Timeless appeal

With a hard-earned reputation for quality Cornish craftsmanship, Philip Whear Windows and Conservatories talks us through the benefits of stable doors.

Catching up with company Director and Designer, Philip Whear himself, we learn that stable doors were originally designed to keep animals out of farmhouses, or to keep children inside while allowing light and air to flow through into what would have once been dark and often smoky cottages. They essentially combined a door with a fairly large window! The open top half would allow a breeze, but would stop the wind from blowing dirt into the house. “This type of door was common in the Netherlands in the 17th century,” Philip explains, “and appears in some Dutch paintings from the period. They were also commonly found in the Dutch culturally influenced areas of New York and New Jersey before the American Revolution.

Fast forward to the present day and this superb Cornish business still creates this iconic style of door, using modern, thermally efficient and top-quality British uPVC or hardwood to construct them, thus guaranteeing strength and durability.

“We fully reinforce all our uPVC frames with aluminium too, which will never rust, unlike galvanised steel. This is of particular importance in Cornwall with its coastal climate.”

All the fixings, locks and door furniture are of stainless steel or non-ferrous metals, and where glazed, Philip tells us that the doors his team creates are made to receive high-performance 28mm double glazed sealed units. All are manufactured to high British standards, with toughened glass that carries the prestigious BS ‘kitemark’.

These stunning doors are available in a range of colours too. As Philip continues: “We can match virtually any colour for you!”

Philip and the team work principally in kiln-dried mahogany hardwood from West Africa for their doors, although other timbers are available to order. They manufacture from renewable and sustainable timber, which is Forestry Stewardship Council certified. They even create stable doors with a wood grain effect, meaning you can have the look of real timber, without the maintenance and care required of real wood!

So if you’ve been looking to give your home a new lease of life with a stunning hardwood door that’s designed to stand up to the test of Cornwall’s trying weather conditions for years to come, be sure to pop into the Philip Whear showroom and check out the impressive selection for yourself.