Timber front door wooden door for London Terrace

[MsFunLunch]

I've looked at Reclamation yards and have had quotes from the big guys London door company Banham, Ayerton - and for one reason or another those options aren't working for us. Does anyone have a recommendation for someone to make a bespoke timber front door & frame for a London terrace house that won't cost the earth? Please, please?

I can't help with recommendation because I'm not in London, but your choice here is really either a/ doesn't cost the earth, but end up with a door that isn't up to modern standards (locks, glazing etc), and may not fit perfectly or b/ costs the earth, but is a good modern wooden door that looks beautiful and has all the standard fittings.

A bespoke timber door is an expensive thing. I had one made about 10 years ago by a local specialist heritage firm and it was double what a composite would have been. I've never regretted it because the quality you get for the cost is very obvious.

You could try Peco in Hampton. I have a lovely front door and surround that they did for me some years back.

https://www.peco-of-hampton.co.uk/product/doors/external-doors

Hi @Tupster I'm more then happy to pay double what a composit door would cost, or even quadruple. I should have said the cost from London door company and the like is approx £8-£11k. So I'm hoping to find something around £3-5k. Also the supplier doesn't need to be in London, I can arrange a courier company from anywhere in the country!

Thank you @TheRainItRaineth I shall check them out now!

What's your current door like? We thought ours was all right to look at so we had it refurbished and it still cost 3k for a crappy 60s wooden door. So you will struggle to better the quotes you have had.

Mine was over £4k 10 years ago - not sure what inflation would do to that price. I think couriering it from elsewhere probably not a great idea because the actual fitting (included in cost) was done with great skill and care to get it balanced and just right. Look for joinery companies rather than door specialists.

We also balked at paying £7K 2 years ago for a bespoke timber door and instead went down the route of having one made online to our measurements, having the glass installed separately and then fitted by a joiner I trusted. No reputable online company will make a frame without a survey etc. so we reused the existing frame.
I do not recommend it in short.
The frame was never a perfect fit as it was old, it was a pain (and expensive) for the glass to be surveyed and fitted, and the it’s draughty. Two years later I’m thinking of pulling it out and having it replaced. It’s been a waste of time and money.

By the way, a good composite door was about £4K (nearly what we paid for our DIY door) so I wished we had gone for that or paid for a proper wood door. I just couldn’t wait the 24 weeks they were quoting at the time.

The other point worth checking out is the size. Most older London houses are non standard which makes sourcing doors hard, in my case short and wide!

We used these guys in I think Finchley (we used them before they were acquired / changed their name). We got a fairly standard door that looked period-ish and suited our house, fitted well and stopped draughts. Probably ended up around £3k a few years ago. We didn't replace the frame but they came and measured and took account of the slightly weird angles of our frame. It made a huge difference and we were very pleased.

@Spinet it's an awful white pvc door that is as ugly as it is flimsy!

@Okayornot thank you! I've emailed them on your rec. 😊

@NewHouseNewMe exactly! Which is why we need a joiner to make one in a bespoke size 🤔.

We are getting an oak door from ARC reclamation. They have been awesome so far. We chose the door from their website, they strip and repair the door, they will fit new windows etc, build a frame to fit. We are fitting and painting our own door once it's built, so I am not sure how much that would cost, but the total for our door in solid oak is £1300.

These pole have made windows for us to copy the original Edwardian ones. They have been fantastic. They are very easy to deal with

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjs6p2ne-FAxWxklAGHRZbAJ0YABABGgJkZw&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Oqf9p3vhQMVsZJQBh0WWwCdEAAYASABEgIupfDDBwE&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJORoAI5HGQWfxTriVaEZyyRs9Ujh5EhnpVs6jUj10cWQfsKYQw&sig=AOD643abg1L-ZTEhtBXjk5Z1q0Z13RuoQ&ved=2ahUKEwjlyJf2ne-FAxUeXEEAHcFRAfoQyNQEegQICBAB&adurl=

@NewHouseNewMe 24 weeks! OMG! I've had a few recommendations, so am hoping to update this thread with good news in the coming weeks. I will just say, I went to Todd doors, who have a few outposts around Greater London. A neighbour of ours used them and their door looked as good as any, their price was ok (approx £5) but the service was so poor, we couldn't bear to give them the business. As in, we went to the Twickenham showroom 2 x, the man didn't show us any doors, he just sat behind his desk and told us all the restrictions of ordering with them. Just so uninterested, it was wild. Then the London door company couldn't do enough to help, but yeah - £11k...

We also had a 5 figure quote from London door co!

We found someone selling a door online, solid timber and in good condition but a bit weathered. Had a carpenter restore (incl resize) and paint it, and build a new frame. Was about £2k total.

Geleta Doors are good quality and come in various sizes. I used them a few years ago for my Victorian cottage (not in London).

www.geleta-doors.co.uk/stained-glass-external-hardwood-door/p00620

We also looked here, but they were more expensive

www.thestainedglassdoorscompany.com/categories/victorian-and-edwardian-glazed-front-doors

We used this company a few years ago for some bespoke internal bi-fold doors and a timber front door. They were great and it didn't cost too much. They're walthamstow based:
woodworksinlondon.co.uk/

@DryIce oh lucky you! Was it from a reclamation place?

Thank you very much @Mercurial123 I will email them tonight 😊

Thank you so much @MudandParsnips I'll email them tonight 😊

Gelata are good, I've used them before. Got a carpenter to do all the measurements and sent them to Geleta. Got the door a few weeks later and carpenter installed and decorated. Total cost was £1. 2k for the door, fitting and painting.

We’ve just got the London door from Todd with Brompton sidelights. Worked out very cost effective

Following as this is something im looking into too…

Out of interest, why would the london door company be SO much more than eg Geleta (sp)?
11k vs 1.2k seems mad?!