Chicken Obsession!

[WitchHazel 2]

I need some advice please.

 

We had new uPVC double glazing fitted in 2012. Very happy with it. (I believe that the frames are Duraflex Pilkington glass -don't know if its Low E, and I think I have the name of the place in Wales where they were manufactured.

 

We'd now like to have a cat flap fitted in one of our french windows (yes, we should have thought of this before!). I believe this will require a new sealed unit to be made, with the aperture for the cat flap created before the unit is sealed.

 

The chap who did my original windows was a family friend. He died last year so I need to find someone else.

 

My questions are:

 

1. I've seen that it's possible to have blinds fitted inside the glazing. How do the mechanisms for the blinds work? Is it part of the uPVC frame (in which case I guess I can't have it now), or is it part of the sealed unit (in which case I guess I could have that done at the same time)?

 

2. If I go down the blinds route, I guess I'd have the other door in the pair done as well. If not, then I assume I will have to look for someone who will use the same glass as I have already. Is this assumption correct please?

 

 

Thanks for your help

[sjp 0]

I need some advice please.

 

We had new uPVC double glazing fitted in 2012. Very happy with it. (I believe that the frames are Duraflex Pilkington glass -don't know if its Low E, and I think I have the name of the place in Wales where they were manufactured.

it might be low E but at the very least it'll be K glass the earlier incarnation of low E I'm not sure of the time line of the regs that stopped K from been used

We'd now like to have a cat flap fitted in one of our french windows (yes, we should have thought of this before!). I believe this will require a new sealed unit to be made, with the aperture for the cat flap created before the unit is sealed.

I've never seem a cat flap fitted into a double glazed unit (DGU) the way We used to do it was to fit a solid panel in the lower part of the door with a mid rail between the glass and the DGU partly down to the cost of cutting a hole into the glass normally charged at twice the price of the glass as it's a special order there's also a chance that the cats will miss the flap plus I'm not even sure tha they make a cat flap for fitting into glass

The chap who did my original windows was a family friend. He died last year so I need to find someone else.

 

My questions are:

 

1. I've seen that it's possible to have blinds fitted inside the glazing. How do the mechanisms for the blinds work? Is it part of the uPVC frame (in which case I guess I can't have it now), or is it part of the sealed unit (in which case I guess I could have that done at the same time)?

that I don't know but I think their in the frame not the glass if their are the same as the ones in office partitions if they are in theory they can be retro fitted but it'll be a pig of a job to do so most fitters will say no as basically all they can do is throw windows and doors into openings

2. If I go down the blinds route, I guess I'd have the other door in the pair done as well. If not, then I assume I will have to look for someone who will use the same glass as I have already. Is this assumption correct please?

no once a DGU is made that's it the glass is s"Ooops, word censored!" as it's a time consuming job to split them so unless the glass is something special then it's not cost effective I've split DGUs when needed but that was because the glass was about a grand a piece for one side and could take months to get or was no longer made and the new stuff affected the colour of the screen print that was on it Thanks for your help

[WitchHazel 2]

Thanks SJP, that's very helpful.

 

I was looking for info on fitting a cat flap to a double glazed door, and that's how I discovered that you can get the sealed units made with the opening pre-cut. Here's a link to the video, just in case you are interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iatCBXs5zvs

 

I don't really want to go with half filled in and half glass, as I really like the light the french windows let in.

[sjp 0]

Thanks SJP, that's very helpful.

 

I was looking for info on fitting a cat flap to a double glazed door, and that's how I discovered that you can get the sealed units made with the opening pre-cut. Here's a link to the video, just in case you are interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iatCBXs5zvs

 

I don't really want to go with half filled in and half glass, as I really like the light the french windows let in.

you live and learn I was thinking the hole would need to be square which is a whole different ball game you'll still need to replace the DGU through as you can't cut a hole in and existing unit on 2 counts 1 is that you can't get to both sides of the glass 2nd is that the hole has to be cut into the glass before it's toughened the only thing I don't like on the video clip is the screws on the outside

[The Dogmother 581]

I've had a cat flap fitted into a double glazed unit before.... ages ago. Can't recall how it was done though.

[chickencam 2]

I had a friend that had a cat flap in one of her front windows when she bought her house. It looked really bizarre because it was up in the air, no idea how a cat could have used it

[Cinnamon 5]

Yeah, we fit cat flaps through glass really regularly.

They have to be made to order & cut especially, but they work really well & if they are fitted properly, they look great.

 

I can't be of any help with the blinds though

[WitchHazel 2]

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.

 

I guess it has to be done at the point of manufacture because (as far as I know) you can't cut toughened glass - so it has to be done before the toughening takes place. Plus, the double glazed units are filled with argon, so I presume that has to be done after the hole is cut.

 

I'll have to get off my bottom and visit a double glazing showroom to find out about the blinds, I think.

[The Dogmother 581]

That's right Hazel, my pane was made with a circular 'hole', which the flap was fitted into.