standard door and window sizes

[LSB]

Good afternoon

I always read that to save costs you should use standard door and window sizes, but what are they.

No where have I been able to find this out.

Is it within a range and 10cm or something like that.

 

I want 4 sets of french opening doors, but I don't mind if they are anything between 2m and 2.5m, preferably down the middle at 2.300 as that fits in with 5 block sizes of 450 + 10 mortar and would only mean cutting every other block.

 

Any I just simplifying it too much

 

TIA

 

[Canski]

It depends on if you are using metric bricks and the wall lengths work brick gauge. I presume from your message that you are using blocks on the external skin ?  If your wall lengths are gauge then you would be better at 2260 mm 5 blocks at 450 mm (including the joint) plus 10 mm for the extra joint that will be at the other end of the opening. or 2485 mm ( half a block) 

[Mr Punter]

If it is just for a pair of doors the opening sounds quite wide.  You may want to have ones with sidelights.  I doubt there will be much difference in price if they are made to measure.  Just a matter of shopping around.

[LSB]

we don't want made to measure, we are having to be very cost conscious due to the huge price rises since we did our first costing a few years ago, so looking at ways to save by having standard sizes, but don't know what that means.
the wall is block / block for render & cladding and the block size is 440 * 215 * 100
The total wall is 18.4m which equates to 41 blocks plus 10 joint mortar, obviously there are supports where there will be internal walls otherwise it would not be very stable.

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by LSB

[Canski]

If its rendered it doesn't make any difference what size your openings are. I think you are over thinking this. 18.4 m is also 40 blocks plus a cut a block is supposed to be 440 mm plus a 10 mm joint = 450 mm x 40 = 18m 

[LSB]

just updated my spreadsheet (I love a spreadsheet, just one field and it does all the work), but helps if you type it right in the first place
Surely, it does matter what size the openings are, if French doors come is sizes with increments of say 25cm then we will need to allow that size plus the frames to fit.
Am I overthinking this.
I haven't spoken to the windows people yet as I want to understand before I do.
 

 

[Canski]

If that's they way they price then go with whatever suits. What I am saying is that if your wall is rendered then blocks  can be cut to suit so don't let your wall sizes dictate the openings. If you were having brickwork as an exterior skin then I'd make the frames to suit brick sizes. I'm literally just in the process of working through this now. My designer has made a few cock ups which is disappointing seeing as i have tried to teach him several times. I've even given him spreadsheets with wall panel sizes and opening sizes but he doesn't get the bit about  10 mm extra for openings or the 10mm less for panels. He will get there eventually 🙂

[LSB]

2 minutes ago, Canski said:

If that's they way they price then go with whatever suits. What I am saying is that if your wall is rendered then blocks  can be cut to suit so don't let your wall sizes dictate the openings. If you were having brickwork as an exterior skin then I'd make the frames to suit brick sizes. I'm literally just in the process of working through this now. My designer has made a few cock ups which is disappointing seeing as i have tried to teach him several times. I've even given him spreadsheets with wall panel sizes and opening sizes but he doesn't get the bit about  10 mm extra for openings or the 10mm less for panels. He will get there eventually 🙂

I hope so 🙂
My designer also doesn't really get what I want which is why the plans that were drawn some time ago are not as accurate as I would like.  As we are DIY self builders, me the paper side HID the builder I want to make it as easy as possible for him.  He is an experienced builder, but has always just be told, do that over there and never given any thought to why or if it is the best option which is where I come in.

We are also making some changes to save money, losing a few windows, not having sliders or bi-folds, that sort of thing which all needs to be configured.

The original one in the company was okay, but he left and we have been handed over to one 200 miles away who has never been to site which I think is a hindrance.

HID says it's easy to cut blocks in half, but not small bits.  As I can't even lift up a block then I'm not involved in that bit.

 

[Canski]

It's easy to cut a block to whatever size you want it. We can always make it work. Where are you intending to buy your windows from ? My suppliers just make them to suit whatever dimensions I give them. 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Canski

[LSB]

we haven't made the final decision on window supplier, there is one locally that is highly recommended, but quite expensive or the big boys who are slightly cheaper, but not so easy to get back if there are any problems.

trouble with building is the number of decisions, we've only just decided to go block / block versus ICF, that decision took weeks of going around in circles

We are actually doing a conversion which made the decision in the end as we have to keep some of the barn walls and then double skin them which is straight forward with blocks.

The thermal bridge on the join and DPC need working out as the barn doesn't have anything.

It was quite difficult to get planning so we didn't look into suppliers until we had that sorted and all the conditions discharged in case it all went pear shaped.

 

[HughF]

Plastic or Aliclad timber? For plastic I like modernupvcwindows.co.uk, supplying the deceuninck profiles.

 

For standard sizes, look at what’s off-the-shelf from screwfix/b&q, and copy those dimensions.

 

 

Edited February 21, 2023 by HughF

[Dave Jones]

56 minutes ago, HughF said:

Plastic or Aliclad timber? For plastic I like modernupvcwindows.co.uk, supplying the deceuninck profiles.

 

For standard sizes, look at what’s off-the-shelf from screwfix/b&q, and copy those dimensions.

 

 

 

careful with them, they dont meet building regs for U value at 1.4

[LSB]

I plan on wood or aliclad windows, but won't be buying from Screwfix or B&Q 🙂

I am going to get a window company, this is our long term home so don't want to cut too many corners.

There are places to save money and some to be more careful.

 

[Iceverge]

Play with that website @HughF linked. 

 

I'll really give you a good idea of what's possible and importantly the cost differences for all the options. 

 

For example a full height fixed window is cheaper than a door with a sidelight, is cheaper than a french door, is cheaper than a slider, is cheaper than bi-folds.  Amusingly the cheapest is best thermally too in this scenario.

 

Don't rule out good quality uPVC. My parents have 10 German made white UPVC 2g windows since 1985 and they're going strong apart from one broken hinge that needs fixing, a bust door lock, and two failed 2g units. Zero maintainence in that time otherwise. 

 

Also pay attention to the lentils and thresholds. These details can add up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LSB]

41 minutes ago, Iceverge said:

Play with that website @HughF linked. 

 

I'll really give you a good idea of what's possible and importantly the cost differences for all the options. 

 

For example a full height fixed window is cheaper than a door with a sidelight, is cheaper than a french door, is cheaper than a slider, is cheaper than bi-folds.  Amusingly the cheapest is best thermally too in this scenario.

 

Don't rule out good quality uPVC. My parents have 10 German made white UPVC 2g windows since 1985 and they're going strong apart from one broken hinge that needs fixing, a bust door lock, and two failed 2g units. Zero maintainence in that time otherwise. 

 

 

Also pay attention to the lentils and thresholds. These details can add up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see what you mean by quality UPVC, we had ours installed in 2001 and they could all do with being replaced in reality, just won't be happening at the moment.

But, they were supplied by the builders who were renovating at that time when we lived a long way away so probably cheap as chips with the same quality.

 

[HughF]

9 hours ago, Dave Jones said:

 

careful with them, they dont meet building regs for U value at 1.4

Yeah, their 3G offering isn’t bad though.