Although there is a light in the porch, it makes a big difference if
you don't have to switch it on in the dang
a traditional hardwood door with only a tiny glass in it makes
it all the more important that there is some other source of light.
Even a small window makes quite a difference to the atmosphere
inside the porch
Since my plan was that the porch would be a place for hanging coats and
hats and what-nots, there would have been no point in having more than
one window, as we'd only end up hanging things in front of it. And the
window couldn't be too large, for the same reason and also because
it would look out of character. So the size and style of window
turned out to be quite crucial and, in the end, I couldn't get
a second-hand or surplus one on eBay that would do the job. So
I had to have one made. That turned out to be less expensive
than I expected: about £70, glazed. This is a uPVC window --
I would have preferred wood, but all the windows in the house are
uPVC so I don't think it would have been worth the extra effort and
expense.
I'm fortunate that one of the porch walls is South-facing, and so
putting the window in that wall allows it to let in the best part of
what little sunshine England has to offer.
uPVC windows are designed to be fixed from the inside, so the glass is
generally supplied separately, and has to be fitted when the frame
is in place. As is usually the case, the window was supplied with an
over-sized cill which had to be trimmed -- easy enough with a hacksaw.
The frame is fastened by screwing through the uPVC side bars and into
the brickwork. There are no particular difficulties here, provided your
brickwork opening is level and of the proper size or slightly larger.
Fitting the glass is a slughtly different matter. The glass is a loose fit
in the frame, and needs to be levelled up with spacers, with about the same
air gap all around. Then four beading pieces are hammered into place to
hold the glass solidly in the frame. And when I say `hammered' I mean exactly
that -- the correct tool for the job is a hammer. There's a special
rubber-headed hammer you can get for this job, because the beading needs
a real whack to get it seated, and it's difficult to avoid hitting the
glass while you're about it.
The frame will almost certainly not be a perfect fit in the opening, so you'll
need to run a substantial bead of mastic sealant or similar around the gap
to make it all properly watertight.
