New Front Door

Network,

I need to replace the front door and the double patio doors at the back. Wind and rain over the last few days is making the missus get on my case to get it done.

Who are the good suppliers, who are the bad?

Would consider all doors and windows but can't throw £30k at it. £10k tops.

But wondering if I can get away with replacing doors only.

Appreciate your advice.

Network,

I need to replace the front door and the double patio doors at the back. Wind and rain over the last few days is making the missus get on my case to get it done.

Who are the good suppliers, who are the bad?

Would consider all doors and windows but can't throw £30k at it. £10k tops.

But wondering if I can get away with replacing doors only.

Appreciate your advice.

10K seems a great deal of money for a couple of doors, we had ours done last year and I think the 3 doors cost me about 2000 €.

What type of windows and doors do you have?

If they are uPvc, then consider Clearview Window Systems, Pro Glaze or Windows by Wise - southampton based. Clearview do Rehau windows which are a good product. They have replaced all the windows in my house, so I can recommend them

If they are timber you may want to consider a local joinery company over any commercially produced products.

If they are Aluminium, then i've found Smart Aluminium systems good and value for money. They can put you in touch with a recommended fabricator and installer.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the Anglian type companies who give you a massive price, followed by a huge discount, followed by a "how much have you got to spend" line. Painful to deal with and always about 50% more expensive than independent installers.

And triple glazed windows are not worth it if the rest of the fabric of the house is thermally inefficient. Good rated double glazing is all that is needed in this climate.

These people keep a good selection - http://www.tottontimber.com

Whatever you do, buy separately off the net and get someone local to install. I've had a composite door installed this year, which I bought from the net and got someone local to put in. Cost half as much as I was quoted by a number of companies who were asking ridiculous cash. £1.3k upwards, for a door?!

These people do great doors and windows. Ive got some Norwegian made triple glazed units. Made in wood but clad in aluminium so you never have to repaint. Beautiful quality, really solid, excellent insulation for heat and noise (0.9 U value). Sounds expensive or overkill but they really arent. Double French doors 2m wide with a 50cm sidelight cost £1,800 a couple of years ago. 1.8m x 1.5m windows were c£600 each.

From memory I looked at these guys http://www.nordan.co.uk/UK/contact_us/index.php but chose these guys based on price. http://broxwood.com/

With the latter whilst the quality is really good you need to find your own fitter (not hard).

triple glazed windows are not worth it if the rest of the fabric of the house is thermally inefficient. Good rated double glazing is all that is needed in this climate.

Thats only partly true. If you were paying a lot more for triple glazed windows on a south facing wall Id agree (reduction in solar gain) but it does make sense depending on your priorities. I went for triple glazed for a number of reasons - because the frames were thicker and more substantial, it cut out some road noise at at rear of the house and because triple glazed was only 12% more than double so they would eventually pay for themselves giving the other benefits for free.

Cant speak for doors, but for patio doors I bought a Visoglide from High Quality Joinery, in Farnborough. Best price by far out of 10 or so quotes for the same product. Visited them and they are a long established family run firm and were really helpful with great advice. Price included installation - using their own staff, not subcontracted out like many firms do. All arrived and installed on the day promised.

2 years on, not a single issue with the doors, I am very happy. They were happy to come to Maidenhead so Soton should not be an issue.

Thats only partly true. If you were paying a lot more for triple glazed windows on a south facing wall Id agree (reduction in solar gain) but it does make sense depending on your priorities. I went for triple glazed for a number of reasons - because the frames were thicker and more substantial, it cut out some road noise at at rear of the house and because triple glazed was only 12% more than double so they would eventually pay for themselves giving the other benefits for free.

We've had this discussion before, Tim!

I like triple glazed windows. And I would definitely put them in a house designed to passivhaus standards, or even up to an over the old Code 4 of the CSH, no question. But I fail to see why they should be installed in, say, a 1930's house that hasn't had any thermal upgrade or a 1980's Barratt special which leaks heat like a sieve. The true benefits of the triple glazed window won't be realised and, on that basis, I think it seems pointless to pay more for them.

I also question the need for them, unless you live in exposed areas such as Cumbria or the Peak District. A rated double glazed units are perfectly adequate for the handful of days a year in Southampton when it gets cold enough to tell a difference. In any case, time is better served getting a Low E glass, a bigger cavity and thicker glass for the double glazed units. They originated in Scandinavia, where it is a lot colder and more exposed than here.

Glad you like your windows and I'm sure they will give you many years of sterling service. But I remain to be convinced that the benefits will be fully realised in existing housing stock, unless the whole house has it's thermal efficiency upgraded.

If some woman comes to your door selling lucky heather, ask her if she knows anyone who does cheap doors. I'm sure she will fix you up.

We've had this discussion before, Tim!

.

Sorry, better memory than me! Anyway I think we agree that in most cases triple isnt justified and usually money would be better spent insulating walls or loft. on

If you are looking for a quality, solid timber door, you could look at The Hampshire Door Company (http://www.thehampshiredoorcompany.co.uk), based just outside of Winchester. They were on Radio Solent yesterday discussing 'Saving Britain's Front Doors' with Alex Dyke and the guy sounded like he knew his stuff.

**Disclaimer I should probably declare more than a passing interest in The Hampshire Door Company ;-) **

Hi I supply and fit UPVC double glazing we're only a small firm based in Chandlers Ford, the company is called DWH Glass and Glazing,

our main profile is Linair but we also fit Rehau.

As a guide to our prices we went up against Anglian to fit 5 windows and 2 doors their price £13000 our price £2750.

I have just quoted a set of french doors 1880 x 2100 supplied and fitted for less than £1000.

If you're interested in a quote with no obligation to buy, give me a call on 07796541939 Pete.

Just to qualify TK8267 at little, we had Zenith round just to give us a price idea for a new front door. As he was doing his stuff we added in an insulated motorised roller garage door and a new fangled finish small flat roof it came to £10k, with all his jiggery pokery it came down to about £8k, then £6k. 6 weeks later we got a letter saying about some co-operative scheme which shuffled it down to (a very tempting) just over £4k.

They wouldn't do that work for that price and make nothing along the way.

Thanks for all your comments, guys.

Just to clarify, the £10k budget would be to replace ALL the windows and doors, not just a couple of doors. Any front door over a grand is too much for us.

Before reading this thread, I had booked an appt with Zenith and they are coming next week. Agree with JBS above, our experience with Anglian 15 years ago was that they quoted £30k on the day, so we booked with a local supplier who quoted £7k. Over the weeks before the installation, however, Anglian came down, in instalments, to £12k. If they had quoted that when they visited they would have got the job!!!

All good stuff, 2 good posts especially, and one of you is getting a phone call.

The cheapest way to get all your windows and doors replaced is to become a Surveyor with a large Developer or Main Contractor and then politely threaten not to let large contracts to interested window/door suppliers unless they replace all the windows and doors in your house free of charge.