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Dorset · South West
Hardwood Arches in Dorset
Segmental, semicircular and elliptical heads cut from laminated stock.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Dorset is a county of purbeck stone cottages, Victorian resort housing and a large retirement-build stock. That is exactly the kind of building stock a hardwood arch has to be drawn around, so we allow for it at survey stage rather than on fitting day — walls get checked for wind and plumb, floors for level, and the setting-out is taken from the worst reading, not the best.
How we approach it
The difference between a fitted job and a fitted-looking job is the setting out. For hardwood arches in Dorset we rod the job first, so what arrives on site already accounts for the bows, the skirting and the ceiling line.
How we build it
Timber is chosen for the room it is going into. Painted work is built in tulipwood and moisture-resistant MDF because they hold a crisp arris and take a sprayed finish without grain rise. Where the grain is meant to be seen we use European oak, walnut or ash, with veneers laid so the figure runs continuously across a set of doors.
Finish and materials
You can have it primed for your own decorator, sprayed in any RAL or heritage colour, or left in oiled timber. Oiled finishes can be refreshed at home; sprayed finishes are harder wearing and are what we recommend for kitchens and anything at knee height.
| Guide price | from £1,150 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 6-9 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | Laminated oak or sapele |
| Survey area | All of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Dorchester |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Dorset turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Dorset
What happens next
Four steps, no surprises
Survey
A joiner visits, measures the opening, checks for level and plumb, and talks through how you want to use the space.
Drawings & quote
You get a setting-out drawing and a fixed written price. Nothing is ordered until you have approved both.
Workshop
Parts are machined, assembled and finished under cover while the site carries on with other trades.
Fit & handover
We fit, scribe, adjust and touch in, then walk you through care and adjustment before we leave.
Straight answers
Hardwood Arches in Dorset — common questions
How is a curved head made?
Laminated. Thin leaves of hardwood are glued around a former so the grain follows the curve. Cutting an arch from solid leaves short grain at the springing, which is where it will eventually break.
Can you match an existing arch in a run?
Yes. We template the original opening rather than working from a stated radius — openings in old buildings are rarely the true circles they were drawn as.
Can arched glazing be double glazed?
Yes. Curved units are made to template and need longer lead times than square units, which is usually what sets the programme.
Can you form an arch over an existing opening?
Yes, provided the structural opening is already arched or can be. We are making the joinery, not the lintel, so the structural head needs to be right first.
Can you match existing joinery in the house?
Yes. We take a profile of the existing skirting, architrave or door and either match it from stock cutters or have a cutter ground so the new work runs identically. Matching an old paint colour is straightforward; matching aged oak takes a sample panel and a couple of attempts, which we build into the programme.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space in Dorset — we’ll tell you what it costs
Every quote starts with a free measured survey, so the price you get is the price you pay. No deposit is taken until you have drawings you are happy with.