Rough cost for new front doors

[JaneSloane]

Am desperately needing new front doors on my narrowboat and have been quoted so far £2,700 and £1,500. Asking here for what people have paid/what sounds about right for a new set of hardwood doors (around 60cm wide doorframe, 128cm height, with a window and couple of vents). Am totally new to this so I don’t actually know what sounds right!

[Alan de Enfield]

 

 

Take you boat up to the Midlands and buy them there.

 

50% of your 'London price'.

[LadyG]

Hii there, welcome to the forum, you will get your answers fairly soon, would it help if you mentioned your location in your post, and if you have tried a few local boatyards for recommendations.

There is a London Boater Group, fb, I think, have a look there.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, LadyG said:

Hii there, welcome to the forum, you will get your answers fairly soon, would it help if you mentioned your location, and if you have tried a few local boatyards for recommendations. 

 

 

 

Location given as "London"

[Bee]

£2,700 indeed! 

[BEngo]

The cost is not really in making the doors.  Before that starts the chippy has to visit and measure up, in No Parking, Emissions charge, Congestion Charge, Ripoff London.  Then make the doors and return to fit them in No Parking, Emissions charge, Congestion Charge, Ripoff London.   

 

If you can move the boat outside London there are much better prospects of getting a sensible price.  Somewhere around a grand sounds like a sensible price to me for not over-complicated doors made out of a readily available hardwood and fitted to an existing frame in good order.

 

N

[robtheplod]

If replacing is it worth getting steel outer and wooden inner doors?  easier maintenance/security etc....?

[dmr]

27 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

If replacing is it worth getting steel outer and wooden inner doors?  easier maintenance/security etc....?

 

or just steel doors, maybe with a little window or porthole?

 

..............Dave

[LadyG]

I've got front doors, steel, with two little portholes, I really like them, allow light in, I can peek out, and they look 'fun'.

Ideally, I'd like hardwood with small stained glass inserts, privacy, sunlight, and also more secure than too much glass.

But wood does need more maintenance, and yes, hardwood is essential.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by LadyG

[Ex Brummie]

Double glazed UPVC in wood grain looks good, does not rot, is waterproof and requires no painting. Entirely practical and cheaper than wood.

[BEngo]

I disagree entirely with the first 8 words by Ex Brummie.  I have never seen a UPVC boat door or window that looks anything but ugly.  The size of the UPVC sections is too big in proportion to typical boat door/ window size.

 

N

[dmr]

35 minutes ago, BEngo said:

I disagree entirely with the first 8 words by Ex Brummie.  I have never seen a UPVC boat door or window that looks anything but ugly.  The size of the UPVC sections is too big in proportion to typical boat door/ window size.

 

N

 

I suppose it depends on whether the boat in question is actually a boat, or just low cost housing that happens to float. Its not just low cost housing either, some of those widebeam eurocruisers would likely look no worse with a bit of UPVC ?.

 

A couple of days ago I was admiring some wood effect UPVC sash windows on an old stone house and they were actually ok.

Sash windows behind a side hatch might be rather nice ??.

 

...............Dave

[DaveR]

I had a couple of steel doors made to measure at the local fabrication shop, cost less that £150 (can't remember the exact figure). I then cut (using jig saw) the window & vent holes.

 

I then inserted two pieces (one each side) of faced block board in the same veneer as the rest of the boat. Glued & waxed the wood, fitted the windows (using toughened glass from a local supplier) & the vents. Total cost about £250.

 

I only have a photograph of the lower half of the door from a picture I took about something else. All in all it was not difficult to do as  a DIY project.

[BEngo]

52 minutes ago, dmr said:

Sash windows behind a side hatch might be rather nice ??.

Apart from the continual clonking of the sash weights as the boat moves.  I suppose you could put the weights inside something like a group of suspended brass tubes and have a heavy duty wind chime.  That should ensure a solitary mooring, or possibly company that can't hear the wind chime over their generator?.

 

N