WHY US?
why work with us?
Quality as standard
At Richard James we offer the perfect combination of excellence and beauty. Our windows and doors are handcrafted by skilled craftsman using only the highest quality materials. Each product is designed to stand up to the elements and stand the test of time. With a commitment to providing you with the very best customer service our windows and doors come with a comprehensive warranty to guarantee your satisfaction.
how we can help you
We’re invested in making the journey as smooth as possible for you.
We understand, that by purchasing new windows or doors, you are making an investment in your home, that’s why we’re invested in making the journey as soon as possible for you. From initial enquiry to fitting we work closely with you to produce exactly what you want to achieve.
Consultation
Your journey with us begins with a discussion with a member of our team to explore your needs and ideas. That can either be by telephone or email or face-to-face in our showroom.
Estimate
We try our best to provide initial quotes for manufacturing using information and images provided by you. This enables us to provide an idea of cost, what is involved and included in the quote. Enquiry to estimate typically takes one week.
Site Visit
If you are happy to proceed based on the manufacturing estimate, we’ll carry out a site visit to take exact measurements. We will then provide a comprehensive quote for your works; including manufacturing and installation costs.
Build
Creating your unique product begins in our specialist workshop, we will work with you every step of the way to ensure what we build matches your specific requirements. It’s this approach and close attention to detail that means we can ensure things like glazing bars, rails, horns, mouldings and proportions are all accurately produced.
Installation
The utmost care is taken to deliver quality products and our installers take every care to ensure your property stays as clean and tidy as possible throughout the process.
Aftercare
We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and aftercare. Our customers come back time and time again, whether they’ve moved or they have phased their works, all thanks to our excellent customer service and after care.
Request A Free Consultation
If you have any questions or you would like to discuss your project in more detail, then we’d love to hear from you. To help us start the process, and to provide you with an idea of cost, we just ask that you provide us with some details of your project.
Testimonials
What Our Customers Say
Quality and service are very important to us, but don’t just take our word for it. See what our customers say about the service, quality and value of our work.
Very pleasant team too, and no mess.
We are happy to recommend you to other customers should you wish to refer them to us or if anyone wants to view them as an example.
A visit to the workshop was well worth it to see what excellent standards they work to. They are simply a superb company I cannot recommend too highly.
We cannot fault the service from start to finish and the quality of the windows is fantastic.
It was evident after the initial consultation the team are committed to offering the highest quality of product and design, delivered with the very best levels of customer service. We cannot recommend this company highly enough.
I will be putting any future work your way and would recommend you to anyone seeking bespoke manufactured specialist joinery.
I’d recommend their work to anyone.
The door is really special, installed with a great deal of care. It was well worth the investment. I whole-heartedly recommend this company for anyone who wants to improve the character of their home, but especially people with historic houses.
All the team have been really friendly and helpful and gave useful advice. We were delighted to get such good quality work for a reasonable price. They made the whole process a pleasure.
Highly recommend the talented and friendly team at Richard James Joinery.
Keep up the good work and my next order will be coming shortly.
Looking for inspiration? Take a look at our portfolio.
Our windows and doors bring an exquisite and unique touch to any property, and can be customised to suit spaces both large and small, and from any period or style. Our portfolio is a showcase of our work and should provide you with plenty of inspiration for your project.
FAQ's
Do I have to pay for a quote?
All of our quotes are produced free of charge and with no obligation. To request a quote, we just ask that you provide us with some details of your project. Contact us
Do you offer a fitting service?
We offer a full fitting service on all our windows and doors.
We go to great lengths to ensure our products have been fitted carefully and to a high standard, with as little disruption and mess for you, which is why our fitting service is carried by ourselves or a Richard James approved contractor. Read more
Can I have someone else install my windows / doors?
Transportation and installation of the vast majority of our products is carried out by our team at Richard James. If, however you would prefer to collect your item, or use your own contractor we can discuss this with you.
Any product not being fitted by us will require full inspection before we can release it. We also advise you ensure your installer is FENSA or CERTASS verified. Read more
Can I chose the colour?
The easy answer is yes; our paint supplier Teknos have a colour matching laboratory which means we can match almost any colour. Our most popular colour choices for customers, are inspired by Farrow & Ball and Little Greene colours.
However, if you have a colour in mind that is not within our range, we can discuss whether it’s possible to match to your desired colour through Teknos’ colour matching laboratory. The beauty of this option is that you get your perfect colour or colours and we get to paint your product with the best quality paint for the job.
Will wood rot in bad weather?
Most types of untreated wood that are exposed to moisture will rot, however Accoya® wood has natural elements which help protect it from water ingress and rot. As an Accoya® approved manufacturer all Richard James’ products come with Accoya’s ® unrivalled 50-year warranty for wood durability and a 25-year warranty in ground or freshwater.
We do still recommend painting or staining your product to prolong its lifespan.
Do you make the windows / doors in-house?
All our timber windows and doors are crafted in-house. This includes all wooden components; no beadings or mouldings are bought in.
What material do you make the windows out of?
External joinery has moved forward leaps and bounds in the last ten years, and Accoya® wood has really raised the bar. Although softwoods and hardwoods are still very common, we encourage all of our customers to choose Accoya® wood because of its unmatched performance and durability.
As an Accoya® approved manufacturer all Richard James’ products come with Accoya’s® unrivalled 50-year warranty for wood durability.
What material do you make the doors out of?
Our door frames are made using Accoya® wood and our cills and threshes are made with hardwood; either oak or sapele. Accoya® wood is used because of its unmatched performance and durability, however it is too soft to use for a component that is going to get high levels of traffic such as door cills and threshes.
Do I have to use Accoya wood for my project?
Timber species used by some manufacturers can include Oak, Sepele, Red Grandis, Utile, Iroko plus many more. Oak is perceived as being a superior timber for external joinery work, but this is a common misconception. Oak is highly susceptible to dimensional movement, making it an unreliable timber for use in external items such as window and doors which need to be operational all year round.
This is why we encourage all of our customers to choose Accoya® wood. Not only is it the most sustainable timber available, it also gives us peace of mind as a manufacturer that our products will be problem-free in their operation, throughout their lifetime, due to its superior dimensional stability.
Do you have a showroom I can visit?
We have recently fitted our brand-new showroom and allows you to look at timber, hardware, paint and glazing options. We are open Monday to Friday 8:00am-17.00pm and Saturday 8:00am-12.00pm. You can find us at Unit 6 Burnhaugh Estate, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3HS. Contact us
I’m having building work done, when is it best to fit my windows?
If your product is being installed alongside other building works, the joinery should be fitted last, in order to prevent damage. Not only can damage occur simply by having multiple people working around an item, but wet trades such as tiling and plastering can cause the microporous paint to blister.
In circumstances where installation cannot wait, every measure should be taken to ensure excellent ventilation and dehumidification.
What is a FENSA certificate
A FENSA certificate gives you the assurance that your replacement windows and doors meet basic standards and have been installed to a high standard. The certificate ensures the following:
- It covers the replacement of windows and doors in a domestic setting
- Your installation is compliant with building regulations
- The work has been registered with the local council – meaning you don’t have to pay for an inspection.
- Your installation is energy efficient
- It verifies your installer’s guarantee is insured
Do you do a colour match service?
Through our paint suppliers Teknos’ colour matching laboratory we can match to almost any colour scheme. Our most popular colour choices for customers, are inspired by Farrow & Ball and Little Greene colours.
However, if you have a colour in mind that is not within our range, we can discuss whether it’s possible to match to your desired colour through Teknos’ colour matching laboratory. Read more
Can I choose more than one colour for my project?
All our products are hand-made and hand-finished. Each product is individually painted which means we can fully finish any window or door with a dual colour scheme, to match both the internal and external materials and decor of your home.
Do I need to pay for a FENSA certificate?
A FENSA certificate costs in the region of £25 and can be obtained via the FENSA website. You simply enter your postcode and pay for a copy and they will send you your certificate.
Can I visit the workshop to see the progress of my job?
Of course you can! We are proud of what we do and welcome you to call in to see your jobs progress and have a chat. We are open Monday to Friday 8:00am-17.00pm and Saturday 8:00am-12.00pm. You can find us at Unit 6 Burnhaugh Estate, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3HS. Contact us
If I see a design I like can you make it?
We provide a fully bespoke service, so if you find a joinery product that you like the look of, we can make it.
Not only that but we can work with you to modify it to produce the highest and most practical standard of product possible.
I am not sure exactly what I want, where can I look for inspiration?
We’ve fitted a range of windows and doors in locations across the country; you can browse our gallery for inspiration.
Alternatively, many of our customers use Pinterest and Instagram to find designs, colours and themes they like the look of which we can then modify to make unique to you.
Do you install replacement windows from the inside or outside?
How we install your windows will depend on the age of your property. For older properties our windows are fitted from the inside; this to ensure your windows are fitted correctly and in compliance with building regulations.
Whether your windows are fitted from the inside or the outside we will work hard to keep disruption in your home to a minimum. Read more
How messy is window is the installation process?
The utmost care is taken to deliver quality products and our installers take every care to ensure your property stays as clean and tidy throughout the process. That said, you can always expect a bit of mess when fitting new windows. The age of the building tends to dictate how much mess is involved. The older the property the more mess is to be expected.
If they are fitted from outside the mess if vastly reduced. If fitted from inside you can expect mess and temporary disruption due to the amount of components to strip back. Although this can look shocking, we take every precaution to protect homes from dust and the utmost care is taken to ensure minimal disruption.
Do I need planning permission for replacing my windows?
What you can install depends on whether the property is listed, in a conservation area or subject to any other local planning conditions. While some local authorities are more flexible than others it’s worth checking with your local council regarding the style, frame material and opening method of your new windows before going ahead.
How long does it take to install windows?
The time to fit varies with every job. If your windows are installed from the outside it can be fairly swift and we can have a number of windows fitted and finished within a day, however if we were fitting one traditional sliding sash, you could expect it to take at least one full day for two people.
Why do you use applied bars?
Applied bars are glazing bars that are stuck onto the internal and external faces of the glass. A double-glazed unit has a ‘warm edge spacer bar’ running around the edge of the unit which bonds and seals the pains together. With the evolution of technology, we can now get double glazing which can be broken up into numerous pains with back to back spacer bars. These spacer bars are set between the two pains. With the addition of strong, modern glazing tapes we can now apply thin bars to the glass face, aligning them up with the spacer bars to give the appearance of individual pains.
This method allows a modern window or door to maintain the aesthetic character of Georgian or Victorian glazing, but with increased thermal values and security. This method is also more cost effective.