A Plus Aluminium Frames View For Homeowners

Technal bi-folding doors and casement windows supplied by A Plus Aluminium have been used in the renovation of a 1960s family home in rural Berkshire.

When Mr and Mrs Wood first purchased their home in 2012, they agreed to wait until their two young boys were older before embarking on a complete renovation. The house was built in 1967 and had been updated over the years. The previous owners had made some improvements, including a new kitchen but “…the house lacked the wow factor,” comments Mrs Wood.

“We knew we could give the house the wow factor by knocking down the single storey extension to build a double height replacement, with an open plan kitchen, boot room, utility, downstairs and a new master bedroom with ensuite and dressing room, upstairs. All designed to take advantage of the view.”

Mr and Mrs Wood appointed a retired technical designer who had been involved in the original build, to agree what they wanted versus what was feasible and within budget.

An important design detail was blending the extension with the existing building to not look like a bolt-on. “In the year prior to the build we spent hours looking at different cladding materials and properties in the area, collecting samples and leaving them outside over winter to see how they weathered. We eventually agreed on black charred timber for the whole extension. We replaced the existing tiles with the timber and combined with a new stone cladding on the lower part of the existing house.”

The secret to creating the wow factor was to maximise on the view at the rear of the property. The architecture and design emphasise this, allowing day light to pour into the house, giving greater connectivity between inside and out.

This has been achieved using Technal bi-folding doors and casement windows supplied by A Plus Aluminium and installed by local business, S.E.A. Windows and Doors.

“Previously, we had white uPVC windows with lead detailing to create a ‘cottage’ look, they were inoffensive but lacked lustre and were not secure. We chose aluminium windows and doors because we believe they are more secure, durable and look more attractive than PVC.”

The owners approached A Plus Aluminium for guidance on product selection. “Visiting the showroom was invaluable; in fact, we visited twice which really helped to cement which products we wanted,” continues, Mrs Wood.

The selected windows and doors maximise the viewing area and incoming light without compromising the superior thermal performance. The doors suit the busy household with a stainless-steel track and wheel for ease of movement and smooth operation. Using a combination of internal and external opening projections throughout, the bi-folds also offer great flexibility for indoor and outdoor living.

“We then needed to match the colour of the windows and doors to the house. Once again, we drove around taking photos of houses we thought attractive. We then obtained a RAL swatch and settled on RAL 7032 – Pebble grey.”

With slim sightlines and a clean, sleek profile, the aluminium windows and bi-folding doors already frame the view perfectly, but a suggestion by S.E.A. Windows and Doors enhances this further still – to match the interior frames to the exterior.

“We had originally thought we wanted dual colour, with white on the inside, but are so thankful to Brett at S.E.A. for persuading us not to. Having coloured frames on the inside really frames the view and complements the garden and countryside beyond, picking up the green tones. Both the windows and doors stand out against our white painted walls. We also matched the kitchen units and built-in wardrobes to the RAL colour, so we had a simple colour palette throughout.”

“A Plus were brilliant in helping us through those early stages,” concludes, Mrs Wood. “Then Brett from S.E.A. spent an enormous amount of time helping us decide on what would be best, aesthetically, and working with the architect to find solutions. A Plus was gr