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Can frame of Marvin Ultimate Clad French doors be resized?

7 years ago

Frame was built to hold French doors AND sidelights. The doors are in fantastic condition as is the frame but as part of a renovation we can use the doors but not the whole door+sidelight unit.

Here is my question: can someone (who knows what they are doing, ie not us) cut down the frame and rejoin the corners to fit the French doors ensuring a perfect and watertight/draft-free seal? I am also checking with Marvin to see if we can get a new frame to fit (though I am sure this is the most expensive route to take).

If so, who in the greater Boston area could do this sort of work? I am sure that many a frame has been damaged or dropped during installation by a careless laborer with repairs needed so someone must have this expertise.

Any suggestions for window repair shops or skilled tradespeople would be greatly appreciated.

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Comments (5)

PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
7 years ago
If the door was a standard sized French unit, the panels should be reusable. It is also likely, if the French section was standard, that the sidelites were the custom aspect of the sizing and are probably held together but some type of corrugated fastener. If that is the case, they should be able to be separated. You will damage all the cladding in the process, but you can either have it onsite wrapped again or order new cladding for the frame. If the doors are standard, ordering the new frame might be the easier option.
islandgarden
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you--forgot about the damage to the cladding. Is this damage that repainting the frame could take care of? any any idea how much Marvin might charge for a new frame? given that plain old screen doors are almost $1400 for their French doors I am a bit worried about the cost of new
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islandgarden
Original Author
7 years ago
ps sorry to ask what might be an obvious question to others but could you please explain "onsite wrapping" and what sort of new cladding options there are? the doors are clad in the wrong colour so we planned to paint them but if it is not prohibitive then recladding might be a better long term option. Thank you for your insights! my experience is all with 130 year old windows.
islandgarden
Original Author
7 years ago
pps what sort of tradesperson would do this sort of a repair? and any suggestions for someone with this expertise in the Boston area? When I have looked it seems that most window companies are selling and installing not repairing.
islandgarden
Original Author
7 years ago
So Marvin just gave me a quote of $3000 for the frame (just the frame) for a set of French doors. Does this sound as crazy to you as it does to me?

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