
You basically need to measure in three points and then deduct 15mm from the tightest point for fitting allowance. “However, you can’t overstate the importance of the initial survey, because any discrepancies in the build can be overcome before we get to the manufacturing process.

“As installations go this one is fairly typical,” explains Danny, who has worked in the window business for more than twenty five years, the past five working exclusively with Quickslide products.
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These were relayed back to the factory, and within a couple of weeks Danny and his mate were back down at the crack of dawn with the units,” enthuses Pete. He continues: “Once the foundations, base and lintel supporting piers were in place, they arranged for a surveyor/installer, Danny Noble, to visit the site and make sure all the measurements were correct and the various options discussed. The safety and insulating properties of the glass, together with an approved high security locking system, with anti-lift blocks was also an important factor in the eventual decision.” Importantly, the frame was aluminium, which I was told was the best option, and the profiles looked sleek enough to maximise the natural daylight coming in. Eventually, I settled on Quickslide, a leading window and door manufacturer based in Yorkshire, but with a network of approved installers across the UK. “My local builder gave me a heads up on a few suppliers he was familiar with, and was happy to leave the final decision to me. A priority, of course, was the ability to access the garden without fuss and, under increasing pressure from the family, I spent many a long dark evening through the winter on the computer researching the bi-fold market, and quickly discovered that the choice is vast, with a somewhat bewildering range of prices. As property owner Pete Taylor explains: “There really was no other option than to start again – take down the old conservatory, remove the patio door and knock out the bay window to lead into a new brick built extension. It seems the crunch came at the end of the last summer, as the nights started to draw in, and the next door neighbours could still be heard noisily enjoying the best of both worlds as they entertained visitors long into the night. Worse still, many of those jealous neighbours had taken the plunge and opened up the indoors to the outdoors with the wide, unrestricted opening and smooth action of the latest must have accessory – the bi-fold door. In short, the whole set up had become decidedly unloved, and in no way conducive to modern family life, where the emphasis is on enjoying a more continental living experience.
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Cold and uninviting in winter, stiflingly hot in the summer months, and a roof which was impossible to keep free of light diffusing moss and general detritus. well, the problems are all well-documented. The Georgian-paned window obstructed the view to the rear garden, the fixed panel arrangement of the patio door restricted access, and the conservatory….


And yet, as the years passed, suddenly the Taylor family found they weren’t quite living the dream. Certainly, the envy of the vast majority of noisy neighbours in this leafy Hertfordshire suburb. Hard to believe now but the above was cutting edge stuff, and as good as it got a quarter of a century ago.

A good-sized rear bay window, and robust sliding patio door, leading into a 10ft x 12ft polycarbonate glazed teak conservatory, and a decent sized paved area, laid to concrete slabs.
