Rob Roy Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Like a lot of old places here we have a small door on the first floor in the gable end of our house; orginally there were some outside stairs up to it for access with a small platform just outside the door, the stairs had been removed before we bought the place. We are renovating the upstairs and eventually we want to restore the small balcony, but in the meantime need to replace the door with either another or some windows. As it is a non-standard size opening I was wondering if anyone could give me any idea of the cost of double glazed made to measure door/windows - it would be approx 130 H x 88 W, or any bright ideas of what you did on your house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I am currently knocking up a front door, it has two windows in the upper portion, it comes from B&Q,brand new; exchanged for a couple of bottles of wine. One in advance the other for a little door opening ceremony after hanging. I have cut a fair chunk off the bottom but it is not wide enough; accordingly I have added exactly 75 mm to the width of the door. The door will be hung on the existing pins for the old door on the en situ door frame; all the furnishings will be recycled. The total cost including paint will come in at much less than € 20. The old door is rotten at the bottom and the lower section will be cut off, leaving the top section with windows for future use, probably as a future gable end window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman II Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Both Vial and Lapeyre offer made to measure. The vial site has prices. Have you considered adjusting the opening to a standard size ?http://www.vial-menuiseries.com/menuiseries-bois-c14.htmlhttp://www.lapeyre.fr/accueil/exterieur.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Not easy to raise the whole house in my case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Excavate the floor and install a sump and pump![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 A friend of ours has recently had such a window made and fitted, top quality hardwood, double glazed, 'period' hardware - €1000 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 More brass than sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Department71 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 We have got one of those doors for Hobbits as well, we looked at the price in France and decided another way, took measurements of hole, in UK purchased a door frame and a door from a local door shop.Cut frame down to required size myself, took door to a local carpenters and they reduced it to the size of the frame, as they were professional they did it properly. There are two types of door construction one better then the other, we got the better, mortise and tenon construction.All fitted its fine, can't remember the cost as it was a few years ago now.Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Nearly all of my windows both here and in the UK are standard French brico-shed ones in non standard openings.Wood is easier to modify and match than UPVC although I have some PVC windows held in with 5cm of mousse on each side covered with UPVC trim.You can buy elargisseurs in wood and UPVC to pack out the width, using a volet roulant can make up height deficiencies.Fitting the window/door on the inside in the French way gives you much more margin to play with, all you need to do is cut bac the reveals slightly, if you are using doublage you dont even do that,if you pose en tableau the coffret of the volet can make up any height difference between 0 and 25cms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Roy Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Since we don't return to the UK buying from there is not an option, besides my husband prefers the fact that doors and windows here are usually sold with the frame attached. Opening up further is a bit of a problem as that wall of the house is of colombarge construction and OH is not too happy about enlarging the aperture without a lot of extra work and possible problems, like the whole thing collapsing!Thanks for the links Anton. We have bought all our other windows for this house and the previous one at Lapeyre, but I don't know what their M-to-M prices are, but I suspect beyond our budget. I suppose it won't hurt to ask.[:)] I'll have a look at the other site too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Their m to m prices are at least double what a premade one would cost and they can only go to certain sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 My pal never pays more than he needs to, he has built loads of houses and worked until recently as an agent commercial for several of the regional building companies, en bref I use him as my reference when trying to negotiate for my own purchases.We were looking only this week at the made to measure windows he has just taken delivery of from a local firm.They are definitely top of the range, unlike most around here he knows where money is wisely spent, the UPVC profiles are in a very fetching light beech colour, he has the georgian beading inside the double glazed units (which they shaft you for around here) the latest spec, 28mm I think sealed units and a monobloc volet roulant.The opening size IIRC was 1100 * 1850 and he paid 500 and something Euros (his words) hors taxes each if that gives you anything to go on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owens88 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 [quote user="Chancer"]Wood is easier to modify and match than UPVC although I have some PVC windows held in with 5cm of mousse on each side covered with UPVC trim.[/quote]But surely they clam to be making to measure (obviously they have to conform to right angles etc.) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virginia.c Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I know i'm catching this thread a little late but we are just about to do exactly what Chancer has done on his house. We are converting the smallest barn known to man (please advise French version of the Guiness Book of Records) and all windows are non standard sizes. So we are buying standard windows from Brico and adjusting the frames. So much cheaper too and they seem a decent quality. The door however we have chosen to get made up in the UK, bought the glass and a joiner friend is making the frame. We decided to go this route for the door because of time rather than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Yes I converted a shed into living accomodation in the UK, I used the smallest hardwood Brico-depot double glazed windows and they were at the time a fraction of the price of an unprimed softwood single glazed unit in the UK.I had to severely cut down the frames to fit within the upright studs and there were only slivers left forming the reveals which I glued and pinned to the studwork. The stable door I made myself including the unsealed double glazed units with georgian glazing bars and the insulated core of the base leaf.John Owens.I dont think I understand your question, I was just trying to point out ways of making up a gap between a nonstandard opening and a standard window.In the case I gave I had recently lost an eye and was was very long sighted in the other, I went and bought 3 windows for the rear elevations using the sizes that I (thought) had kept in my head having done the front. When I got back they appeared to be too big, it looked like I needed 100cms not 110cms so I returned and exchanged them the same morning, the girl on the menuiserie counter was working on her own, was not allowed to let me help her and was not best pleased with my incomptence.Returning once more to chez moi I discovered to my horror when removing the old frames that they were fenetres de renovation or "plants" as called in the UK, the windows and frames had been fitted inside the frames of the original windows which had then been plastered over.I rely needed the 110cm windows that I had bought the first time round [:-))], now I was highly embarrassed andon closer inspection found that the galzed area of the smaller windows was within a knats cock of the bigger ones (I compared them with the front elevation) the frames and mullions were thicker, and I was also €80 or so to the good so I decided to try and fit them.I was already known around here as Le Roi de la mousse for my fixation free aproach to windows so I thought it would be interesting to see just how far I could push the envelope, I now know that a window of 1100 by 1650 with a roller volet on top can be fitted with expanding foam to an opening 100mm too large and it will still be rock solid, had there been even the slightest deflection I would have used some fixings. I did as a matter of urgency though fit the UPVC trims (also from bricodepot) to sto any UV degradation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 [quote user="Chancer"]The stable door I made myself including the unsealed double glazed units with georgian glazing bars and the insulated core of the base leaf.[/quote]Speak English please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virginia.c Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Now. I've just been corrected.What we are actually doing is buying standard windows from brico which are around 2.5 cm too small all round and we are making a wooden frame to reduce the size of the existing opening to accommodate the window. And as far as the small door is concerned we've had the double glazed unit made in the UK, bought a hardwood frame here from howdens which is the right width but far too high, so that is being cut down to fit.We are also mousse fans and used it to seal the eves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"] I am currently knocking up a front door, it has two windows in the upper portion, it comes from B&Q,brand new; exchanged for a couple of bottles of wine. One in advance the other for a little door opening ceremony after hanging. I have cut a fair chunk off the bottom but it is not wide enough; accordingly I have added exactly 75 mm to the width of the door. The door will be hung on the existing pins for the old door on the en situ door frame; all the furnishings will be recycled. The total cost including paint will come in at much less than € 20. The old door is rotten at the bottom and the lower section will be cut off, leaving the top section with windows for future use, probably as a future gable end window.[/quote]Fitting a pre-fabricated door into an existing frame requires adjustment of height, width and thickness. Particular problem of the moment was widening of the B&Q door. In order to ensure the strength of the unit, 5 x 120mm sections of 10mm deformed bar have been used as additional dowels:[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/Brico2011/S1050020-1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/Brico2011/S1050021-1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/Brico2011/S1050022.jpg[/IMG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 So lets get this right, you have added 75mm to one side of the door? In that case the glass apertures are not in the middle of the door, call me old fashioned, but why not add a piece to each side of the door and keep it symmetrical? [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="NickP"]So lets get this right, you have added 75mm to one side of the door? In that case the glass apertures are not in the middle of the door, call me old fashioned, but why not add a piece to each side of the door and keep it symmetrical? [8-)][/quote]My mind boggles at your astucity![:)]Reason 1) The hanging of the door on the original "paumelles picardes" is simplified when compared with a conventional hinge.Reason 2) Half the work involved in stretching the door + just happens that chevrons come with a 75mm dimension simplifying the job even further.Reason 3) Looks good with door knocker emphasising the artistic asymmetry of the complete door.Reason 4)Reason 5) A unique door standing out from those populating boring "middle england".[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"] My mind boggles at your astucity![:)]Reason 1) The hanging of the door on the original "paumelles picardes" is simplified when compared with a conventional hinge.Reason 2) Half the work involved in stretching the door + just happens that chevrons come with a 75mm dimension simplifying the job even further.Reason 3) Looks good with door knocker emphasising the artistic asymmetry of the complete door.Reason 4) Reason 5) A unique door standing out from those populating boring "middle england".[6][/quote]Can't reply to all your first comment as I don't know what astucity means ( not in my dictionary) 1) I never commented on your hinges or use of 2) What wrong with running the 75mm through a table saw and fixing one half to each side of the door therefor less stress on the joint3) Artistic asymmetry of the door? the door knocker will only accentuate it's a bodged job4)You forgot this one or was the gap for artistic asymmetry5) What has middle England got to do with a door in France that looks like it's been bodged [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 [quote user="NickP"][quote user="pachapapa"] My mind boggles at your astucity![:)]Reason 1) The hanging of the door on the original "paumelles picardes" is simplified when compared with a conventional hinge.Reason 2) Half the work involved in stretching the door + just happens that chevrons come with a 75mm dimension simplifying the job even further.Reason 3) Looks good with door knocker emphasising the artistic asymmetry of the complete door.Reason 4) Reason 5) A unique door standing out from those populating boring "middle england".[6][/quote]Can't reply to all your first comment as I don't know what astucity means ( not in my dictionary) 1) I never commented on your hinges or use of 2) What wrong with running the 75mm through a table saw and fixing one half to each side of the door therefor less stress on the joint3) Artistic asymmetry of the door? the door knocker will only accentuate it's a bodged job4)You forgot this one or was the gap for artistic asymmetry5) What has middle England got to do with a door in France that looks like it's been bodged [:P][/quote]Astucity...http://thesaurus.com/browse/astucityA1) I did.A2) 5 pieces ofv Re-bar will cover stress.A3) Thumbs up from beholders eyes.A4) Will aggravate NickP.A5) A french door with character.Two coats of Horizon Blue this afternoon, rain saturday, be Sunday then for a picture FOR YOU![:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickP Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 A1) I did. But I didn't, once again you are waffling pal.A2) 5 pieces ofv Re-bar will cover stress. Will not stop the join opening up when the sun shines.A3) Thumbs up from beholders eyes. Well nobody has seen it yet so don't count your chickens.A4) Will aggravate NickP. Why should it?A5) A french door with character. No its not it's from B&Q.Two coats of Horizon Blue this afternoon, rain saturday, be Sunday then for a picture FOR YOU! I can already picture it mate; a bodged job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I am supercallifragilistically pleased with it.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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