Victorian Doors

[LittleWingSoul]

We have bought a shell of a victorian house that we are completely renovating as someone did a lot of (bodged) work on it in the 1970s that needs replacing.

We are starting with the kitchen as the whole thing needed ripping out and I have got my heart set on this beautiful bespoke door for the kitchen to garden...

Called the company who made it today and they were very friendly but I did wince at the cost! Happy to absorb the cost of it if I have to as it will be a beautiful bit of craftsmanship but if there is a cheaper similar alternative that anyone has come across I'd reconsider!

We are going for upvc sash windows throughout as they all need replacing and that will be a big enough cost on its own but I would really prefer this and the front door to be solid wood.

I'm assuming you're not in conservation area or a listed building?

I'd worry that those (lovely) doors might look a bit mismatched with upvc windows?

We used this company to do fabulous bespoke doors and wooden windows.

They're based in Northern Ireland, and we're in the south west so I'd never have looked at them if it wasn't for a recommendation. You might be able to get the whole lot done cheaper than you think.

www.dasktimber.co.uk/product/feature-windows/

@userblah We are in a conservation area but previous owners made such a hash of the place we'd be restoring things back to some semblance of victorian-ness I think! There aren't currently French doors on the kitchen but we'd only have to widen the frame a little...

Ok it you're in a conservation area don't you have to keep the windows as non pvc sash and case?

@ThymeCake just had a look at their website... Gorgeous stuff, very high end, the company I am looking at does bespoke but slightly more standard, I think. Do you mind me asking what you used them for?

And te upvc sash... A few people on the road have had them done and they look really good. You wouldn't know they weren't wood. So that being a cheaper alternative is a compromise we are making but as far as this door goes... I am in love. And I want similar 9 panel Downham doors with the starburst stained glass as interior doors so would tie in nicely!

@userblah there aren't any sash/casement windows to keep... There are some horrible brown steel framed single glazed things from the 70s in there instead!

Do get a quote - they were cheaper than Everest for us!!

We had double glazed sash windows, modern sliding glass doors for the back, and a copy of the original Edwardian door for the front.

We couldn't have had upvc windows because we're in a conservation area, so do check that out.

Cheaper than everest? That's interesting! Will definitely take a look.

So with conservation area if we can't afford wood sash the only option would be to keep the ratty old windows instead? Conservation came in in 2012 for our little neighbourhood but I'm pretty sure those with upvc sash were recent. Maybe I'll have to check the planning permissions. Gah!

You must check with your local authority re windows. Depending on where you live if you don't replace them with timber sash and case then they can make you do so if you've put pvc in!
It's probably less of an issue if more than 10years old

I can't help with the French doors but a budget wooden front door is a bit easier. I had a similar dilemma as I was quoted about £4000 for the front door I really wanted from Timber Windows but couldn't afford it. We ended up buying a simple primed Victorian-style wooden door for about £300 from Todd Doors in St Albans. We painted it in a nice colour, got good quality locks, hinges, door knocker, etc. A local joiner/carpenter fitted the locks and hung the door. I think it cost around £700 in total and it looks as nice as the door I wanted originally, and is also a bit more individual.

Your planning department should have guidance on their website. Ours definitely make you take stuff out and redo if you don’t follow the guidelines and they don’t accept ignorance as defence! If that door is a back door they tend to be more relaxed about changes IME.

Large doors so may be draughty. If they're in the back I'd go for uPVC.

Check up the rules, we are in a conservation area but upvc were fine as most houses have them. There's companies now that make frames that look like wood but aren't, might be a compromise option. We just had heritage doors installed hence clicking on this thread but unfortunately they don't cover NI, just checked. We used a local fitter for our windows, a lot cheaper than Everest/Anglian/Safestyle etc

@crabapplecrumble that's really good advice re the front door. I originally thought about solidoor but as i (again) have quite specific ideas about the door furniture etc we'd have to go down trad wood route. I've already bought this knocker...

@anniehm we are in London so might check out heritage doors. I think I need to shop around, basically and also check out the regs for wood effect upvc in our area. Maybe wood sash at front and upvc sash at the back would be a compromise

It's so annoying because literally anything we do would only improve and restore the character of the house as it is such a hodge podge mess of windows and doors at the moment but I know that the planning guy here is a proper stickler jobsworth and is prone to making things unnecessarily difficult.

We live in the exact same property a road down atm with upvc French doors on the kitchen and I can't stand them @llangenith but if we could find something quality in upvc with a heritage look I'd be swayed