Installation Gallery
Shared front door canopy installation
Everybody needs good neighbours, as that well known TV theme song reminds us. And that’s especially true when you live so close to your neighbour that you even share a front door canopy.
The families living in these two attached houses in north London did the sensible thing when they both noticed that their combined door canopy had seen better days and was starting to fall away from the front of the building.
They realised that they would have to co-operate and work together to preserve the unique quality of the attractive Edwardian design. Neither of them would accept any compromise, so Summit Cladding was delighted to accept the challenge of installing an exact replica.
Elaborate details reproduced
Summit has worked with both Edwardian and Victorian door canopies in the past so we were confident we could fulfil the task.
One interesting detail was the elaborate fleur-de-lis design around the edge of the canopy, an intriguing pattern symbolic of the former French monarchy. What was it doing on a pair of houses in north London? We assume that Edwardian builders were happy to borrow from other cultures – or perhaps it was acknowledging that the flower had also once featured on the UK’s Royal Coat of Arms.
Laser cutting precision
Whatever the reason, this was the first time Summit had faced a project of this detail and to produce an exact replica we used a laser cutter on material called Tricoya. This is a highly durable fibreboard designed for exterior use and wet conditions. It resists warping and swelling and is often used for cladding, doors and exterior signage.
The elaborate support beams were custom made by hand, all the decorative finials were adapted to the new structure and lastly the new roof of the sloping canopy, known as a pent canopy, was finished in traditional Welsh slate.
The pictures tell their own story of how the relatively simple addition of a double front door canopy, built faithfully to match the style of the period, can transform the look of two adjoining houses. And both clients were delighted with the outcome.