The marriage of three materials to make a farmhouse weathertight
The project at a glance
- The challenge
- Make a farmhouse under renovation weathertight, without betraying its character
- The joinery
- Six windows and a fixed frame in anthracite uPVC, a bespoke aluminium patio door, a pine door
- The detail
- The fanlight with sunburst glazing bars, kept above the new door
- The origin
- Windows and doors made and supplied near Pau
After the floors, making it weathertight
In this Fréchendets farmhouse, mid-renovation, the owner had already had the upstairs floor completely renovated. The next step followed naturally: making the building weathertight, the mise hors d'air as French builders call it, by replacing every exterior window and door, to transform the comfort of the home and spend winter in the warm, while respecting the character of the building.
One material for each opening
Rather than a one-size-fits-all answer, I proposed the right material for each opening, keeping a consistent look across the whole building. Six windows and one small fixed frame in anthracite grey uPVC: the economical, high-quality choice, which as a bonus offers a bigger than the old frames, so more light in the rooms. For the centrepiece of the house, a bespoke two-panel sliding patio door in anthracite grey aluminium: quality, long-lasting sliders that open the living space wide onto the outside, summer and winter alike.
The pine door and its sunburst fanlight
The front door deserved wood: a pine door, warm, that really stands out against the renovated façade. Above it, the existing , with its sunburst glazing bars, was deliberately kept: it is a defining feature of the house, and losing that signature would have been a shame. Every unit was fitted by the book, several of them in in the stone walls, with careful sealing between new and old.
Made close by, designed to last
The local angle mattered a lot to the owner, and it matters to me too. The wooden front door is made in Pau, and all the joinery comes from a supplier based in Pau: regional know-how, short supply chains, and someone close at hand if ever a need arises. Three materials, one harmony, and a farmhouse ready to face Pyrenean winters.
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See all my reviewsThe questions I often get asked
uPVC, aluminium or wood, how do you choose for each opening? Can you keep an old fanlight above a new door? How do you fit a window in a 50 cm stone wall? Is uPVC really less good-looking than the rest?
I have practical answers to all of that, and two articles to dig deeper: uPVC, aluminium or wood windows and renovation installation or full removal. For your specific case, call me: the quote is free.
Windows and doors to replace in a house with character?
Tell me about your building: its walls, its openings, what you want to keep. I propose the right material for each opening, and I give you a clear price. I speak English, so feel free to call or write in English.
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An upstairs floor completely renovated
