Door Restoration in Shirley – Replacing Beading & Locks
Original features are at the very heart of a heritage property. Unfortunately, many property owners rush to replace period features when age starts to take its toll. At Fortis & Hooke, we think there is a better way.
Sometimes, all that’s required to breathe new life into a property’s appearance and potentially add extra value to its market price is an upgrade on its front entranceway. While the idea of a brand-new door might be a tempting one, dispensing with the old one completely can risk upsetting the existing aesthetic – not to mention the environmental consequences associated with doing so.
At Fortis & Hooke, we’re committed to the notion that an old door isn’t necessarily ready for the scrapheap and against the idea that new invariably means improved. Indeed, we always go the extra mile to restore the doors we work on and ensure they return to their owner in their best possible condition – as we recently did with one such property in Shirley, Croydon.
INITIAL INSPECTION
We received a call from a homeowner in the large south-London settlement, who was concerned about the condition of their existing door but keen to keep it in place without having to resort to replacement. Upon a visual inspection of the premises, we identified several key facets of the entranceway which required extensive work, including the door’s structural strength, the beads that adorned it and the jamb which surrounded it.
As such, we recommended to the client that they contract our Longaevitas service, which offers a full and comprehensive restoration of the hardware. As well as replacing the beading and upgrading the door’s lock, we also installed a draught-proofing system, painted the exterior bodywork of the doorframe and treated the door itself to a fresh coat of varnish.
REMOVAL AND RESTORATION
After confirming that the work required was too great and too disruptive to be carried out in-situ, we advised the customer that the best course of action would be to carefully remove it from its hinges and relocate it to our workshop. As well as affording us the time and space we needed to complete a professional job, the temporary wooden replacement we installed also incurred minimal inconvenience to the customer in the interim.
Back at the workshop, we first stripped back the door its bare timber components and installed brand-new beading columns along the length of it and around the glass window. The door was then completely varnished to give it that good-as-new aesthetic, while the lock and draught-proofing systems were also put in place. Finally, the frame surrounding the door was also given a fresh coat of white paint to make the whole ensemble really catch the eye.
PRACTICALITY AND PANACHE
The solution delivered by our team through its application of our famed Longaevitas technique achieved a door that is the perfect marriage of finesse and functionality. The new lock adds an extra dimension of security to the property, while the draught-proofing system installed at its extremities helps prevent the influx of cold air into the household.
Meanwhile, the replacement of the wooden beading along the door’s external face gives it a sharp new aesthetic, while the fresh varnish and white frame accentuate that latent charm. As such, the customer has been left delighted with a service that has upgraded their home’s front-facing appearance, without the need for replacement of any key components.