Ideal Retirement Property
Anthony and Winifred Mitchell were delighted to find their ideal retirement property - a three-bed bungalow in a beautiful rural setting, but they knew some major updating was required to improve its thermal efficiency and cut down on future maintenance costs.
The bungalow had been built during the 1980s and was fitted with timber window frames, doors, fascias and soffits, all of which were beginning to warp and rot. As an experienced DIY-er, Anthony decided to carry out the refurbishment work himself, and he knew that the high quality products from Eurocell were just what he needed.
The couple have fitted two stylish, high security composite doors from The Dales Collection and replaced all eight of the bungalow’s windows with Eurocell Eurologik PVC-U casement-style frames. They have also installed co-ordinated PVC-U French doors, again from Eurocell, and replaced the old soffits, fascias, bargeboards and guttering with modern low-maintenance alternatives from the Eurocell roofline range.
Style was an important consideration because the couple felt the bungalow looked drab and dated, mainly because of the timber fittings, which were all wood-stained in dark brown. Clean, contemporary, white PVC-U provided the perfect solution for the replacement windows, doors, fascias, soffits and bargeboards, which have brightened the whole exterior.
Eurocell was the only brand that could offer a colour-match guarantee across all the PVC-U products. Anthony said: “Along with the guarantee we liked the fact that Eurocell offered all the products we needed, which meant that the window frames, doors, fascias, soffits and bargeboards would all be the same shade of white – giving us a completely coordinated look.”
Thermal efficiency was high on the couple’s list of priorities and although all replacement windows fitted in the UK must meet minimum statutory British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) energy rating of C or better, the couple decided to improve upon this by investing in low energy glass to maximise energy efficiency.
This was assisted by the multi-chamber frame section in Eurocell windows which locks heat inside the building, combined with an ultra slim frame to let in the maximum possible amount of natural light.
Anthony says: “I knew that Eurocell windows were really well made, so I contacted a window company which displayed the Eurocell logo and asked specifically for its frames. I was able to choose low energy glass, which offers more than the minimum required thermal efficiency and I know it will be a worthwhile investment in reducing our heating bills over the coming years.”
When it came to choosing the doors, Anthony knew that The Dales Collection offered style and security. He says: “A family member already had doors from The Dales Collection and I had been impressed by how sturdy and secure they were, and by how good they looked, so that was another easy decision to make!”
The Dales Collection of composite doors is available in a wide range of styles, offering homeowners the opportunity to choose the perfect design for their property. Each style can be ordered in a range of classic colours including Heritage Green, Derwent Blue and Berry Red as well as a traditional timber effect. Bespoke colour options are available, and the exterior finish of both the door and the frame can be carried through to the interior face of the door, giving a fully co-ordinated look.
All of The Dales Collection of composite doors are made to Secured by Design (SBD) specification as standard. SBD is the police preferred specification for reducing the opportunity for crime and the fear of crime. SBD is supported and managed by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and has the backing of the Home Office.
Anthony was confident about fitting his own fascias, soffits, bargeboards and guttering, but says: “I have carried out renovation work before and I know how much simpler it is if you are working with top quality materials – and of course they will last much longer. The roofline products were very easy to work with and I am really pleased with the end result.”
Anthony and Winifred purchased their windows, French doors and The Dales Collection of composite doors from Frame Fast, a Eurocell fabricator based in Derby. Roofline products were bought from the Eurocell branch in Stoke.