18th Century Country House
An understated 18th century country house grandeur with Grade II listed status requiring a fit-for-purpose refit. Join us and find out how 21st century ironmongery was specified for a harmonious upgrade to this venerable family home.
Welcome to the country
Sequestered in rural Wiltshire, this country home couldn’t appear any more the bucolic idyll. On the surface, this National Heritage listed private residence simply needed a sympathetic touch with design and appearance, yet Ptolemy Dean Architects Ltd knew better. As did the local contractor, Moulding, and our in-house specification team.
Working with Moulding for decades on similar period properties, at Door Controls Direct we knew simplicity wouldn’t be the case when it came to the specification of door and window hardware. This is where the experience of both teams, and years of collaboration, paid dividends.
A mix of mortice and rim hardware, plus exquisite window furniture, gathered from a core group of high-quality manufacturers delivered this stunning project on time, overcoming the nuances of a property built and adapted and lived in for hundreds of years.
The challenge of ageless evolution
Working with a highly experienced company where every person on a project is dedicated to delivering work of the highest quality, without compromise, whether new build, refurbishment, restoration or maintenance, is the aim of any specifier. This is what we encounter with this contractor each and every time, with this country house being no exception.
The goal of this project was to enrobe all doors and windows, regardless of age, design, style, function, or composition, with consistent, uniformed ironmongery. The ironmongery of course had to compliment the refinement of the property, its period features, whilst being practical and functional.
On any large project there are a wealth of considerations but with a listed property, they are more significant, and the list of considerations is often longer and more complex than on a new build.
Despite its venerable age and function as a private home, this project encompassed fire rated doors in addition to standard internal doors, and a wealth of external doors. Fire doors are a challenge in compliance in any building but with the limitations of Grade II listing, our team had an interesting undertaking on their hands.
Our GAI-qualified staff, a huge variety of product choice from industry-leading brands, and many years of experience as specifiers and suppliers of architectural ironmongery, had us in the best position to overcome the issues naturally thrown up when incorporating contemporary products into a historical setting.
The answer was on our doorstep
To create a full specification, from basement to attic, front entranceway up to top floor windows, it starts with floor plans. Gathering pools of information together to construct a dataset, a full picture of the scope of a site is a must.
Assessment of each floor of a building, each entry point, exit routes, positioning of doors as well as the doors and windows themselves is essential before the first item of hardware is considered.
In scoping out this project, standouts included:
• Fire rated doors
• Double action doors
• Curved doors
• Varying external jambs
• Antique sliding sash windows
• Security VS access
Our strategy was what could be called a two-pronged approach:
1. What products can be used wholesale throughout the building, securing, hanging, and operating the majority of doors?
2. Which doors and windows need special consideration, and a unique approach compared to their counterparts?
A high end project requires high end materials in addition to the exceptional skills of sympathetic and knowledgeable craftspeople. When we think high end, we turn to British brassware manufacturers. If there is a better solution to bring together style, function, design, appearance, with an extensive range of finishes, and compliant solutions for fire doors and security doors, we don’t know of one.
One size fits most
If you have had any experience in specifying door hardware, there are a couple of processes you can follow to ensure you capture every element of ironmongery. The older of us start with hanging the door. Except for a few externals which we’ll cover shortly, the vast majority of doors were hung on a different sized Simonswerk brass butt hinges. Regardless of size, all hinges were double phosphor bronze washered for smooth action and longevity in use and supplied in unlacquered polished brass finish.
This finish was universal across all door and window hardware. From Imperial lockcases and door latches, to bathroom thumbturns, escutcheons, cabin hooks, and the entirety of the door operating furniture from Croft Architectural Hardware. PBUL finish allows an end user to maintain a traditional highly polished brass finish with regular polishing, or for the ironmongery to develop its own bespoke patina through natural aging, location, and how each piece is used.
The exceptions
A carte blanche approach to specification can readily be extended to new build commercial properties but renovating and updating historic buildings involves so much nuance and tailoring. The following areas are where we had to go off-script to deliver against the exacting requirements of this project:
Fire rated doors
A historic building it may be but that does not exclude this property from having certain requirements akin to its modern equivalents. Fire doors in a historic building can often pose a problem for specifiers. Concessions need to be made for listed properties but not at the expense of life safety and compliance with building regulations and legislation.
This issue was resolved thanks to the innovation demonstrated by numerous manufacturers. They have developed ranges that provide the same aesthetics as standard products but meet the necessary requirements of fire door ironmongery. We were able to specify the same models of Simonswerk hinges for continuity but supply them complete with intumescent hinge pads. CE marked lockcases and latches with intumescent jackets also allowed for further continuity.
Lights, camera, double action
Yes, new hardware was being supplied but existing features and functionality could not be overlooked. Unusual for a domestic property, there was an existing double action door that needed to be retained but overhauled. Step in the discrete Royde and Tucker double action pivot set. After careful assessment, it was decided that a bulkier floor spring wasn’t required, the much smaller pivot could still accommodate the weight, thickness, and fire rating of the pair of landing doors.
Don’t be a square
From the historical drawing room to the circular office and north wing bedrooms, of immense intrigue on this project were curved doors. Not simply standard doors in curved walls – the doors themselves match the radius of the rooms.
Taking each door on a case-by-case basis, it was determined whether the curvature and door thickness could accommodate a standard mortice lock or latch, rim lock or latch, or with the thinnest of doors, a roller bolt making them push/pull in operation.
A large percentage of doors had reeded or plain door knobs on 60mm rose fitted with either a mortice latch, horizontal lock, or rim lock. Using fixed knobs on these thinner, curved doors allowed for the consistency of appearance with only a slight change in functionality.
Letting the outside in
Over several hundred years it wasn’t only the interior of this period property that had grown and morphed to reflect its inhabitants, trends and fashions, and materials available. An unexpected challenge came when hanging the external French doors.
Each door was considered in isolation, and there was no shortage of them, with external doors on every façade of the ground floor, leading to the walled garden, basement level, or front driveway. Differing stone and brick jambs needed differing hinges. Projection hinges aren’t a one size fits all supply, so different size hinges were specified to accommodate each door in its individual surroundings, throwing them clear around the different architectural features.
Framing the view
Classical 12-15 pane sliding sash windows were overhauled, draught-proofed, and redecorated and some relatively new casements were replaced with sliding sashes with details matching their originals on other facades.
Continuing the requirement for a uniform appearance, Croft reeded straight arm locking sash window fasteners were specified throughout. Also in a PBUL finish, with the design echoing that of the door hardware, they’ll naturally age or can be polished back to a high shine. And they’re of course key locking, combing a traditional look with easy functionality and much needed security.
Security VS access
Compromise is key on any project but with compromise comes a lack of satisfaction. We aimed for balance. The balance across this project was the ease of access for the family with a requirement for security.
There were a large number of doors with differing locking requirements. Internal and external, thick doors and thin, bathrooms, office spaces and more. The ease of access was delivered through different groups of keyed alike locks. Carrying minimal keys whilst securing every door that was needed without including out of character biometric locking or larger cylinder locks.
Doing the doing
On large refurbishment projects, overall time frames can be years and with hardware at the very end of the construction process, no one wants to suffer with delays.
Planning, strategizing, and specification done, it’s on to supply. With such a complicated, non-uniform designation of ironmongery, how we got the goods to site was nearly as important as the choice of goods themselves.
Our specification staff hand over the extensive door schedule to our dedicated warehouse team. With varying lead times on products, goods can arrive next day, next week, next month or even 3 months after order for more bespoke creations.
Keeping track of all items for each door takes a keen eye for detail, and exacting organisational skills. When products get to a site, mixed trades can be present, and with this project, supply was over a period of 7 months, so how were things kept on the straight and narrow?
With no small cost being invested, no risks could be taken with incorrectly specified, packed, or supplied hardware. Our door schedules are revised to the nth degree and signed off prior to supply, then our despatch team meticulously pack each door individually.
Door sets, identified by the designated door number as per the architect’s plans, are called off by site, whether by floor, wing, area, type of door – whatever the contractor requires. Delivered to site with their individual ID on the box, each door is treated separately. This allows for detailed tracking from beginning to end.
Happy as a lark
With our service, our staff, our products, and knowledge, despite the size and duration of this project, it was delivered on time and on budget without a hitch.
The project manager, Tommy, had the following to say:
“I have worked for Moulding for the last 5 years and have used Door Controls Direct on a number of prime residential restoration projects.
The service received from Door Controls Direct is always extremely proactive and efficient. Their staff are incredibly knowledgeable and if there is a bespoke item required, they are always more than willing to go the extra mile to source it and provide advice as and where necessary. In the rare instance we have encountered issues with ironmongery, Door Controls Direct have always been on hand to help resolve the issue as promptly as possible. Their in-house locksmith is a great asset and something that has helped our bespoke projects on a number of occasions.
We work in a very niche sector of the industry where specification and samples are key to ensuring client and design team satisfaction. Door Controls Direct are always willing to assist with both of these items, which is why I tend to recommend them from the outset of our projects. The long-standing relationship between our two companies means there is a mutual understanding which in turn makes our day-to-day dealings far more streamlined.
Ironmongery specifications often use weird and wonderful terminology. The team at Door Controls Direct are always on hand to assist with ensuring our needs are fully understood so the right products arrive on site. Laura has been the main point of contact on my current restoration project and has not only been on hand to assist me with the procurement of ironmongery, but also our Architect and Client with decisions on specification, finishes and alternative brands/ suppliers.”
The journey completed
Maintaining the provenance of a period property that required specialist subcontractors on site across a variety of trades, whilst upgrading it to modern building standards, all within the confines of Grade II listings, the limitations of product functionality, layered with the wants and desires of the end users was always going to be very involved but our team thrive on the unusual, the challenging, the unique.
Curved doors, mixed mortice and rim hardware, historic sash windows, fire rated doors, and modern security standards, this country house refurbishment was a challenge happily accepted and delivered within agreed time frames. Due consideration was given at every stage to the minutiae, with responsive and thorough communication between the architect, contractor, and our team, proving that the combination of skills and experience we bring delivers.
With something as in depth as this project, we’d always suggest taking your time. A rushed specification, overlooking little details like door thickness, can easily lead to incorrect products, extended lead times, making good on site, increased budgets for replacement products or fines for missed deadlines.
A “measure twice, cut once” approach to a varying project is the best way to go. Bring in specialists at every stage, with clear communication between all parties, and you’ll smooth the path to successful completion.
At Door Controls Direct, we’re with you from version 1-10, revision A-F, from initial specification through to supply, aftersales support, and on-going management of security key and access control systems.
Contact us at [email protected] with details of your next new build, upgrade, or refurbishment project. Domestic or commercial, educational or industrial, we’re your dependable source of door control solutions.