Timber Doors/Windows

[Anonymous]

Hi,
Where is the best place to go to get double-glazed timber windows or doors? I'm not much of a handyman so I would require someone to fit them aswell. Do builders merchants do this sort of thing?

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Anonymous]

Sure, builders' merchants sell ready-made doors and windows, but I'm not sure I'd want to put them in an old house. How old is your house? Is it listed? What style of doors/windows are you looking for - what will they be replacing?

 

[Anonymous]

Biff!!! silly bean.

 

[Anonymous]

Any decent joiner will make anything you want. Think long and hard about the design though. Any glazing bars will need to be very wide in order to accomodate the sealed units. In most cases I think they look awful but you must make your own decisions. Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

matt80's message is a bit worrying - most people who post here about doors and/or windows express concern about getting something that is 'right' for their houses, and they qualify their question by mentioning things like its age and what's there already.
I have a nasty feeling that matt80 just wants to get something off-the-peg that fits the openings.
I do hope I'm proved wrong!

 

[Anonymous]

What recommendations do you have as replacements for this type of thing. I am looking to replace a nasty 70's style single glazed window in my 1837 built house with something secure, warm and traditional looking. Is there such a thing? As the rest of my houses windows were converted to UPVC at some point before I bought it should I worry what goes in. I am also looking for hardwood french (style) doors to enlarge a current opening. Its all very well saying Matt80 doesnt care etc but dont you have any constructive advice for him(us).

 

[Anonymous]

Constructive advice for you will now be forthcoming in generous spadesful (should that be spadefuls?) because you've taken the trouble to tell us something about your house.
To start with, I suggest you look for similar houses in the immediate neighbourhood to find out what was in your house before the vandals got to work.
A photo or two would also be useful.

 

[Anonymous]

Mike's advice was pretty good, as was Scholmarm's, if a little criptic. If you want some free advice from me you can send me an e-mail with some digi-pics of the problem. If you want a window or door from me you can, er, form an orderly queue.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Moo. No other houses in our area like ours. Ours is an old headmasters house for the school we are attached to. Part built in 1837, part build in 1891 (at the same time as the school building). The school has timber windows with lots of small panes which pivot from the middle of the window (so that the top goes inside, the bottom comes out), poor explanation sorry. Would my house have had similar windows?

The (back) door downstairs is a normal size with what looks to be the original front door (front door was replaced with a more modern door). I was going to enlarge this space and put in similar style timber doors to the windows.

Some more info - The window was not originally there. The room has been divided and therefore they put another window in. Anyway I still need to replace this. Basically I am putting in a window and door which were not there before but I want them to be the correct style.

To make matters worse as half of the house was built sixty years after the other, what period should I adopt?

I am a complete numpty with a computer so cannot sort picture although there are a few on the net but Im reluctant to give out the web address, in case I really offend anyone on here. Dont you have a private messages on this site?

 

[Anonymous]

Your house windows may not have been the same as the school ones - the swivelling part would have been for air and ventilation, which would have possibly been needed with large classes of at times smelly children... a great deal of attention was paid to ventilation of classrooms in the latter part of the 19th century. Infectious diseases were considered also to be fought by fresh air.

You may well find that your local records office has deposited the original plans for the building - the 1891 part at least, especially is this was a local authority school. Many years ago I wrote a dissertation on school architecture, history of, and found a great deal of information (including school records and log books) and many architectural drawings for a wide variety of schools in our records office.

 

[Anonymous]

A link to your web pics from here, or the Profiles part of the forum, isn't going to offend anyone!

 

[Anonymous]

Ah yes but reluctant to give out address in case I offend, no that I in intending to, but I generally go by the rule of not giving my address out to all and sundry. You never know whos watching. Maybe can try to find some anonymous pics.....FOund estateg agents pic but very small.

BTW sorry for hijacking your thread Matt80.

 

[Anonymous]

How about this one? The school in the foregorund, our house (the two bits of it) behind.