Knocking hole for French doors to replace window

[craynerd]

Hello

Hoping someone could give me some information. We have a window in our dining room about 1.26 meters wide by 1.32 high. We want to open it up to a French uPVC door ideally 6 foot wide. I can't see any odd issues. It is Accrington red brick and an end terrace house. Although I have done lots of DIY, I don't fancy opening the hole up to fit the new window and having the responsibility of fitting the new lintel as the new door will be about 2 foot bigger than he existing window.

Three questions if anyone can help:

1. Any idea of what I should expect for a rough price for the work of knocking the new hole through? -so for pulling out the existing upvc window, Grind out for new concrete lintel (internal leaf). Install cavity closures with dpc ready for the new door. Not even removal of the old brick waste. So basically labour costs and materials (lintel??)

2. Since the window is 1.32m tall and starts 0.9m off the floor, when the bottom bricks are removed it will leave a whole to the height of 2.22m. Now that is pretty tall for a door! Would it be possible to have a glass panel fitted above the window and will this cost significantly more?

3. Can anyone forsee any difficulties in fitting the French doors myself? I've built a porch and fitted uPVC windows before but they have always been much smaller! I just wanted to hear your opinion of fitting the door if be hole is cut for me.

Any advice or information would be more than welcome.

Chris [/b]

 

[noseall]

1. Any idea of what I should expect for a rough price for the work of knocking the new hole through? -so for pulling out the existing upvc window, Grind out for new concrete lintel (internal leaf). Install cavity closures with dpc ready for the new door. Not even removal of the old brick waste. So basically labour costs and materials (lintel??)

Needling and 'toothing out' the jamb bricks can take time so there may be the need to include boarding up the hole as it may not be possible to do it all in a day. Fitting cav clodgers, making good plaster finishes and skirts etc should be done in say 1.5 days. Getting rid of the bricks is the easy bit! Prolly get this bit done for £500 - £800.

2. Since the window is 1.32m tall and starts 0.9m off the floor, when the bottom bricks are removed it will leave a whole to the height of 2.22m. Now that is pretty tall for a door! Would it be possible to have a glass panel fitted above the window and will this cost significantly more?

Set the lintel a course lower.

3. Can anyone forsee any difficulties in fitting the French doors myself? I've built a porch and fitted uPVC windows before but they have always been much smaller! I just wanted to hear your opinion of fitting the door if be hole is cut for me.

Do you know how to toe 'n' heel a upvc door? Fitting doors is 3 times more difficult than fitting windows.

 

[craynerd]

Thanks mate!

One more question - if I was to fit the door inside opening ( just because of position) how would you face the outside reveals? If the door was fitted normally, the reveals would be on the inside and would be plaster boarded however I want my doors to be on the inside edge so the open fully back to the inside wall.

Chris

 

[noseall]

Kinda begs the question Craynerd, why are you not having the doors opening out?

 

[craynerd]

Kinda begs the question Craynerd, why are you not having the doors opening out?

In what way does it beg the question? - The option is to have the opening in or out and I`m choosing in as so the doors don`t open into the back door or the decked area! As I said, just because of position.

 

[noseall]

It is possible but it will be a faff trying to deal with the external reveal and sill detail regards weathering.

 

[NickB_99]

We have a window in our dining room about 1.26 meters wide by 1.32 high. We want to open it up to a French uPVC door ideally 6 foot wide. I can't see any odd issues. It is Accrington red brick and an end terrace house. Although I have done lots of DIY, I don't fancy opening the hole up to fit the new window and having the responsibility of fitting the new lintel as the new door will be about 2 foot bigger than he existing window

Hi Chris.
I'm thinking to make it official there may be some sign-off needed from LABC?
Thinking the extended lintel and inspection of the double glazing etc. I think using a FENSA registered fitter usually covers the glazing side for you at least.
The lintel affecting structural stuff.
I guess depends if you're selling any time soon.
I had a look at my local LABC charges for inspecting glazing change, as I'm thinking about my options, and was about £200 for building notice and inspection from memory.