Hi,

I am planning an extension to the south side of my house, and want to put in two sets of French doors with 'wing lights' ( those windows on either side of the doors ). Also another window, floor to ceiling, perhaps 6 feet wide.

I have been surprised at the huge variation in price between suppliers. My requirements are quite simple:

hardwood ( not rain forest! )
good double glazing, I guess using Pilkington K.
Door frames, with seals fitted.
I don't mind fitting the hardware myself, as this seems a much cheaper way of doing things.
I don't mind fitting the glass either.

Recommendations? Good suppliers? Should I go for glazed or unglazed, and if unglazed, just get the DG units made up by our local glazier?

All advice welcome.

Thanks,

john

Bit of a coincidence John, but I'm planning an extension on the south side of my Mum's house and was just about to start looking into french doors and windows. Have you found any decent looking off the shelf joinery at reasonable prices yet?

Also, are you incorporating an overhang on the south side to keep the worse of the mid-day summer sun out? Any idea how you work out how big it needs to be?

Chris - I haven't found anything off the shelf yet. Not looked that hard yet to be honest. I figured recommendations would be a good start. A friend from Plymouth recommeded La Peyre, in France. Oak windows and doors. Since I live in south Devon, France is almost local, with one of the ferries special day return deals. I'll look into that.

I wasn't planning on overhangs - I am planning having some decking outside, with a glass roof over it, and grapes growing under the glass. I have the grapes planted. I have used grapes for summer shade like this before, and it worked well, and the extra heat helps the grapes ripen. I am also planning on a couple of big veluxes near the top of the roof, to let the heat out on those really hot days.

Guest - warning appreciated.

Dominic - nice site, but Biff is 350 miles away.

That looks nice Biff. I do like the notion of using just raw oak, and no painting. I like what you have to say on your site about locks too.

Grapes grow really fast! I planted mine in the early Spring, and they are 2-3 feet high. I expect them to be 8-10 feet high by the end of the summer. I'll take off all the shoots except the main one, and tie that up the supporting posts, then knock off any side-shoots next year, and just allow branches to develop under the roof. I'll have to thread some wire between the roof supports for the vines to grow along. Next summer, they'll provide just about enough shade I should think, and then no problem after that. The leaves grow thick enough that they can just about cover glass. In the autumn, you trim back all but the main shoot - to let the sun in through in winter, and let the grapes grow new branches in May.

It's worth checking to make sure that the variety you plant is for this country, and check whether they are for eating or wine. I got 3, different varieties, all bred for local conditions. You can get 50 bunches from one vine eventually! I picture myself in a hammock slung between the posts, reaching for the grapes... lot of work to do before then though!

Posted By: John PedersenI like what you have to say on your site about locks too.

For the last few decades every time I've left my house I've locked the door (perhaps to please the insurance industry). I doubt whether a burglar has ever tried the handle. When a burglar does turn up he will probably come with the tools of the trade and make the provision of a lock redundant.
According to Biff's Theory of Criminology, If everyone left their doors unlocked the burglary rate would not increase but there may be a lot of unemployed locksmiths.

Erica, £22k sounds a tad steep to me for softwood windows and doors.

I've just got a quote for £15.6k (ex VAT) for 17 windows and 3 double French doors. I don't know how big your windows are though, most of mine are in the range 600x1200 to 1800x1200. Ours have different colour on in and outside and also through glazing bars so it pushes the price up a fair bit. If you take these things off and just go for plain white I'd would image you'd be closer to £10k-£12k for all of them.

These are triple glazed windows with an overall u-value of 1.2W/m2K. See the triple glazing thread for all the different suppliers available.

Nothing much wrong wih European redwood - probably Pinus sylvestris - some on the timber used on 18th century windows is still going strong.

If you buy timber windows then insist they use real linseed oil paint, or get them untreated and paint them yourself.

Erica - see http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=527&page=3 – scroll down to Dec 21st. £6000-odd for 21 Scandinavian-style triple glazed softwood windows of highest quality -delivered but not installed.

Probably the best and not quite as expensive as one might imagine.

Tuna, Velfac do 4-12-4-12-4 3g units, tho' it's hard to find in their literature.

Posted By: TunaI'm not convinced that the additional expense of 3G is worthwhile

We went through that, which is a myth put out to justify the UK industry's complacent backwardness, in the various 3g threads.