Front doors
Front doors in Watermael-Boitsfort
Of all the joinery on a house, it is the part people see most from the pavement. The commune in fact lists it alongside windows among the works that need planning permission when it is visible from the street and its appearance changes.
As standard on our doors
- A multipoint lock, never a single-point lock.
- A thermally broken threshold, our standard.
Not up for debate
Two choices we make for you
The multipoint lock. It locks the door at several points spread over its height. A door locked at a single point can warp, and can be forced at the top or the bottom. We only fit multipoint locks.
The thermally broken threshold. The threshold is the part of the door that meets the floor, and a solid metal threshold conducts the cold indoors. A thermally broken threshold cuts off that path. With us, it is standard, not an option.
The material
Wood, aluminium or PVC
- Wood is still the material the commune recommends for joinery, and the one that sits most naturally with old façades.
- Aluminium is rigid and stable, and handles large glazed panels well. On a visible façade, replacing wood with aluminium requires planning permission.
- PVC is mainly suited to replacing a door that is already PVC. For a large door, the stiffness of the profile and its reinforcements matters.
Seen from the street
What the façade expects of the door
An old front door often has a precise design: panels, sometimes a glazed section, a transom light above. Replacing the door with a model of a different design, or removing the transom light, changes the appearance of the façade.
Keeping the design, the material and the colour is still the simplest route. In Le Logis and Floréal, the door is part of the external joinery described in the management plan, neighbourhood colours included.
When we fit it
A door needs adjusting
A front door moves with the seasons. We adjust it before we leave, using “the paper test”: a sheet of paper slipped between the door and its frame must grip when the door is shut. The rubble and the old door leave with us.
Door visible from the street: the rulesFrequently asked questions
Front doors: the questions that keep coming up
Do I need planning permission to replace my front door?
If the door is visible from the street and its appearance changes, yes. The commune lists replacing doors visible from public space among the works that need planning permission, and appearance covers the material, the divisions and the colour.
What kind of lock do you fit?
Only multipoint locks, which lock the door at several points along its full height rather than at just one.
Is the door threshold insulated?
Yes. A thermally broken threshold is our standard. It stops the cold getting in at the bottom of the door.
Can we keep the glazed transom light above the door?
Yes, and it is often the wisest option. It is part of the design of the façade, and removing it would change the appearance, with the formalities that involves.
A new front door?
A photo of your current door, taken from the street, is enough to get started. We will tell you what is possible without altering the design of the façade.
Did a rule change at the commune, or do you see a mistake on this page? Let us know and we will fix it.