Need front door sizing help - fitter says new door must be 6" narrower!

themonkeybutler

So i have a rotting old wooden font door, with side and top lights at the moment. The door aperture is currently 910mm. I want a composite replacement (so all new frame and side and top lights), but the fitter days the max door width i can have is just 755mm (29").

That's crazy. It's slightly narrower even than internal doors! 

2 different companies have now said the same (something to do with the sides panels having to be much wider for manufacturing reasons)

So, 2 questions - do you door knowledgeable people agree with these fitters?
And anybody, what is your door width (the gap you walk through), and how much of a problem will fitting a sofa through a 29" (755m) door be in future?
(For full info, the whole doorway is 1600mm wide and 2180mm high)

fenwick458

maybe it does? i had a PVC door in the last house with side windows both sides, would not reccomend it to anyone theres too much flex in the side where the door closes too, meant it would just bounce and the door wouldn't latch, unless you slammed it. 
in the new house, I got a wall built up to 1m, then just had a window at the top. means the door closes onto something solid.
anyway, back to your door, I'd like the front door to be 900mm at least, would make getting stuff in & out much easier.  how about just one side window?

esmy

Just measured our composite front door - 33'' (84cm) wide and we have side and top lights - total width 60'' (1525mm). We used a small local firm who are also manufacturers.

themonkeybutler

fenwick458 said:

maybe it does? i had a PVC door in the last house with side windows both sides, would not reccomend it to anyone theres too much flex in the side where the door closes too, meant it would just bounce and the door wouldn't latch, unless you slammed it. 
in the new house, I got a wall built up to 1m, then just had a window at the top. means the door closes onto something solid.
anyway, back to your door, I'd like the front door to be 900mm at least, would make getting stuff in & out much easier.  how about just one side window?

Can't sadly, as one side of my hall right up against the door is the gas cupboard on one side and the electric on the other. 

Seems dumb that i have to have a really narrow door because ive such a wide total doorway area. 

themonkeybutler

esmy said:

Just measured our composite front door - 33'' (84cm) wide and we have side and top lights - total width 60'' (1525mm). We used a small local firm who are also manufacturers.

That would be so much better for me. Can i ask who the firm were, just in case they happen to cover Merseyside by any miracle?

Giddypip

I used these https://www.sterlingpvcu.co.uk/ after a friend recommended them. Great service and excellent value for money. Would have no idea if they could provide what you require but worth a look.

themonkeybutler

Thanks for that. I'll check them out next next week, but i think they'd probably be a bit far to cover my area. Worth asking the question though. 

Would never have imagined this would be such a ballache.

knightstyle

How do these companies comply with wheelchair access requirements?
There is a regulation in place that requires that the Part M compliant door should be a minimum of 838mm (2’9”) wide. The frame around the door must also be Part M compliant as mentioned above, namely, they must have a threshold of no more than 15mm – and there should be no concrete step or raised structure either inside or outside the door.

Apodemus

You might be better getting a local joiner to quote for a replacement wooden door!

Bisto_Kid

My late mother had a similar problem getting a large armchair out, following a wooden door being replaced with a shiny new UPVC one. In the end, the chair was chopped up inside the house to remove it!  It's like some of the staircases in new build three storey town houses - a former work colleague had to resort to getting a crane to lift some items through an upstairs window!

GDB2222

Apodemus said:

You might be better getting a local joiner to quote for a replacement wooden door!

It does sound as though sticking with wood might be a better idea.