Draught-Sealing in Southfields – A Bespoke Weatherboard Solution
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.
There’s nothing worse than an ill-fitting front door. If it’s slightly too large, it will scrape across the floor, possibly causing damage and definitely causing distress, while an undersized door will result in an unsightly gap that lets the heat out of your home – and the cold in.
There are a number of possible solutions to this infuriating issue, including total replacement of the door in question to obtain a better fit for the premises. However, for older properties which abound with traditional charm, the door comprises an integral part of that charisma. As such, finding a way to circumvent the problems of the original door is infinitely preferable to installing a new one.
Fortunately, at Fortis & Hooke, we’re well versed in solving headscratchers such as these, just as we did for a client in Southfields.
INSPECTING THE DOOR
Our team was initially contacted regarding a house in Southfields, Wandsworth, about an issue with a recent refurbishment of the property. Having installed a brand-new parquet floor system in their entrance hall, the unlucky homeowners then discovered that the minimal change of internal elevation now meant the door would not close without scraping their new wooden panels.
Having cut the bottom of the door down to size to ensure it wouldn’t damage their new interior, they then found that the operation had created a gap which was allowing a draft into their home. Clearly, a professional solution was required.
THE FORTIS & HOOKE APPROACH
Normally in situations similar to this one, the problem can be solved by installing a strip of brush seal to the bottom of the door. It covers up the aperture and prevents air from circulating between the interior of the home and outside. However, on this particular job, the sensitivity of the parquet flooring and the proximity of the door’s underside to it would have resulted in scraping and perhaps damage of the floor panels.
Instead, we planted a timber step above the doorjamb to block the gap and act as a draught excluder. We then hand-crafted a sloping weatherboard from wood and installed this on the bottom lip of the door, allowing rainwater to run off it and preventing any damage to either the door itself or the timber step beneath.
UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE
The solution provided by Fortis & Hooke allowed the homeowner to retain the rustic charm of their timber door without having to replace or upgrade it for a new one. At the same time, we solved the problem of an unattractive opening between the floor and the door and eliminated the draught that had been upsetting the interior temperature of their home.
What’s more, our use of all timber materials and the bespoke nature of the solutions complemented the existing aesthetic of the house’s façade. The end result? A client so happy with the outcome that she wrote to personally express her gratitude to the engineer responsible. Now that’s what we call customer satisfaction.