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Widening a patio door - builder recommendation (Galway)

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  • 23-03-2021 11:43am
    #1
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭


    We've a standard 2-floor semi-d house. The back patio door is old, leaks and barely opens. We'd like to replace the door with either a lift-and-slide door or a bi-fold door as well as widen it by around a foot to allow more light in. As it's a load-bearing wall (first-floor bedroom right above), I presume some kind of reinforcement may be needed to do this.

    Any ideas whether it's worth doing this? What is the cost of widening the doorway (and widening the outside step)? Do we need to get a builder to do this, or can window/door companies do this?

    Would really appreciate some input on this as would love to get this done for the summer.

    edit: would love to get builder recommendations for Galway City for this job.


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    #2
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,443 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Gatica wrote: »
    We've a standard 2-floor semi-d house. The back patio door is old, leaks and barely opens. We'd like to replace the door with either a lift-and-slide door or a bi-fold door as well as widen it by around a foot to allow more light in. As it's a load-bearing wall (first-floor bedroom right above), I presume some kind of reinforcement may be needed to do this.

    Any ideas whether it's worth doing this? What is the cost of widening the doorway (and widening the outside step)? Do we need to get a builder to do this, or can window/door companies do this?

    Would really appreciate some input on this as would love to get this done for the summer.

    Yes it’s worth doing, if that’s what you want.
    Window company won’t do it. It’s structural work. You need an engineer to design the steel, inspect while open and before it’s closed off and then issue structural certification.

    You’ll need a builder or competent worker with access to the required tools to lift the beam etc. It may also need posts (think of it like a goal post set up).

    I don’t see any change from €15k here if that’s what your budgeting.


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    #3
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    It would require a beam alright, but didn't think it would cost as much as that. I guess worth getting some quotes.


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    #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,443 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Gatica wrote: »
    It would require a beam alright, but didn't think it would cost as much as that. I guess worth getting some quotes.

    Absolutely get at least 3 quotes.
    Just make sure they are all quoting like for like.

    Steel beam and posts.
    New sliding door (PVC/Allu/Clad)
    Propping of rear of house.
    Pad foundations for posts.
    Making good the ground inside and outside.
    Making good the finishes inside and outside.
    The actually cost of the door (what width are you planning)?
    Engineers fees for inspection, design, inspection and sign off.
    A contractor to do the job.


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    #5
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    We were given a quote under 2k (plus window). Does that seem excessively low then? The builder also suggested using a concrete lintel rather than a steel one. He said their size would be standard enough for these semi-D houses.


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    #6
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,443 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Gatica wrote: »
    We were given a quote under 2k (plus window). Does that seem excessively low then? The builder also suggested using a concrete lintel rather than a steel one. He said their size would be standard enough for these semi-D houses.

    €2k to what finish?
    Painted? Floors repaired?
    Outside plastered?

    Did you price the door?
    Also, what’s the width?

    Concrete lintel can be ok once the span is within the requirements of that concrete lintel.


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    #7
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    Gumbo wrote: »
    €2k to what finish?
    Painted? Floors repaired?
    Outside plastered?

    Did you price the door?
    Also, what’s the width?

    Concrete lintel can be ok once the span is within the requirements of that concrete lintel.

    no indoor repairs or painting. Just widening the doorway for the windows to be installed (fitting and making good of the opening after fitting a lintel) plus repairing and widening outdoor step, the installation and plastering is done by the windows company as part of the price anyway. The cost of the window depends on the window itself, can be anything from 1500 including fitting and plastering. We haven't picked a door or company yet. It would be 2.4 meters wide after.


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    #8
    AnRothar
    Registered Users Posts: 541 ✭✭✭AnRothar


    I suspect that this builder simply plans to cut out the line of brick above the current lintel and put a longer one in while the old one remains in place.
    How will they support the wall while this is happening?


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    #9
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,260 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Its not a big job.
    Couple of holes knocked through overhead to allow propping, widen opening and install new lintels (dont know if this is cavity wall structure or other)
    Window company will generally refinish around windows where they are replacing a window in an existing opening.
    After widening, this ope will be more like new work so will need a plasterer to finish it - and repair the holes created for propping.
    Employ an Engineer yourself. Do not let the builder get the Engineer.


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    #10
    houseyhouse
    Registered Users Posts: 686 ✭✭✭houseyhouse


    I'm interested in something similar-ish and also in Galway so if you could pm me any builders you were recommended, that would be amazing.

    The previous owners of our house put a sunroom on the back (which is useless 90% of the year) and put a single doorway to the sunroom where a 1.8m wide window had been before. It's now very dark in that side of the kitchen so we're thinking of widening the opening to the sunroom and replacing with a 1.5m patio door. As well as letting more light in it would provide better heat retention in the winter when it can get down to freezing in the sunroom. I'm 99% sure about the previous window size and location going off other houses in the estate that haven't been extended but we'd need to knock out plaster to check the lintel is still there and in the right place, then knock out the brick to put in the doors. We can knock out plaster ourselves and do some of the repairing/re-flooring but not demo-ing the wall (brick cavity wall).

    Once the opening is there, do the window company do the rest? Not plastering bare brick, I saw that above, but everything to do with actually installing the doors?


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    #11
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    AnRothar wrote: »
    I suspect that this builder simply plans to cut out the line of brick above the current lintel and put a longer one in while the old one remains in place.
    How will they support the wall while this is happening?

    He did mention propping, can't remember the term he used though, similar to stud though I think.


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