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Edinburgh · Scotland
Shopfront Pilasters in Edinburgh
The framing columns either side of the window, with plinth, shaft and capital.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Edinburgh is a county of Georgian New Town flats and Victorian tenements with tall ceilings and deep reveals. That is exactly the kind of building stock a pair of shopfront pilasters 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
A pair of shopfront pilasters is a permanent part of the building, so it is worth setting out properly. We take the survey, agree the drawings, machine the parts in the workshop and fit in Edinburgh in one visit wherever the programme allows.
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 £890 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 6-8 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | Iroko, moulded and primed |
| Survey area | All of Edinburgh, including Edinburgh, Leith, Morningside, Corstorphine |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Edinburgh turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Edinburgh
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
Shopfront Pilasters in Edinburgh — common questions
How are pilasters fixed?
Mechanically into the reveal with stainless fixings, packed off the masonry so there is a ventilation gap. Never bedded tight to damp brickwork.
Can pilasters be replaced without rebuilding the shopfront?
Often yes. Pilasters take the worst of the splash and the trolley knocks, so they rot first. If the fascia and stallriser are sound we can replace pilasters alone and scribe the new work into the existing mouldings.
Do pilasters have to match on both sides?
On a symmetrical frontage, yes, and any difference is very visible from across the street. Where a building has settled we keep the pilaster plumb and take the discrepancy in the scribe rather than tapering the column.
Can you reproduce a period pilaster profile?
Yes. We take a gauge off the surviving section and grind a cutter to match, so the moulding returns exactly rather than being approximated from a stock knife.
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 Edinburgh — 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.