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The first thing to remember when changing to internal bi-fold doors is the space consideration – you have to match the size of the current opening approximately. Bi-fold doors consist of sections which hinge-fold when opened, and stack neatly to one side when closed too. They are popular as inter-leading doors between rooms, as well as in bathrooms and kitchens.
What You’ll Need 
- Tape measure
- A bi-fold door kit to fit the existing space
- Drill, drill bits and screw drivers
- Straightedge or spirit level
You could also find a door fitter right here on Mr-Skill, if you want to save time and enjoy perfect peace of mind.
Guideline Steps
- Begin by reading the bi-fold door fitting instructions carefully, and check to see that you have all the parts needed for the job.
- Now, check the width and height of the removed door. This will be your vital measurement for the new door kit. Remember that when fitted, the bi-fold door will be smaller than the actual doorframe space from left to right. This is to accommodate the folds. Confirm the measurements with your door supplier to ensure that they supply the right kit to you.
 Take a break before you start. You could save a lot of time and trouble by arranging a door fitter quote through Mr-Skill.
- Unpack the bi-fold door kit and install the top track complete with pivots, which must be correctly positioned, and secured by screws to the top of the doorframe.
- Attach the side frames, using your straightedge and level to ensure consistent spacing. Adjust with packing if necessary.
- You can now clip the pivots into the top of the bi-fold door.
- Once you have installed the door correctly on the track and pivot brackets, check to see if the door tracks smoothly, left and right.
- Attach the door to the left or right side frame as required. Fit the locking mechanism, and the job is done.
One of our London door fitters advises that bi-fold doors are becoming very popular – he thinks it’s because of the marvellous range of glass or wood effects that these new products boast.
Tags: bi-fold doors, find a window and door fitter, glass, inter-leading, internal doors, level, london window and door fitter, rooms, side frame, straight, top track, track, window and door fitter quote, wood
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Sometimes old age, rust and wear take their toll on our door locks, requiring us to replace them before they become too troublesome. Internal door locks differ from outside ones that are normally equipped with secure locks that are difficult to “pick”. Inside doors make use of a mortise, positioned in the door hollow, which docks into a latch plate mounted in the doorframe. This allows you to lock your door from either side as you desire.
Mr-Skill recommends that you remove the old mortise and take it to your local hardware store as a sample. After that, the similar replacement lock is quick and easy to fit, avoiding the need to make modifications to the existing door.
Having made your purchase, here are the steps involved in fitting your new lock. This job should take no longer than 30 minutes. However, if you want peace of mind you may prefer to find a window and door fitter right here on Mr-Skill.
What You’ll Need
- Internal door lock assembly, including keys
- Chisel for minor adjustments
- Screwdriver correctly sized for the screw heads
- Hammer
Fitting Guidelines
- Position the new mortise into the hole in the door that held the old mechanism. Test for smooth and flush fitting into the latch plate. If necessary, tighten up screws holding the latch plate in the door frame (they can become loose with constant opening and closing of the door).
- If everything lines up correctly and the closing action is good, secure the mortise in position using wood screws on the closing edge of the door.
- Re-fit the handles on either side, carefully securing them with wood screws.
- Test that the key locks smoothly from either side of the door.
 If you are getting a window and door fitting quote, make sure that the service provider knows to replace like-for-like door locks to save you money.
One of our ever-present London window and door fitters offers the following tip.
“Once you have fitted your new internal door lock, be sure to place one of the two keys in a safe place. Also note the unique number inscribed on it, in case you ever need a replacement. In fact, you should consider keeping a register of all your key numbers!”
Tags: action, close, dock, door frame, find a window and door fitter, fit, handle, key, latch, lock, london window and door fitter, mortise, open, position, replacement, screw, smooth, wear, window and door fitting quote
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There’s nothing quite as annoying as having a badly-fitting outside door, especially on a winter’s day when there’s gale outside. It’s amazing how much harder central heating has to work, and what this costs. Don’t just sit back and accept this. Either Get Door Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill, or have a crack at it yourself.
 Draught-Proofing Strips – The handiest solutions are the rolls of sticky-backed foam that hardware stores all sell. The upside is that the result is instantaneous. The downside is they soon wear out. At best, this is a cheap stop-gap measure.
Sealing Door Bottoms – Gaps at the bottom of doors are a common problem where tiles have replaced a thick-pile carpet. You could try a draught-excluder, although in my experience these don’t always work particularly well. My advice would be to Find a Door Fitter and ask them to attach a matching piece to the bottom of the door. That way the problem should go away, permanently.
While You’re At It - Check out other suspect areas by holding a burning candle near the letterbox and keyhole. Flaps and keyhole covers become sticky and it’s in human nature to adapt to almost anything. It could be an idea to check all the other doors and windows too. You never know what’s there until you look.
 Safety Warning – When I mentioned that I was writing this, my friend the London Door Fitter who hangs out in Charing Cross whistled sharply. I think I may have mentioned him before. Don’t make the place completely airtight, he grumbled. Air still needs to move around the house especially when your central heating and gas appliances are working.
This information comes to you with compliments of Mr-Skill. That’s the matchmaker website that connects customers with tradespeople. Use us with confidence anytime you like. We only recommend first-class craftspeople whose rates are reasonable too. You can trust them to get the job done properly.
Tags: airtight, appliance, bad, bottom, carpet, cheap, door, doot fitting quotes, draught, exclude, find a door fitter, fit, foam, gale, gap, heat, key, keyhole, letterbox, london door fitter, outside, roll, tile, window, winter
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While replacing glass in a UPVC door (or window) is something professionals usually do, there may be times when you have to do the job yourself – like over the Christmas break.  You could do the job yourself provided you can lay your hands on a suitable pane of glass, but do wear gloves and work carefully. At other times it makes far more sense to Find a Window Fitter on Mr-Skill.
- Examine the door frame around the damaged glass to determine from which side it was fitted. One side will have an unbroken line over a strip of rubber. On the other side there will be four pieces of beading that clip in to hold the glass.
- Take up a sharp putty knife or paint scraper and work it under a bottom or a side piece of bead. Hold your other hand out of the way in case the tool slips. Carefully prise out the bottom and side beads, except the top one which will still be holding the glass in place.
 Have an assistant hold the glass in the door frame while you take out the top bead. Hold the pane on both sides while you gently lower it out. Be careful! Wear gloves. The edges will be razor sharp!
- Install the replacement pane in the reverse order, taking care not to crack the glass by applying too much pressure. London Window Fitters often use the trick of applying a little dishwashing soap to the recess in the window frame, when pressing in the final bead.
Under normal circumstances we would recommend that you get Window Fitting Quotes instead and perhaps on Mr-Skill too. That’s because you run the risk of injuring yourself, if for no other reason than that the job may be a little bit unfamiliar to you.
Tags: bead, beading, bottom, broken, clip, crack, damage, dishwash, door, find a window fitter, fit, frame, glass, harm, injure, install, knife, london window fitter, pane, pressure, prise, quadrant, replace, rubber, scraper, sheet, side, soap, strip, top, uPVC, window, window fitting quote(s)
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Misting or fogging in double-glazed windows is quite common in older homes where the guarantee has expired. Owners often put up this, because it is a cosmetic problem that they feel is not worth the money to repair. As a London Window Fitting Expert I’m often asked what causes this irritating problem, and I thought others might like to know why too.
 Some condensation is natural in the space between two glass panes, because of the difference between outdoor and indoor temperatures. In earlier days this drained naturally away. These days another plan is put in place in the interests of thermal efficiency.
- The moisture-absorption material used instead is known an silica – that’s the same stuff as the tiny white balls found in little bags and shipped with electronic goods.
- This silica is in the separation bars that keep the double-glazing panes apart. You’ll find them right up against the inner window frame. The idea is that the silica absorbs the moisture in winter months, and dries out again in summer.
- Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and sometimes the silica becomes water-logged in less
 than five years. Most double-glazing is guaranteed for ten years though. If you are lucky enough to have the original warranty then you may have a claim.
If you are unable to prove the claim and want your unsightly problem solved, then I suggest you Find a Window Fitter to do this for you. Many people prefer to have a drain hole inserted instead, because this is half the price of a complete Replacement Window Fitting Quote.
The window fitter who contributed this advice is listed on Mr-Skill. Like our other skilled artisans in all UK trades, he has a reputation that goes back for years, and he is registered as required by law too. Please contact us in the event that you require Professional Window Fitting Quotes.
Tags: absorb, cause, claim, condensation, cosmetic, double glazing, find a window fitter, fog, frame, glass, guarantee, hole, home, indoor, insert, log, london window fitting, mist, moisture, money, old, outdoor, pane, price, repair, silica, spacer, summer, temperature, thermal, warranty, waterlog, window, window fitting quote, winter
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Theoretically, a door is a rectangular piece of wood sitting inside a perfectly rectangular, slightly oversize frame, and attached to it with hinges. The owners of a well-built home should never need to Find a Door Fitter unless they want to make some changes. However the world is seldom such a perfect place. If your  doors start sticking, this is what you might need to do.
• Begin by examining the gap between the door and frame, to determine where it is catching, and why. Reasons could include a door that’s swelling in humidity, and a frame worked loose through slamming.
• If the frame is coming loose, your first step is to re-attach it to the opening in the wall with some solid screws and plugs. Make sure it remains exactly square, or you could be worsening the problem!
• If the frame is firmly in position, and square too, examine where the door is catching. If this is on the handle side at the top corner, either the top hinge must move in, or the bottom hinge must come out. The converse applies if the door is catching at the bottom.
•  If the door is sticking on the handle side from top to bottom, then both hinges need adjustment. This is not a difficult task, providing you understand what to do. If not, and you live in the City, then you need to consult with London Door Fitters to play safe.
• To move a door towards the handle side, loosen off the offending hinge and insert a shim between hinge and frame. To move it away from a sticking point, loosen off the hinge and chisel out a little wood to recess it more.
If his does not solve the problem or the door is sticking at the top or bottom, then the answer is to remove the door and plane it down to size. This is a more complex job. Perhaps you should play safe and get Door Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill instead?
Tags: adjust, attach, bottom, catch, chisel, complex, door, door fitting quote(s), down, examine, find a door fitter, frame, handle, hinge, home, humid, in, london door fitters, loose, move, out, plug, rectangular, screw, shim, slam, square, stick, swell, top, up
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Wouldn’t it be nice to have the dining room opening directly into the garden on a balmy summer’s day? What a good idea except you only have a window, and climbing in and out through it is hardly everybody’s idea of fun. Well then, why not convert the window to a set of french doors instead? After all, Door Fitters in London do this sort of thing every day.
o Call in a supplier to measure up, quote and make up a new set of doors for you, and do nothing else yourself, until these arrive and have been checked for size. They should be exactly the same width as the existing window, unless that  is you are looking for a whole lot more work to do.
o Empty the room completely. Remove one opening window pane so you can climb in and out through the opening. Secure the inter-leading door and mask around it. Also mask around the doors of any cupboards and protect anything else appropriate from dust.
o Remove the window and its frame completely, being extra careful not to disturb any plaster. If you notice any cracks in the wall above the opening immediately prop it, and seek expert advice. Changing windows into doors is a job only for the brave. That’s why so many British homeowners get Door Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill instead.
o Mark perpendicular lines from the left and right bottom sides of the existing opening down to floor level, on both sides of the wall. Check and double-check these carefully. Cut through these lines with an angle grinder, working alternatively from the inside and the outside, until you can see light shine right through. Do your best to cut square with the wall, because this will make the rest of your task far easier.
o Break out the wall using a large hammer. The masonry will be resting on the damp course and may even come out in a single piece, so take care it does not fall on precious children, tools and dogs.  Remove the rubble. Tidy up the opening. Clean up the room. The dirty work is done.
o Remove the french doors from the window frame (if pre-fitted) and offer the frame up to the opening. It should be a close fit, but not a tight one. Wedge it in position and check that it is vertical, plumb, level and square. Use more wedges to adjust it until everything is perfect. Get this wrong, and the doors won’t close properly.
o Attach the frame permanently to the wall with plugs and screws. Remember to drive them in the last few turns by hand, in case they need to come out later to make a change. Then hang your doors, making tiny adjustments as you go along until everything is perfect. Install the locks and handles. Your home is secure again, and you didn’t need to Find a Door Fitter either (although you could have on Mr-Skill). You can even open up the inter-leading door again to receive a well-deserved cup of tea.
All that’s left to do is to tidy up the inside rendering, touch up with paint and seal around the frame outside with silicone. It’s nice when a job like this comes together relatively easily. Won’t the neighbours be surprised…
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From time to time there are improvements to the design of windows that both improve their thermal qualities, and make bold aesthetic statements too. If you are living in an older home and are facing high heating bills, then it could be time to consider an upgrade. Of course it’s possible to do  the job yourself if you live downstairs, and have all the time in the world too. If not, here’s a brief description of the process that professional London Window Fitting Services like to follow.
o Measure for the replacement window carefully. Get this wrong and you could end up with an expensive contribution to the Council scrapheap.
o Make sure that the window you order is glazed from the inside for added security and ease of fitment, particularly if you will be working upstairs.
o When the new window arrives and the weather is appropriate, remove the old one carefully, taking care not to damage the surrounds in any way.
o Bed in the outer window cill, making sure that it is level, well sealed against rain and drafts, and firmly fixed.
o Secure the frame on all four sides, again making sure that everything is absolutely square, level and plumb. Fit wedges as necessary and screw firmly into place.
o  Glaze the window, and test that everything works correctly. If you get Window Fitting Quotes on Mr-Skill instead then this should hardly an issue, but insist on testing everything anyway. If you encounter a problem, loosen off the securing screws around the frame and adjust until the out-of-square problem disappears. Re-tighten everything.
o Complete the job by weatherproofing with silicone all round the frame outside.
If the thought of sealing off an upstairs window while standing on a long ladder puts you off, then why not Find a Window Fitter on our website instead. We monitor our tradespeople carefully for quality, and the competitive environment within which they work could also get you up to 30% off the going rate. How’s that for a good idea?
Tags: adjust, aesthetic, appearance, bed, careful, cill, damage, downstairs, find a window fitter, fitment, fix, frame, glaze, heating, inside, ladder, level, level.seal, london window fitting services, loose, measure, outside, plumb, process, proof, replace, screw, seal, secure, security, silicone, sill, square, surround, thermal, tight, upgrade, upstairs, weathermremove, wedge, window, window fitting quote(s)
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Posted in Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery, Cleaning Services, Disposals & Waste Removal, Electrical Work, Gardening & Landscaping, General Building, Handyman Services, Kitchen Fitting, Locksmith, Moving Homes & Hauliers, Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating, Planning & Consulting, Plastering & Drywall, Plumbing, Heating & Gas, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage, Tiling & Flooring, Window & Door Fitting on Dec 31
Mr-Skill, the amazing place to find rated tradespeople of all kinds across the face of England wishes all their loyal  customers and partners the very best for the New Year 2011. During 2010 and the preceding years we have built a rare relationship that has gone from strength to strength – for our part, our New Year’s Resolution is to promise you even more exceptional service in the years that follow.
Did you know the full range of services that we connect to in every County of England? We have tradespeople of every kind to assist you all the way from Land’s End to John o’Groats. Just in case you forgot the full range of services available on Mr-Skill, here is a complete list for you to bookmark in case you need it.
o Kitchen Installations
o Electrical Work
o Carpentry and Joinery
o Window Fitting
o Plastering and Dry Walling
o General Handymen
o Moving Specialists
o Gardeners and Landscapers
o General Builders
o Bricklayers
o Roofing and Guttering Experts
o Painters and Decorators
o Locksmiths
o Cleaners and Housekeepers
How is that for a comprehensive range of all the services available from Mr-Skill? Have a great New Year from all of us, and see you in a successful 2011. Thanks very much for all your continuing loyal support, and rest assured, Mr-Skill will be here whenever you are in need what we offer.
Tags: Baths and Heating, Bricklayers, Carpentry and Joinery, Cleaners and Housekeepers, Electrical Work, Gardeners and Landscapers, General Builders, General Handymen, Kitchen Installations, Locksmiths, Moving Specialists, Painters and Decorators, Plastering and Dry Walling, Plumbing, Roofing and Guttering Experts, Tiling and Flooring, Window Fitting
Posted in Bricklaying, Carpentry & Joinery, Cleaning Services, Disposals & Waste Removal, Electrical Work, Gardening & Landscaping, General Building, Handyman Services, Kitchen Fitting, Locksmith, Moving Homes & Hauliers, Other Craftsman Services, Painting & Decorating, Planning & Consulting, Plastering & Drywall, Plumbing, Heating & Gas, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage, Tiling & Flooring, Window & Door Fitting | No Comments »
Do you live in a cold arctic climate where double-glazing no longer keeps you warm enough, or are you feeling the effects of climate change? If so, you will be glad to know that letting in the light is no longer the only function of modern windows – modern triple-glazed windows also keep out the cold superbly well too. Before you call Window Fitters London in for quotes, it is time to remind your self of the principles behind multi-glazing.
 o Benefits: The main benefit of the third pane of glass is in thermal insulation. A warmer house needs less energy to heat it, and that is good for everybody on the planet. A secondary advantage is sound insulation – handy if you live in the City but a tad less desirable for rural lovers of Nightingales’ songs.
o Flexibility: You can install triple-glazed panels anywhere you like as windows, rooflights, doors and even viewing walls, although larger expanses will require stronger frames.
o Technology: Double-glazing has a single insulating space, whereas triple-glazing has two. As a result, there is no direct transfer of cold and far better insulation. While there is a slight reduction in transparency and light admission, the larger spreads of glass that are possible compensate for this. Modern multi-glazed windows now have the spaces between the windowpanes filled with argon, krypton or xenon gas for even better insulation.
o Frame Types: The most eco-friendly frames are made of Scandinavian hardwoods such as light oak. Aluminium and wood combinations are popular too, but the old British trad favourite White PVCu is distinctly eco-dated.
Now you know the principles of what you are looking for, why not get window fitter quotes on Mr-Skill, and find a window fitter for the New Year?
Tags: aluminium, argon, door, double, double glazing, find a window fitter, frame, glass, glazing, Insulation, krypton, light, pvcu, rooflight, thermal, treble, triple, uPVC, window, window fitter quotes, window fitters london, window pane, windowpane, wood, xenon
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