Replacing a window with door (same width) - what is involved?

ellie27

Considering replacing a ground-floor window at the back of house with door/doors - same width.

Other than the cost of the doors and labour (and possibly planning application) are there any other things involved eg does a beam/joist have to go in?

Thank you!

Annie1960

You may need a lintel, and building control may need to be involved.

The first step is to determine whether there is a suitable lintel already there.

jenny-wren

We've just done it. We had a solid concrete lintel above the doors so it was just a matter of taking out the window and removing the brickwork below the window. There will likely be a damp proof course which will need to be amended to provide damp proofing below the doors. Building Control need to be notified (certainly where I am anyway) and you'll need to get their approval of the work (for a small fee). Ours was a wide window so we went for french doors with a narrow windows at each side (at the level of the old window ledge). That way we could open a window for ventilation without having to open a door.

A window company should be able to advise you when they come out to quote if anything else is required. Make sure if you are getting french doors that you specify whether you want the doors to open in or out and which door you want to be the master door (the door that you open first before you can open the other one).

ellie27

Thanks for this.

We are in a conservation area and will soon be putting in planning permission for doors to garden and velux windows for the kitchen/diner.

We will have surveyor too and then Building warrant will be done for walls being removed.

The possible window replacement with door that I mention in my post is from a downstairs spare bedroom. This also looks onto back garden patio area so it could be really nice. It would make sense that if I was seriously considering this then it was done at same time!

From the outside, the level of the ground is exactly the same as the inside.