Door options - opinions sought.

[lou]

Best wishes for the new year to you all, especially those of you whose expertise and knowledge I've benefitted from this year.

I have this charming (!) mid-seventies B&Q door that needs replacing. It was originally the front door to the 1430 (ish) cruck hall and now we have uncovered the oak panelling, the lovely beams and champfered cross beams (?) and want to try and retain the room's medieval look but also would like a bit more light as there is only one window opposite this door. Also there are amazing views through the door that it would be good to glimpse. I have considered an oak plank door with window or maybe an solid oak door with two glass full-length panels at either side (kind of modern meets medieval) or adding a small window to the right of the picture. The original lintel for the door is roughly 1500mm so there's more space than there appears to be.

Sorry about the photo - it seems my camera only takes decent ones at too high a pixel rate (or whatever..) to download on this site so this is the optional quality.

I'd appreciate views about what type of door might work, what the CO might accept etc. Also, would it be difficult/impossible to cut a small window into a thick stone wall?

(And, agree, this Hamlet was wonderful)

 

[robgil]

are there any signs to say that the original door was arched or not? i am having the same problem with finding a suitable front door and i am slowly coming to the conclusion that i will probably have to make my own, along with my windows.

 

[lou]

Can't see what was there as it's been bricked out but love the idea of an arched door. However, it's also the light issue I need to address.

If you are making your own, you might like to knock me up something like this one - for around a fiver?
You probably know if you are a long standing PPUK-er but I recently found out that Biff Vernon makes windows. He reckoned around £500 per square meter.


http://www.farmhousedoors.com/photo-gallery

 

[Penners]

love the idea of an arched door.

You don't actually have to have an arched door. You could have a stout planked door, closing against an arched head. Our first restoration house was 15th century, like yours, and it had this front door arrangement.

I've also seen decorative arching planted on to the surface of the door - sometimes with vertical ribs planted across the joins in the planks.

I think either of these designs is passably authentic for the period. However, I suspect that a window in the door would not be.

If those descriptions aren't very clear, let me know and I'll try to knock up a sketch for you.

By the way, I've seen some of Biff's windows, and his work is excellent. I think he does doors, too, but hopefully he'll respond and let you know.

 

[lou]

Thanks Penners - a quick sketch would be v. helpful. Not quite sure I get what you mean. Did you make your planked door and arched head?

 

[philmac1944]

Lou
Not sure where you live but have a look at www.churchantiques.co.uk and sub-category doors, then `wiseman`
Could be the sort of door that would look right; leastways better than B&Q.
rgds
Phil

 

[Penners]

Thanks Penners - a quick sketch would be v. helpful. Not quite sure I get what you mean. Did you make your planked door and arched head?

OK, I'll try to get a sketch done. A bit busy right now, but I'll try to do it over the next day or two. Do PM me if you haven't seen anything by the weekend. I may have forgotten!

Yes, I made mine as an exact copy of what was there previously (and which was made of approx. 12% wood and 88% woodworm).

 

[philpjuk100]

How about!

 

[biffvernon]

Yeah he does doors too. Counterboarded - that's vertical planks on the outside and horizontal planks on the inside so you don't get any cracks no matter how the wood moves. All tied together with clenched rosehead cut nails. The medievals didn't go much on glazing in their doors! Hey, you could have a little sliding thing. Someone knocks and you slide it open to see. If you don't like the look of them you slam it shut again.

But who's a purist? You've probably got electricity and one of those new-fangled water closet contraptions of Mr. Crapper's, so why not have a bit of glass in the window?

 

[robgil]

phil they look absolutely wonderful , i love the way the frame even goes under the door as well as up and over it , now thats quality right there.
Penners has a good point about the door closing flat against an arched frame.
here is some reading for you , doors are a very important aspect of any period home.

http://www.macclesfield.gov.uk/pdfs/Doors%20for%20web.pdf

http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/doors/doorfurn.htm

i have probably got a few more in my bookmarks but ive also got around 300 other uncategorised links in there but if i find them i will certainly post them.

here are some pics to wet your appetite.

View attachment 2

View attachment 1

 

[lou]

That's all very helpful, thanks. Appetite duly whetted. Love the one illustrated on the Macclesfield site - is that what you meant Penners? Looks arched but isn't? Best idea yet has to be the sliding hatch, though nobody will knock there as it's not really a main entrance any more. It was once and there are three sturdy stone steps in the field below which must have been the entrance to what is now the back garden. Am wondering how much all this will cost and will probably end up with a simple planked door - spend a bit on the hardware maybe.

Living in London currently but the house is in Monmouthshire. Churchantiques not an impossible distance so may try and visit. Quite fancy the double arched doors that they have for £900+ but thankfully they are sold!

 

[JoceAndChris]

robgil- those websites are great - thanks for posting, very useful.

lou- you're relocating to Monmouthshire? How exciting!

 

[lou]

Joce
Making incremental movements towards the next stage of my life! Very slow if the progress on the property so far is any indication - that and the thread I picked up on a couple of weeks ago when I got a shot of realism about how long it's all likely to take. But, yes, it's really exciting - and not a little unnerving. Most exciting thing since having babies though! Maybe it's baby replacement therapy until the grand children arrive - if my kids ever stop partying hard enough to get around to reproducing.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

if my kids ever stop partying hard enough to get around to reproducing.

Lou - I seem to recall that most of the reproducing practice I got was intimately linked to the partying hard! :wink:

 

[JoceAndChris]

So if I party harder I can find out where I'm going wrong?

Good luck Lou, yes, it all takes ages but the process is just as exciting as the finished thing, if not more so! And leaving London for the country- I approve! I haven't regretted that for a moment. Everyone should experience both.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

So if I party harder I can find out where I'm going wrong?

Joce, maybe you're not going to the right kind of parties? I'm sure the Hunt Ball will sort that out!

Lou - good luck. There is a great group of regular and not so regular experts here who can advise on every aspect of your project. Heck, there's even plenty of regult not-so-experts like myself. Keep us in touch with your door decision - I have a similar dilemma I'm mulling over,

 

[Feltwell]

And leaving London for the country- I approve! I haven't regretted that for a moment. Everyone should experience both.

Do you think it's easier going London to country rather than the other way round?

I did that, but didn't get on with living in London at all, I couldn't escape quickly enough. Still glad I did it though, and I can still see why it appeals to all those who live there (I just now know it's not for me).

 

[Feltwell]

Lou - good luck. There is a great group of regular and not so regular experts here who can advise on every aspect of your project. Heck, there's even plenty of regult not-so-experts like myself. Keep us in touch with your door decision - I have a similar dilemma I'm mulling over,

There's also a group of idiots like me who take a topic entitled "Door Options" and then post things up which let the thread drift off to completely different topics such as the ease of moving between the country and London..... :roll:

 

[ilona73]

This is one of my doors.... but note the lovely mastick or whatever it is has been sealed with thanks to the previous idiots..err owners!... it needs completely unsealing.... a job for the summer!!!

 

[JoceAndChris]

And leaving London for the country- I approve! I haven't regretted that for a moment. Everyone should experience both.

Do you think it's easier going London to country rather than the other way round?

I did that, but didn't get on with living in London at all, I couldn't escape quickly enough. Still glad I did it though, and I can still see why it appeals to all those who live there (I just now know it's not for me).

I don't know Feltwell - maybe. I went Lincs (14 yrs)/Oxford (4 years)/London (10 years)/Lincs. Wherever you're going, I think you need to be fully prepared for the challenges of that place. I was just completely sick of London because we didn't have any space and couldn't afford anything bigger in a nice area. I think Lincolnshire is easy for me because I grew up here, and easy for Chris because he grew up in a similar backwater in Somerset.

The perfect scenario is of course a town house (not necessarily London) and a country house.