City skylines are probably one of the most beautiful things about the modern world. A hodge podge of historic and contemporary architecture, cities that in many cases, have entwined themselves around the rolling natural landscape they’re built upon – creating a unique vista not to be found anywhere else in the world. Many of the iconic skylines we’ve come to know and love are also home to some of the worlds most famous landmarks.  But what if these famous landmarks were removed, would we recognise the cities they call home as easily? Would you know it’s Paris without the Eiffel Tower? Wh ..read more

There are many variables to doors. From the structure, to the style, to the finish, there are options at every stage of construction. Cost, appearance and customisation will all play a role in deciding which doors you need. This post will give you some guidance on the technical terms involved so that you can make an informed (and correct!) choice. What Are the Different Cores and What Do They Mean? The biggest difference between doors is the kind of core they have. This will affect how effective the door is at soundproofing and insulating, and has the biggest cost impact. What is a Solid Core ..read more

Whether you’re aware or not, you’ll find at least a couple of door lintels in your home. Generally, a lintel sits above an internal door (or an external one!), but they can be found on other constructions, too. After a long time, general wear and tear can result in you needing to replace the lintel beam or the lintel supports. So, while you don’t have to know what a lintel is, it will help you out if you need to source a replacement. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss what a lintel is, what they’re made from, and where they can be found in your home and outside of your home. So, Wh ..read more

Bi-folding doors are perfect for opening up a living space. They’re formed of a concertina of panels that move as one along a single track. This means bi-folding doors can be manufactured to fill very large spaces, and as such they’re often used to bridge the gap between a living space and a garden. Bi-fold doors come in several varieties. There are those that open from a single side. There are also so-called ‘French-Fold’ designs, which consist of two equal-sized groups of panels which meet in the middle. Finally there are those that consist of one large group of panels, and a single traffic ..read more

Open plan living is no longer a trend. It’s been so popular for so long, it is now a mainstay of what people look for in a new home. It’s easy to see why. For a start it lets you maximise the light flowing through your home, making your living space feel brighter. Bigger. Erasing those dark, poky corners can even make your home a happier place to be. When you take away the walls and open up your living space, you even change the way you use it. It allows you to be more sociable. No more scurrying away to the kitchen to slave alone over a roaring oven. When your kitchen, dining room and even li ..read more

Winter is here again, and the temperature outside is dropping. You want to keep your home as warm as possible, but you don’t want to turn up the heating too much. So how do you balance these two? By winter-proofing your house. Don’t. just grab another blanket when the deep cold strikes – there are pre-emptive things you can do in advance to prepare your home for winter. Join us as we take you through some of the best ways to keep your home warm this winter. 10 ways to prepare your home for winter  The winter season can be a really tough time for your home. It’s cold and wet, and the snow ..read more

Every front door needs a lock. It’s this essential feature that keeps your home secure while you’re out, and asleep. But not all locks are created equal. Some can be picked more easily than others, while some can be destroyed using brute force. This could mean using an angle-grinder or a power-saw, or it might mean taking a spanner and simply snapping a lock in half.  This latter method is favoured on certain cylindrical euro-style locks. When the lock is in two pieces, the lock mechanism is exposed, and all the intruder has to do is move the lever back to open the door. How Common is Lo ..read more

Installing a new door might seem a little daunting, particularly if you’ve never done it before. By far the most important thing to think about however, is how to measure for it. Let’s run through the process of measuring for a new door. How do You Measure a Frame? It might be tempting to measure the door you already have in place. After all, if that fits, then surely your new one will, too? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Over its lifespan, an old timber door will warp. It’s far better to measure the frame into which your new door will be installed, instead. If you’re going to be ..read more

Updated 24th January 2021 Working from home can be a challenge for many; what with all the disruptions, how easy it is to lay in for an extra half an hour, and how tempting it can be to “just pop a load of washing in”. Now you have that picture, let’s throw in hundreds of staff walking about your home day and night, and not forgetting the billions of people hanging on to your every word, and we have the life of the President of the United States. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? If you had to live like that for the next 4 (possibly 8) years, you’d want to make it as ‘homely’ as possible, right? Wel ..read more

One of the best ways to add light and space (or a sense of space, at least) to the entrance of your home is by incorporating glass into your front door. There are, for the most part, two ways to do this: Installing glazing into the door itself. Installing glazing at the side of the door. What is a Door Lite? A door lite is a glass panel set inside a door. Each panel is considered a separate lite, even if they’re arranged to form a larger glass structure.  A real lite is built into the door, though you can also find ‘faux’ lites, which are attached to the glass using snap-in grilles. The ..read more