Need a new front door... do I have to change the frame too?

[carled]

It's upvc, probably from sometime in the 70s looking at it. The locking mechanism and frame appear to work together so I'm imagining that I need to do the entire frame and door at the same time?

Brick-to-brick the opening is 900mm x 2070mm - is this a pretty standard size or will I be having to get a door & frame made especially?

 

[Richard C]

You dont have to but it's unlikely you'll get anything to fit a frame that old so new frame unit & door; suppliers will make to any size. Replacement doors & windows must now have a certificate of compliance. You can get this by using a FENSA registered installer or by notification/inspection by your LABC, a fee is involved & may not be economical for just one door; you will need the compliance certificate when you come to sell. Use small local installer rather than large national company.

 

[carled]

Thanks Richard. I had just come across this company: http://www.doorexpress.com that appears to offer the whole shooting match for just under £300 and they say it's easy to fit... would that be ok for me to do or will I fall foul of regulations?

 

[Richard C]

Are they installing? Are they FENSA registered? If not you won’t get a certificate of compliance. If you DIY you won’t get a certificate of compliance unless you notify & pay the LABC fee; no compliance certificate can lead to problems at sale time & not worth the agro is can cause.

You also need compliant multi point locks for insurance purposes of your insurer may not pay.

 

[carled]

Not wishing to be overly smart here... but how would anyone know if the front door had been there for 1 year or 15 years if I came to sell it? Once it's weathered a bit, it would be hard to tell at a glance when it had been fitted, surely?

 

[Richard C]

It's usually picked on survey; surveyors arn't stupid (well not usually ) & the approximate age of the unit will be obvious to those who know what to look for; if not there is a date of manufacture on the separator inside the sealed glass unit in most cases . Current regulations go back to 2002 (I think) & the onus is on you to prove when it was installed if the surveyor picks it up. Lender’s are now getting very sniffy about advancing a loan on a property that has unauthorised building works; one door is no big deal in the scheme of things but it could cause you problems with a potential buyer at worst probably amounting to a discount on the cost of a new door.

The other thing to consider is that in the event of a break in, your insurer may decline or reduce your claim if an assessor discovers the unit doesn’t have a compliance certificate. Your buyers solicitor will also require you to complete a sellers questionnaire which contains a specific section on building works. It’s unwise to lie on this form & if you subsequently get found out, you leave yourself open to civil proceedings & a claim that could be considerably more than the additional cost of a compliant door; it has happened.

It's your decision at the end of it & you need to consider if it's worth the possible agro; personally I don’t think it is.

 

[carled]

Nicely explained Richard, many thanks.