FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some frequently asked questions you are always welcome to send an email or give us a call for more information.

Q Do you have a showroom
Yes we have a showroom. If you are planning to visit us please call or email if possible.

Q How do I place an order?
If you are close enough to pay us a visit you can order in person. Alternatively you can call us 01352 711766 or email us with your requirements. More info on placing an order

Q What is the current waiting time from date of order
Current waiting time is approx. 6 weeks. However, we may be able to squeeze the odd order in before so please ask. For large orders we have to say approx. 8 weeks

Q Do you have a fitting service?
We can offer a fitting service for some parts of the U.K. please email your address and project details photos of the site would be good or give us a call and we'll get a fitting estimate to you. If we don't cover your area we may know a man who does

Q Do you come out to measure?
Because we send goods all across the U.K. and parts of Europe it is not possible to measure every job. We recommend you get your carpenter/builder (whoever is going to fit) to do this for you. For large jobs i.e. a substantial number of windows or doors we will measure once our quote has been accepted and the order has been confirmed. If you choose to use our fitting service we will carry out a site survey if we feel it is required.

Q Are all the products made from solid woods?
Yes we only use solid woods to make our products no veneers we select highest quality kiln dried timbers. This combined with years of knowledge from our experienced craftsmen ensures our products are stable and if treated and maintained correctly will last a lifetime.

Q What are engineered doors and do you sell them?
NO - Engineered wooden doors are generally mass produced usually in the far east and are constructed with either softwood or chip board cores. They are then veneered with their final timber finish, this veneer being less than 1mm thick in some cases.

Q Can I have my doors, windows or gates made to my exact sizes?
Yes all our products are purpose made to order you can have any sizes you like

Q Can the door be fitted into the frame before it arrives on site?
Yes the majority of our doors and frames are now pre-hung into their frames in the workshop, we have various types of locking systems.
Pre-hanging means it is a much more simple job to fit the goods on site and there is less chance of damage occurring when lock holes, letterplate apertures are cut on site - see our pre-hang page for more information

Q Can I buy my door furniture/ironmongery from you?
Yes we can supply everything you will need to complete the job including hinges, letterplates, locks etc. see our door furniture page for further information

Q Are the stormguard cills you put on the frames Part M compliant?
Yes they are lowline disabled access stormguard cills

Q Can my doors, windows be finished/coated in the workshop?
It's extremely important to finish/coat external products immediately, we offer various options including full factory finishing please see our doorcare page for further information

Q Do you supply glass with your doors and windows?
Yes we supply all our doors and windows with glass unless you ask us not to. Doors are supplied with toughened Pilkington K double glazed units and windows are supplied with Pilkington K S double glazed units argon filled. Argon gas and warm edge (thermal) spacers can also be added for further energy efficiency. Textured and decorative glass is also available visit our glass page.

Q What are your payment terms?
40% deposit (of the VAT inclusive price) is payable when you place your order the balance is payable upon receipt of our proforma invoice prior to delivery. At this point the goods will be virtually constructed, ironmongery and glass will be in or on order and as all our work is bespoke goods must be paid for before they leave our workshop. Payments can be made by bank transfer or debit and credit card* (credit cards subject to 3% fee)

Q How much is Delivery?
Please see our delivery page for further information

Q What is a U Value?
Simply put a U-value refers to the amount of heat transference across any structure.
U-Values are used as a way to attempt to quantify the amount of heat energy lost through the external fabric of a building across different materials. The lower a u-value, the higher the thermal efficiency of a material and the less heat loss you will experience through the material. Click here for U values on our glass.
In more technical terms the U-Value is defined as the rate of heat flow in watts (W) through an area of 1 square metre (m) for a temperature difference across the structure of 1 C degree centigrade or Kelvin (K). U-Value measurement are written as W/m2K.
U-values for glazing are broken down into two types; the centre pane U-Value for the glass material itself, known as the UG value, and the UW value which is the U-Value for the entire glazing system, including any framing, fixings etc.

Q Building Regulations?
Since 1 April 2002 building regulations have applied to all replacement glazing. The regulations apply to thermal performance and other areas such as safety, air supply, means of escape and ventilation. An external window or door is a "controlled fitting" under the Building Regulations and as a result of this classification these Regulations set out certain standards to be met when such a window or door is replaced. You could use an installer registered with a competent person scheme (BSI, CERTASS or FENSA). A registered installer will be approved to carry out the work to comply with building regulations without involving local authority building control. When work is complete you will receive a certificate showing the work was done by a registered installer. Or you could use an unregistered installer or DIY, in which case approval can be sought from the relevant Building Control Body, either at your Local Authority or an Approved Inspector. They will check the replacement window(s) or door(s) for compliance and, if satisfied, issue a certificate of compliance. We are not registered with any of the self certificating schemes as the vast majority of our work is supplying and installing to clients that are building or extending homes. These new buildings require building regulations sign off from the Local Authority, the doors and windows would be signed off as part of this.

Q What is double boarding on a door?
Double boarding means the door looks the same on the back as it does on the front pictures below show typical back views of non double boarded doors

Single Boarded Framed Ledged Door (back)	Single Boarded Framed Ledged & Braced Door (back)

TERMS AND ADVICE

All products MUST be completely sealed before fitting

We take a great deal of care to ensure you receive the highest quality product(s) possible. However, wood is a natural product, and even the most well made products made from it should be expected to move slightly in response to changes in humidity and temperature. In the long term, this movement is likely to be minimal and barely noticeable, but in the short term (after the first winter) minor adjustment may be required to take account of 'settling in' movement. Once a product(s) leaves us we have no control over the conditions to which they are exposed and therefore we cannot accept any responsibility for 'moisture related' problems if the product is not correctly finished/protected. When installing our products in new or very recently plastered and screeded areas if they are not fully protected and treated you may experience a little swelling products should return to normal once the moisture has left them.

We highly recommend the fitting of doors be carried out as quickly as possible to avoid any twisting or warping. Our items are made from solid wood and heavy please bear this in mind when fitting, you will need at least three good quality heavy duty hinges and at least one good quality heavy duty carpenter. We will work around you and your carpenter to get the goods to you when you are ready for them to be installed. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage caused to goods because they have been stored or though improper fitting.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to seal external wood doors immediately with at least three coats before fitting do not seal only the outside. Ensure all edges are covered including the top, bottom and sides of the door, and letterbox holes etc. Any areas made bare whilst fitting will need re-finishing.

We guarantee the quality of manufacture for 12 months beginning on the day of receiving your goods, problems associated with natural wood products are not covered in any way including movement, cracks, shakes etc. Natural variations in the colour or texture of wood are not to be considered as defects.

RECOMMENDED FINISHES - Click the door care finish link below

Ordering:
Sizes and design of our products is at the discretion of the customer and the customer shall provide accurate dimensions and a description of the site for which the furniture/doors/windows are to be made. We would advise if you are unsure how to measure that you ask the person who is going to install to measure for you to avoid any problems when fitting.

We require a 40% deposit upon placement of order with the balance payable upon receipt of proforma invoice (prior to despatch). Unfortunately as all our products are made to measure to your exact requirements this deposit is non refundable. If you place your order and would like us to come out and measure we may be able to do this depending on where you are located and where our deliveries fall please ask.

Specific Requirements

Boarding/Panel Sizes
As all our doors are made to your specific sizes the number of T & G Boards may vary from the examples in the website. If you require a specific number there may be a small charge please ask. Timber panels may be wider or higher than they look in the pictures, again this depends on your sizes.

Glazed Doors

Glass / Door Proportions
Our doors are glazed from the outside this is the traditional way for wooden doors. If you would like your door to be
glazed from the inside please state at time of order. Doors with single vision panels are glazed from the inside

Door prices include clear Pilkington K toughened double glazed units. 24mm Pilkington K S (softcoat) also available p.o.a.
as a thicker door may be required - Click on the Glass link below to see patterns etc.

The pictures in the website are for illustration only glass content and pane sizes may vary depending on your door sizes. Our experienced joiners will work out the best proportions from the door sizes you give us. If you have a specific requirement please ask.

All glazed units are individual pieces i.e. 6 pane stable door has 6 panes not one pane with bars planted on the front.

Energy efficient doors also available
As standard we use toughened Pilkington K energy efficient double glazed units for doors
For even greater energy efficiency we offer a 56mm thick door double boarded (same on back as front) with a 25mm
insulated core and 24mm Pilkington K S (softcoat) toughened argon filled double glazed units with warm edge/thermal spacer bars

Prices in the website for 44mm thick external doors include supply of 14mm toughened double glazed units Clear. Click Glass link below for further info. and other types of glass.

For delivery and fitting purposes glass is supplied only (pinned into place). You should get your joiner to fix it in properly with a high quality silicone cheap silicone can be high in solvent and not suitable for use with double glazed units.

EXTERNAL DOORS - THICKNESS

44mm THICK DOOR (Typical thickness for replacement external doors)
14mm toughened Pilkington K double glazed units
Prices in individual pages are based on this (44mm) option unless stated otherwise

56mm & 60mm THICK DOOR (greater energy efficiency)
Double boarded with 25mm (56mm door) 30mm (60mm door) insulation
24mm toughened Pilkington K S double glazed units
See individual door pages for details I'm currently updating the website you could email your enquiry
or come back soon if the info. isn't there yet

DELIVERY
Where possible we like to deliver ourselves in our own van but if it isn't possible we send out with a courier company. We pack extremely well to ensure no damage occurs.

Our goods are made from solid wood throughout they are extremely heavy so the driver whether our own or a courier company MUST have help at your end. We'll give plenty of notice to ensure somebody can be there. Click here for delivery prices

For further advice please give us a call on 01352 711766 or email info@doormaker.co.uk or doormaker@btconnect.com