Please excuse my lengthy story......Help would be much appreciated.
I'm having a bit of a nightmare with my PVCu doors in my extension. A local
company with 30 years good reputation installed french doors with a cill and
an upstand, when I specifically asked for level/low-threshold doors for
possible access to a wheelchair user. After much toing and fro-ing, the
company have agreed to replace the door frame with what they provide as a
low-threshold unit (a threshold of 15mm - which is not precisely the
level/low access I expected), however, they insist that they need to keep
the cill which raises the threshold by a further 25mm, which is not
satisfactory.

On speaking with their surveyor, he initially suggested that we could create
a concrete threshold level with the internal floor, and that the low
aluminium threshold could be fastened directly to that, but the company
director insisted that this was not possible and we have to have a cill -
even though we want to create a level platform outside the door. Their
surveyor then suggested that a course of bricks could be removed, the
dampcourse be moved down to this level, and a layer of concrete or brick
added, so that the top of the cill will be at floor level, leaving only the
raised low threshold protruding. I agreed that this was a possible solution
just to get this over and done with, however, the director insists that this
is an unwise solution (on our heads be it) "because of the height of the
carpet - and what would happen if I put a mat there"???!!! (note I wanted a
level threshold - other properties with truly level thresholds have
carpets!!). When I insisted this would be acceptable (just to hurry things
up) he refused my suggestion of our getting a builder to do the preparation
work, and insists that his men will do the work - using mortar to bring the
cill up to the required level after removing a row of bricks. I have
insisted that mortar is not a suitable medium on which to stand a doo, and I
wish them to use half bricks or concrete, but in our agreement letter, the
director has mentioned only that they will 'make good' under the door, and
is still insisting that we are making a HUGE mistake wanting the course of
bricks removed in the first place. Bearing in mind the fact that they have
made a totally cowboy installation of the existing door (another reason for
our initial complaint (the frame is not fastened to anything suitable at the
top, and the windows do not seem to have suitable packers and no foam to
fill gaps)), I'm not happy.

Additionally, we've just removed an area of flooring beside the door, and
found that the front wall of the extension on which the existing door is
standing is so damp that plants are growing in there. The previous owners
have built an external brick step up to this wall, which seems to cross the
dampcourse, which we were hoping to replace with a level platform, possibly
made from decking. The floor of the extension is concrete, then there is a 4
inch gap between that and the outside wall which we would like to fill with
concrete but for the damp!! the wooden supports and floor originally in that
location have rotted. Can we layer some more of the dampcourse membrane up
the face of the bricks and then fill with concrete??

I'm going mad! the Director is insisting that I sign the letter so that they
can proceed with the door replacement, but I just dont know what to do for
the best! Please help!
Regards
Mara

Mara Sheldon wrote:
A local
company with 30 years good reputation installed french doors

Aaaaaarggghhhhhhhh! French windows.

Anyway, can you take a photo. or two and put 'em on a website
somewhere? There are free ones.... that would be most helpful
in visualising the problem.

Mara Sheldon wrote:

snip what sounds like a tale of builders trying to take advantage

I'm going mad! the Director is insisting that I sign the letter so that they
can proceed with the door replacement, but I just dont know what to do for
the best! Please help!
Regards
Mara

Well, its perfectly reasonable for you to insist on taking the time to
get some expert input on this situation. That could be us or someone
who can come and inspect the thing. With us you get lots of peolpe's
input, not just one, and you'll soon see how that helps.

Meanwhile I have a simple policy: if whats done is not what was agreed
on, they dont get paid. Not until its all sorted out, and any
unnecessary costs they incurred are deducted, and they accept that
figure in full and final settlement. Until then they get nothing. They
will nearly always accept the offer in the end.

I suggest you post detailed pics, because following your various
descriptions with no mental picture is basically impossible. For me
anyway.


NT

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:33:52 +0000 (UTC), "Mara Sheldon"
wrote:

Please excuse my lengthy story......Help would be much appreciated.
I'm having a bit of a nightmare with my PVCu doors in my extension. A local
company with 30 years good reputation installed french doors with a cill and
an upstand, when I specifically asked for level/low-threshold doors for
possible access to a wheelchair user. After much toing and fro-ing, the
company have agreed to replace the door frame with what they provide as a
low-threshold unit (a threshold of 15mm - which is not precisely the
level/low access I expected), however, they insist that they need to keep
the cill which raises the threshold by a further 25mm, which is not
satisfactory.

On speaking with their surveyor, he initially suggested that we could create
a concrete threshold level with the internal floor, and that the low
aluminium threshold could be fastened directly to that, but the company
director insisted that this was not possible and we have to have a cill -
even though we want to create a level platform outside the door. Their
surveyor then suggested that a course of bricks could be removed, the
dampcourse be moved down to this level, and a layer of concrete or brick
added, so that the top of the cill will be at floor level, leaving only the
raised low threshold protruding. I agreed that this was a possible solution
just to get this over and done with, however, the director insists that this
is an unwise solution (on our heads be it) "because of the height of the
carpet - and what would happen if I put a mat there"???!!! (note I wanted a
level threshold - other properties with truly level thresholds have
carpets!!). When I insisted this would be acceptable (just to hurry things
up) he refused my suggestion of our getting a builder to do the preparation
work, and insists that his men will do the work - using mortar to bring the
cill up to the required level after removing a row of bricks. I have
insisted that mortar is not a suitable medium on which to stand a doo, and I
wish them to use half bricks or concrete, but in our agreement letter, the
director has mentioned only that they will 'make good' under the door, and
is still insisting that we are making a HUGE mistake wanting the course of
bricks removed in the first place. Bearing in mind the fact that they have
made a totally cowboy installation of the existing door (another reason for
our initial complaint (the frame is not fastened to anything suitable at the
top, and the windows do not seem to have suitable packers and no foam to
fill gaps)), I'm not happy.

Additionally, we've just removed an area of flooring beside the door, and
found that the front wall of the extension on which the existing door is
standing is so damp that plants are growing in there. The previous owners
have built an external brick step up to this wall, which seems to cross the
dampcourse, which we were hoping to replace with a level platform, possibly
made from decking. The floor of the extension is concrete, then there is a 4
inch gap between that and the outside wall which we would like to fill with
concrete but for the damp!! the wooden supports and floor originally in that
location have rotted. Can we layer some more of the dampcourse membrane up
the face of the bricks and then fill with concrete??

I'm going mad! the Director is insisting that I sign the letter so that they
can proceed with the door replacement, but I just dont know what to do for
the best! Please help!
Regards
Mara


Consider enguaging an arcitectural survayor, somebody who is
knowleable, and takes on issues like this on behalf of people like
you. If you are in N Wales, I know a good guy.

Also go out now, and take photos, and keep them, before they come back
and mess stuff up. These may be usefull later.

I guess when push comes to shove it depends if what they told you, is
what they actually wrote on the order form you signed. What is the
best thing to do may not be the answer, its what you can get these
cowboys to do, or what money you can get back to pay somebody else
......

Rick

Aaaaaarggghhhhhhhh! French windows.

LOL!!!

Don't pay them anything or sign anything - get advice from someone
independant e.g. an architect or surveyor. Wanting a level threshold is
perfectly reasonable and feasible - they just can't be bothered to
sort it out especially as they did it wrong in the first place so are
going to lose money on the job.

cheers

Jacob