Recent content by biffvernon

Work out how long it would take you to do the job. Multiply that by the hourly salary that you work for. Add on the materials. Then add on the VAT. Four grand sounds the right order of magnitude.

Me too.

Hmmm.... it will harden eventually. Sounds as though there was too much oil in it to start with. Patience.

If you get double glazing with a small gap get it with krypton fill rather than argon fill. More expensive though.

Unless you window supplier is not Fensa registered. A self employed craftsperson making bespoke windows will probably not be registered as it's all too expensive and too much hassle.

Actually, they are joiners, making very nice oak furniture, and have branched out into paint making.

Concrete lintels in a timber framed house. Mad. Ignore any advice from whoever suggested that.

Some firms will charge proportionally more for small units. Ask for their per square metre price and whether there is a minimum size charge. Don't use putty. Use glazing tape and wooden bead. The unit manufacturer will probably sell rolls of tape - its a double sticky sided foam. For...

Pilkington K is just about visible in certain lighting conditions, as you describe, but Optitherm and other soft coats (which give a lower U-value) are pretty much invisible. There is an electronic detector that can identify whether a coating is present.

Er, not quite. The window has to conform to the Building Regulations but Fensa, a trade organization, is just one way of getting a certificate to demonste compliance. Getting a certificate from your Local Authority's Building Control is another way.

And that's probably without using a blowtorch to melt the lock out. You might even beat the 11 seconds :D

I'd expect to see some chipping at the point of impact if it had been broken by a stone. I've broken a unit by squeezing it into a not perfectly flat frame so it twists.

I'd fill gaps that size with lime mortar. 3 parts sand 1 part lime. I'd use sand/linseed oil mastic for smaller gaps.

Get someone who knows about wood to look at it. It's hard to tell from a photo but Alex's pictures above look like oak. The 'figuring' produced by the meddulary rays are a sure sign of oak but you don't see these on all surfaces - it depends how the wood was cut.

Best not to varnish exterior oak - it will only fall off again after a few years. The wood will go grey and there's really nothing you can do except sit back and enjoy the natural weathering process. In a few hundred years it will look like medieval oak houses look now. Lovely. Put some...