Keep or replace?

[leespot]

Massively undecided at the moment about what to do with our current front door setup. There's a naff wooden porch on the outside.

Options so far are new Rockdoor with new framework and double glazed windows or new hardwood door and replace porch outside?

The door isn't original but the frame and glass panel around it are. Kind of feels like we'd be taking something away from the feel of the house if we rip it out?

 

[ronniecabers]

If it were me .... redo the porch and renew with wooden door ... or alternatively you couldreplace with a Rockdoor and sidepanels... why not get a company that manufactures decorative Glass to make sealed units to replicate the designs you currently have....

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Jesus Christ that door is ugly. Who would do that to an otherwise gorgeous entryway?? Dump the porch if it's not original, and build a traditional one if you really need one. Any new door would look better, but that hallway is screaming for wood.* No way I would replace those side panels with naff uPVC. It's worth the little extra heating to have an original feature like that (good for the house price). Some nicer skirting and a plaster ceiling rose wouldn't go amiss too, to complement those lovely dentils!

*Personally I've mulled over the idea of using a cheap flat wood door, but then adding decorative mouldings myself, so it's looks like a Victorian door but at very low cost. Hmm...

 

[leespot]

Jesus Christ that door is ugly. Who would do that to an otherwise gorgeous entryway?? Dump the porch if it's not original, and build a traditional one if you really need one. Any new door would look better, but that hallway is screaming for wood.* Some nice skirting wouldn't go amiss, to complement those lovely dentils!

*Personally I've mulled over the idea of using a cheap flat wood door, but then adding the decorative mouldings of an Victorian door myself, so it's looks authentic at very low cost. Hmm...

It's horrible, isn't it!? The couple we bought the house from did it, total abomination and no idea why they did it. The porch isn't original, they had that fitted too, so you can imagine the state of it. The dentils are all original. The skirting is being removed, so is the floor. The floor is warped because the previous owners didn't bother to sort out a damp problem. When the floor lifted, they still didn't fix the damp - they sliced a wedge from the bottom of the door to stop it rubbing....

 

[Gerrydelasel]

It's horrible, isn't it!? The couple we bought the house from did it, total abomination and no idea why they did it. The porch isn't original, they had that fitted too, so you can imagine the state of it. The dentils are all original. The skirting is being removed, so is the floor. The floor is warped because the previous owners didn't bother to sort out a damp problem. When the floor lifted, they still didn't fix the damp - they sliced a wedge from the bottom of the door to stop it rubbing....

That's a shame, the parquet looked good in the photo. Is that a newel post? It looks modern. Dare I ask...?

 

[leespot]

It is a newel post, but not a modern one. I'm amazed they didn't hack it out and put capping on it to be honest. The floor is well gone, not even sure it's repairable if we wanted to keep it.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Niiice! Those black and white tiles look original so I presume there was an original porch? Rather than spend 1000s on a rockdoor that won't last and will devalue the property, I would get a nice wood door and spend the extra on building an original-looking porch (which could be done quite cheaply). I'm cheap so I would replace the floor with vinyl dark parquet look-alike.

 

[leespot]

Niiice! Those black and white tiles look original so I presume there was an original porch? Rather than spend 1000s on a rockdoor that won't last and will devalue the property, I would get a nice wood door and spend the extra on building an original-looking porch (which could be done quite cheaply).

When we viewed the house it was the hall that we loved walking into, even though it was really obvious that they'd hashed some of it. We've seen some lovely hardwood doors that would look good on the house, and you're right about the porch. The tiles are original but the porch that is on was put on by the previous owners about 30 years ago - it's possible there was an original one on the house but they've taken it off. None of the neighboring houses have anything original on, either UPVC or open recessed doorways.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Then show up the neighbours by putting your house back to grandure -should make it the most valuable on the street. Some local old photos will probably show you what the porch looked like. My guess is two square uprights and a little pitched roof, not silly extra doors (kinda litke this only much simpler). Make sure the uprights are off the ground on masonry -little brick piles or simple square stones.

 

[leespot]

I'd love something like that, but the house has steps up to the door...

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Oh it's a 1930s jobbie, why didn't you say so! I thought those tiles were under the sky. In that case yeah, send the 'porch' to the skip, it wouldn't have had one. No one's going to steal the umbrella and wellies you left out there. http://www.oldenglishdoors.co.uk/latest-news/1930s-style-home/

 

[Gerrydelasel]

If you think your porch is ugly, spare a thought for these that I have to look at every day!