A new door

Those of you that have stayed with us at our B&B will know that our metal double doors were a bit difficult on very hot days. They would expand in the heat and with their very wobbly door handle were almost impossible to close until they cooled again in the evening. What you won’t have known is just how cold they could be in winter; shrinking in the frosts and allowing chilly winds to whistle through the cracks. But we loved them they had real character.

We decided to ask an artisan if there was any way we could insulate them better, as they were so cold in winter. He took one look and replied “C’est normal”. Apparently this was true of all metal doors, and as they were hinged directly from the wall without a frame there was nothing that could be done, except to replace them. It wasn’t our preferred route, as we truly did love them, but it seemed we were talking to the right man, because he could make new ones for us that were very similar in wood. After much soul-searching, and asking for a technical drawing, we decided to go ahead. This was in June.

Building the door took longer than we expected, and it was a Monday evening in early December, and minus two centigrade outside, when they rang to say they wanted to fit the door the next day. We agreed, but were a bit nervous about the cold. But it seems they were smarter than we’d given them credit for, as the next day there was a staggering 11 degree centigrade jump in temperature.

They started early, and wasted no time at all getting the old doors removed.

They worked cleanly and swiftly, and just after midday the work was finished.

The new doors are even more beautiful, and they’ve made such a difference to the warmth of the house. We are so pleased with them.