Window and door problems- replacements needed.

[Crofter]

Well it pains me to admit it but I'm going to bite the bullet and replace my troublesome window and door with something a bit more idiot proof.

 

Both current units are 3G aluclad and under 1.0 uW. Both are fitted to a very exposed westerly elevation on a holiday cottage in NW Scotland.

 

The door is a fancy tilt/slide design which has always bamboozled the guests. Several times people have checked out and left it hanging open because they've failed to understand how it works. Not great in our climate. Another guest broke the cast aluminium mechanism by trying to force it to close in the wrong position.

I want to replace it with a simpler sliding type. I was offered a slider when I originally purchased the door, but the uW value was much worse. Presumably a slider doesn't close as firmly as a tilt/slide?

 

The window is fairly large (1500h, 1800w) with one half opening. Last winter a guest decided it would be a good idea to open it in a howling gale. The mechanism was subsequently damaged and it failed to close correctly. Now there's water damage in the frame and I've had to screw it shut.

I'd like to go top hung instead on the replacement. I've never had a problem with a top hung window. They never seem to sag or need adjustment.

 

Looking for suggestions for a cost effective supplier. I'm happy to go uPVC so long as I can get my choice of colour externally. Feeling a bit wary about supposedly high end alu clad after this experience.

 

My two concerns are: 

- finding a high enough performance sliding door that won't result in air leaks

- finding a supplier who will do a large top hung 3G pane

 

Let me know who you'd suggest and I'll stick them on the list to get a quote 🙂

[Bramco]

Is it possible with the mechanism to set it to slide only? Which I'm guessing is what guests would use most.  If that's possible then there shouldn't be any more issues with not understanding how it works.

 

We have some tilt and swing inwards windows (if you see what I mean). In general these mechanisms aren't great and if you don't hold the bottom flappy corner in, it's easy to get them so they won't shut. I often have to sort ours out after the kids (grown ups) have been home.  we also had problems with this type of window in a flat we owned and rented out.

 

If you could restrict the functionality, then maybe you wouldn't have to be thinking of replacing them.

 

Or try Express Sliding Doors -  based in Leeds - we have triple glazed sliders from them - but they are onto a patio. Great with airtightness etc. and today they were misted up on the outside due to the dew - which is quite odd when you first see it happen.

Edited Tuesday at 15:26 by Bramco

[Crofter]

21 minutes ago, Bramco said:

Is it possible with the mechanism to set it to slide only?

Sadly not. It has to tilt onwards before it will slide. 

 

There's nothing inherently wrong with the design. You can open and close it without any physical effort. But you need to know in which order the parts have to move. Push the button in with your foot, move the handle part way, push the top in, move the handle the rest of the way.

If we were the only people using it there would have never been a problem.

 

 

21 minutes ago, Bramco said:

 

Or try Express Sliding Doors -  based in Leeds - we have triple glazed sliders from them - but they are onto a patio. Great with airtightness etc. and today they were misted up on the outside due to the dew - which is quite odd when you first see it happen.

Thanks, they're on the list now.

[-rick-]

I'm guessing you have a no-touch check in process so no way to specifically talk about the door mechanism?

 

Given human nature I suspect that even if you took 20 mins to walk every customer through how to use the door some would still find a way to mess it up but if its not something you tried maybe it's worth doing before spending money on a new door.

 

If you are not generally around could you keep the door locked and require them to ask for a pin code to get the key. If you are feeling adventurous could make a video demoing the door operation with the pin code at the end and refer them to that. (QR code stuck on the door?)

[Crofter]

1 minute ago, -rick- said:

I'm guessing you have a no-touch check in process so no way to specifically talk about the door mechanism?

No, we spend a lot of time travelling and usually aren't on site.

Even if we were, people are checking in any time after 4pm, depending how it took them to drive there. It's simply not possible for us to meet every guest.

 

 

1 minute ago, -rick- said:

 

Given human nature I suspect that even if you took 20 mins to walk every customer through how to use the door some would still find a way to mess it up but if its not something you tried maybe it's worth doing before spending money on a new door.

Our cleaner still didn't really get it after two years... 

When you look at the utterly inane questions we sometimes get, I have zero faith that people would bother reading or following instructions. We routinely get asked 'do you have WiFi... towels... cutlery... parking' despite all these things being clearly described in the listing.

 

 

1 minute ago, -rick- said:

 

If you are not generally around could you keep the door locked and require them to ask for a pin code to get the key. If you are feeling adventurous could make a video demoing the door operation with the pin code at the end and refer them to that. (QR code stuck on the door?)

I did think about this. I could have a video of my 8yr old boy demonstrating how easy it is to open and close the door with one finger.

I don't think it would stop some visiting rugby player from wrenching the handle off though.

 

No I'm afraid that the only real answer is a different design of door. As a consolation, I might put this one in storage and use it in my next build, which is a house for ourselves to live in.

[Crofter]

45 minutes ago, Bramco said:

Or try Express Sliding Doors -  based in Leeds

Is that expressbifolds.co.uk?

Their lift and slide door offers u values "as low as 1.3" which is not terribly impressive. But maybe I have unrealistic expectations...

[craig]

2 hours ago, Crofter said:

The door is a fancy tilt/slide design

 

Sorry, but whoever sold it to you, should be put in front of the firing squad. They just fail here in the UK, they are the most troublesome type of sliding door available. If it's a rented property, the easiest sliding door is what I call a gliding door (slides on the track, rather than lift and slides, or tilt and slides). 

Edited Tuesday at 17:29 by craig

[Crofter]

Just now, craig said:

 

Sorry, but whoever sold it to you, should be put in front of the firing squad. The just fail here in the UK, they are the most troublesome type of sliding door available.

I was swayed by the much higher performance. I've just been looking back at my quotes and it was uW of 0.83 vs 1.19

 

Do you have views on the window? I specced a side hung pane because I assumed it was best to have the hinges on the longest side. But having watched it sag and fail, I don't think the hinges were capable of handling the weight of a 1500*900 3G pane.

I've since fitted some large top hung units which have been great.

Unfortunately I'm struggling to find a company who will sell me a 1500*900 top hung window.

[craig]

It's the mechanism on the top hung, they generally aren't that great for weight, you're on the verge, if you want to send me a msg I can see what I can do to help.

[Iceverge]

A door. 

 

You want a glazed door. 

[Iceverge]

 

In other news a tilt and turn will be easy to get. 

 

Is it idiot proof enough though. They're more ingeniously destructive than you could possibly imagine. 

[Crofter]

I like ModernUPVC, and when I renovated my other house that's who I used. The online quote tool is my go-to device for getting a quick idea of the effect of different design decisions.

However they don't offer 3G sliding doors, and in general their thermal performance doesn't really meet my needs.

[Crofter]

So out of the half dozen emails and enquiries I sent yesterday, I've had two positive responses- both referring me to ADW. The others won't supply me because I'm in Scotland. 

Which is a bit odd because I would consider hiring a van and picking up the windows myself. But I don't really want that hassle unless it's really necessary.