, glazing and security you want at the back of your home. To compare every entrance side by side, browse our external doors by type.

Glazed or Unglazed?

Most back doors open into a kitchen, utility or boot room, so light and privacy both matter. Glazed back doors, in clear, frosted or leaded glass, pull daylight into rooms that often sit at the darker rear of the house. Options run from clear-glazed styles like the Malton and Chigwell to leaded designs like the Derby and Estate Crown. Unglazed panelled and boarded doors give a more private, secure and traditional entrance, with cottage options like the ledged-and-braced doors that suit an older or rural home. Half-glazed and stable doors sit neatly in between, letting you open the top for ventilation while keeping pets and children safely inside. If glazing is your priority, the glazed external doors collection brings those options together.

Oak or Hardwood?

Both choices here are real wood, not a printed skin, and either serves a back door well. Oak external doors bring warmth and a deep, characterful grain, so they earn their place even on a door that mostly faces the garden. Hardwood external doors are the practical workhorse: dense, tough and keenly priced, across a wide run of panelled, glazed and cottage designs. Whichever you pick, the door is dowelled through for strength and built to take years of daily knocks, as long as it is sealed and maintained.

Security at the Rear

Rear entrances are a common target for intruders, so security is worth getting right. A real-wood back door has the weight and strength to make forced entry far harder than a hollow or lightweight one. Fit it with a quality multi-point or mortice lock and hang it in a sound frame, and you have a rear door that genuinely protects the house. Oak and hardwood both take heavy locks and hardware without trouble, so you are not limited on how secure you make it.

Finishing and Fitting

A back door takes more weather than almost any other, so the finish is what keeps it sound. It comes to you unfinished, ready to seal before it goes into daily service. Oak should be protected with a clear exterior oil that soaks in and deepens the grain rather than sitting on the surface. If you would rather add colour at the rear, the hardwood doors can be stained or painted instead of oiled. Either way, pay particular attention to the top and bottom edges, where water tends to collect, and freshen the finish every year or two. Hang the door in a matching external door frame with a weather-sealed threshold, which shuts out draughts at the busiest side of the house, and add locks and hardware to suit.