Timber store fronts for heritage streets.

When you need timber.

If your premises is in a conservation area or is part of a listed building, the local planning authority will almost always require a timber store front — aluminium and uPVC are rarely approved in these contexts, and even powder-coated steel is often rejected. The good news is that a well-built hardwood frontage can outlast aluminium and looks better for every year it's there.

We build timber frontages to order in our workshop, using kiln-dried hardwood (sapele, European oak, or iroko depending on the application) and traditional mortise-and-tenon construction. Everything is FSC-certified, and the finished frontage gets three coats of microporous opaque or translucent finish — we'll match the paint colour to any RAL, BS or NCS spec.

Traditional detailing, modern performance.

Our timber store fronts look like their 19th-century predecessors, but they're built to modern standards. Double-glazed sealed units sit in drained and vented rebates behind traditional-looking putty or glazing-bead detailing. Weather seals are compression-type EPDM, not wick-type, which stops draughts without being visible. Where the planning officer insists on single glazing (some conservation areas still do), we use 6mm toughened glass with period-correct putty.

Conservation-area planning.

If you're not sure whether your building needs a timber frontage — or you've had a poor experience with a previous application — we handle planning liaison as part of the project. Most applications we submit get approved first time.

Cost.

Timber store fronts start from around £5,200 + VAT supplied and fitted — roughly twice the equivalent in aluminium, but that's what hand-cut hardwood and proper joinery costs. Larger frontages with fanlights, pilasters and cornices are quoted individually.