I may have the opportunity to purchase some good condition used double-glazed PCVu french doors. They are 5 years old. Will I have problems with the building regs if I use them in a new extension ? What if I can't prove what they are filled with etc.? Thanks, Simon.
Difficult to say, but AFAIK the French make their doors just like ours. Perhaps you could e-mail or write to the manufacturer? Babelfish translations might be useful if you don't speak the language.
Oh Chris. I know, I know. But EVERYONE calls them french doors, and if I ask a question about "french windows" someone will say : "Difficult to say, but AFAIK the French make their windows ..." (!)
The manufacturer is unknown - there were on a new-build house.
Simon.
Then they must be educated (or exterminated)!
They may be questioned, it depends on the insulation of the rest of the place, AFAIK - couldn't your local pen-pusher be consulted? Slim chance of a sensible answer, I know...
Extension is to an old house with solid walls, some single-glazing etc. I am putting in my plans to building control soon. I will probably have to make a calculated risk at this point about how much it's worth paying / if they get refused etc. Simon.
I call them "Fenetre Francais"!
I suspect that the building control people will want some sort of spec on the doors (Windows!) and at the very least you need to check they are toughened and manufactured to the correct BS specification.
Have you considered getting the individual units replaced? Would the council be happy with tnat?
It's possible that once the frame is removed you'll find a sticker with a manufacturer's name on it.
Before parting with any cash I'd run the idea past the council and see what they say.
sponix
Any idea what I'd need to pay to get sealed units made ? The overall size is 1500 x 2100mm (I guess 2 sealed units 1400 x 2000 approx). Simon.
sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote: > Someone else wrote, but sm_jamieson munged the attributions:
About £140.
This is a case where an injection of common-sense on behalf of the BCO is needed (some have it, some don't). These regs are all about energy conservation: making the OP put these doors in a skip so he can buy new ones which will probably deliver a minimal saving would be daft.
The message from sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com contains these words:
Everyone doesn't. French windows is the correct description in the UK. Only foreigners from the other side of the Atlantic should call them french doors.
"Dumbing down" (sic), ain't it.
When describing component parts, what do you say. E.g. I have a set of french windows. The left window has a crack .. OR The left door has a crack. If you had a single side and called it a window, people would be well confused ! Simon.
I'd be surprised if the frames weren't date-stamped somewhere (everywhere?) which would provide evidence for the BCO - although didn't the regs change about 5 years ago? Which may be worse for your case...!
David
sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote: > Someone wrote, but sm_jamieson munged the attributions yet again:
"The left [one] has a crack".
"Well confused". Hm. ".. people would be, well, confused!" perhaps?
That is very true.
However, will that tick the correct boxes on the BCOs checklist?
sponix
The message from sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com contains these words:
Only the clueless.
But you don't need to take my word for it, just consult an English dictionary.
Incidentally french windows don't have to be in pairs. Single examples used to be quite common.
I wouldn't pay anything for them if I were you. Getting rid of old plastic windows etc is a problem as nobody usually wants them - not least because they are crap to start with and 2nd hand they are going to be crappier and a problem to fit. Really they should pay you for taking them away.
cheers
Jacob
These have only been used internally (I know how owd would interpret that - stuck it up their a...). And if I can get pretty much what I would be paying 500 quid for, for
150 quid, seems OK to me. They look identical to the present screw-fix offerings and are exactly the same size I need. In the perfect world I would have oak, but its not and I can't.On 9 Jan 2006 06:45:17 -0800, a particular chimpanzee named sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com randomly hit the keyboard and produced:
If you assume they're air-filled with no coating and you can establish the gap between the panes, you can work out their U-value (from Approved Document L1). The requirement is for an _average_ U-value of
2.0W/m²K where the area of opening is no more than 25% of the floor area. There are trade-offs if the area of glazing is less than the permitted or the other elements have a U-value less than the maximum.
Occasionally this can work: I'll give you 150 if the BCO passes them. If not, you'll get them returned, no charge. If they know theres no other buyer, and know who you are, they often say mumble mumble, well ok then.
NT
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