Replacement Windows - New Lintel (Who will do the work?)

berwick53

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a 1920s terrace house that requires a bit of work to it. I'm looking to replace all the doors and windows as the current UPVC doors/windows are > 20 years old and showing their age, including some blown pains.

The slight complication I have is that a lintel above the patio door appears to have failed/is failing and has caused the patio door frame to distort (cracks are visible from the corners of the patio doors outside).

I will speak to a few window companies (national and local) and want to be informed so they don't rinse me on the work! When the full survey was performed, the surveyor said the lintel works should cost roughly 1-2k, but I forgot to ask them who I would get in to do the work!

Will the window companies do this, or do I need to get a specialist? If I do, what's the order of getting this done?

Thanks

FreeBear

Don't bother rining any of the big national outfits - They will rip you off with over inflated prices and give you the hard sell. The quality of some of their work leaves much to be desired.. Watched one fit a door & side window to a 1920s house. Passed comment that it would need a lintel, but they said no it doesn't. A few weeks later, they were back repointing the brickwork above the door (and still no lintel).

In the meantime, I had a local installer fit a new door & window (also a 1920s semi) - He agreed that I would probably need a lintel to support the outer leaf which he could do. Didn't give me a price as I opted to do the work myself. Had another window that needed a lintel, but we found it possible to wriggle a steel in without disturbing all the brickwork. No such luck over the door - That required removing the soldier course (bricks crumbled in the process of removal), sourcing suitable imperial bricks, and trimming the backs down. Fun & games all round.

Most local installers will either be able to fit a lintel or know a reputable builder that can do the work.

TELLIT01

Use a local supplier as the national companies almost certainly won't do the work.  As FreeBear says, a local contractor will either do the work themselves or have contacts with local builders.

Albermarle

as the current UPVC doors/windows are > 20 years old and showing their age, including some blown pains.

In case you are not aware, it is possible to replace the glass, without replacing/ripping our the actual window frames.

They are known as sealed units and a local window company will be able to replace one for around £150? Plus I think there are some more national based companies that specialise in this service.

The PVC frames should last for many decades. It is the sealed units/hinges/locks/handles that usually need replacing at some point.

millie

Our frames must be at least 30 years old and we had the glass replaced a couple of years ago. The man who did it for us said the frames were fine and did not need replacing. The glass was leaded and we wanted plain glass, thats the only reason we changed it.