Reinforcing a door that belongs to the façade
A front door in Le Bouscat is looked at from the pavement. Moulded panels, a glazed fanlight, worked ironwork, paintwork redone in the same colour generation after generation: on a grand town house as much as on a double échoppe, it plays a full part in the design of the façade. Retrofit door reinforcement clads the door leaf and therefore changes that appearance, more or less noticeably depending on the finish chosen. That is the first trade-off to settle, before there is even any talk of resistance levels.
The second depends on what the door is fixed to. These doors sit in frames bedded into old masonry, which gives a solid anchorage as long as the timber has not suffered at the foot. An on-site survey is essential: the dimensions fall outside off-the-shelf standards and purpose-made work is common on this kind of building. Depending on what the examination reveals, reinforcing the existing door is not always the most sensible route; better to know that before ordering anything.
A door visible from the street is not a purely private decision
Altering the external appearance of a building visible from public space falls under planning rules, and not only under the owner's taste. Depending on what the project actually changes and on where your address is, a prior declaration (déclaration préalable) may be required. The metropolitan area's inter-communal local plan applies in Le Bouscat as in the neighbouring towns. The town's planning department will tell you what applies to your street: that question arises before ordering, not after fitting.
Blocks of flats are a different matter. The newer developments built along the roads served by the tram are governed by co-ownership rules, which may impose a uniform look on the landings or prohibit any change visible from the common parts. Ask the building managing agent (syndic) before starting the project. As a tenant, in a house as much as in a flat, you must obtain the owner's written agreement, since reinforcement makes a lasting change to the property you occupy.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our door reinforcement page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Le Bouscat.