Beyond the windows, these houses have features that newer buildings simply do not have: glazed verandahs, fanlights over the doors, and ironwork made when it was made by hand. All three are repairable, all three are commonly replaced with something worse, and all three are worth keeping.
Fanlights above the doors
The small glazed panel above an internal or external door — the fanlight — was there to move light and air between rooms before electricity made it unnecessary.
They are usually still glazed with original thin glass, often cracked, and frequently painted shut.
Reglazing one is straightforward, and freeing a fanlight that opens restores a surprising amount of cross-ventilation to a tall room. It is a small job that people do not think to ask for, and in these houses it makes a genuine difference in summer.
Glazed verandahs, and why they leak where they do
A glazed verandah is a later addition on almost every one of these houses, added at some point to make an open space usable.
They leak at the junction with the original building rather than in the glazing itself, because that junction was formed against an existing wall with whatever was available.
So when a verandah leaks we look at the abutment first, not the roof glass. Sealing the glazing again achieves nothing if water is entering above it, which is the usual case.
Ironwork made by hand
Railings, grilles and gates on these houses were often made individually, and no two sections are identical.
That matters when one has failed, because a replacement section bought off the shelf will not match the ones either side of it.
So we make the replacement piece to match the existing by taking the pattern off a sound section. It costs more than a standard component and it keeps a piece of ironwork that cannot be bought. We will say when a run is too far gone to be worth it, but it usually is not.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
