Carpentry and building
Internal doors
Doors, linings, architrave and handles. A rehang on the existing frames, or a full set of new linings.
Common questions
Can you reuse my existing frames?
Often, yes. If the linings are sound and reasonably square the doors hang straight on them and the architrave stays put. If they are twisted or painted solid, new linings usually work out cheaper once you count the making good.
How long does a house of doors take?
Rehanging on existing frames is quick, usually a day or two for a typical house. New linings throughout is a bigger job with plastering and decorating to follow, and we will say which one yours is at the measure-up.
Do fire doors need anything special?
Yes. Fire doors have specific requirements for intumescent strips, hinges and closers, and they are not interchangeable with a standard door. If your layout needs them, for example a door from an integral garage or off a stairwell in a three storey house, we will say so.
Can I keep my old handles?
If they are sound and the spindle and backset match the new door, yes. Older handles sometimes need the mortice cutting to suit, which is fine, but it is worth knowing before you set your heart on it.
What happens to the architrave?
If new linings go in, the architrave has to come off and it cannot go back on. That is the moment to change the skirting to match, because the room is already sheeted and apart.
Worth reading
Worth reading
The questions people ask before booking a visit.
Wardrobes
Fitted wardrobes or freestanding: what you actually gain
Fitted costs more than a flat-pack. Here is what the money buys, and when freestanding is genuinely the better call.
Wardrobes
Why wardrobe doors do not line up, and what scribing is
Walls bow, floors fall away and ceilings drop. Scribing is how a square carcass ends up looking like it grew there.