Established in 1897, F Cuff and Sons Ltd. manufacture, fit and finish all types of purpose made joinery for trade, private and professional customers. The modern workshops and our team of skilled joiners are well equipped to make any item of joinery from the simplest door to the most complicated staircase.

We are FENSA registered, enabling us to supply and fit timber windows meeting current building regulations while maintaining a traditional appearance. A varied range of furniture is produced, with kitchens, wardrobes and bookcases being our speciality. Most work is obtained through recommendation, and is carried out by our fully employed joiners, carpenters and decorators. The company is owned and run by David Cuff, the great grandson of Frederick Cuff, who started the business some 110 years ago.

Customers

Customers range from builders, developers, architects and individual private customers from as far afield as London, Bath and Plymouth. Projects both large and small are catered for, from new build and complete renovations, to a single window or door. Two recent projects in which we were extensively involved have been featured in both the Wessex and National Architectural reviews compiled annually by the RIBA (Royal institute of British Architects).

Kitchens

Bespoke kitchens offer the chance to break away from the limitations of mass produced standard sized units and to create a kitchen which is what you want rather than what you are told you can have. David Cuff will visit customers in their homes to discuss personal requirements, and then produce a costed design. All modern features and benefits can be included, but with doors and drawer fronts fitting inside frames on traditional hinges and on soft closing runners, the finished result is a room that is clearly unique and exudes quality.
One team of craftsmen will see the job through from start to finish, with appliances and accessories being supplied, plumbing, electrical and other specialist subcontractors being co-ordinated to ensure a relaxed, organised and completely professional fitting rather than the nightmare scenarios often shown on TV.

Windows

All types of window are manufactured with the ability to combine current insulation, ventilation and access requirements into a traditional style being a speciality. Flush fitting casements, storm proofed casements and vertical sliding sashes can all be made with narrow section glazing bars which are applied to both faces of a 24mm LowE sealed glazing unit. This system does away with the need for heavy and unsightly glazing bars, and when done properly with traditional scribes and mouldings results in a window virtually indistinguishable from its single glazed predecessor. Our FENSA registration allows us to self certify our own installations.

Doors

As with windows these can be made to satisfy current insulation requirements. Any design can be made, from arched entrance doors in Oak, to traditional ledge and brace internal doors and linings.

Staircases

From the most ornate curved cut string staircase in Oak, to the simplest straight flight, all staircases can be made, with budget being the only constraint. One of our recent staircases was designed to recreate an Arts and Crafts style with octagonal newel posts and finials, with vine leaf carved panels in the balustrade. Made entirely from European Oak, it consisted of two mirror image flights joining in a gallery and central bridge.

Furniture

Traditional furniture to house modern electrical equipment can be designed and made to suit all requirements. Built-in wardrobes, bookcases and cupboards are all regularly made and fitted with minimal disturbance to the household. Freestanding display cases, desks and chests of drawers can all be made in a wide range of materials and finishes.

Listed Buildings

Listed and traditional buildings require careful attention to detail to ensure any new or replacement joinery blends in with the existing. We aim to build working relationships with local authority conservation officers, and are happy to handle applications for listed building consent. We enjoy the challenge of making a piece of joinery to match something made hundreds of years before.

Training

The company prides itself on offering apprenticeships, normally organised through the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board). Currently we have two third year apprentices, and one first year apprentice. This policy has resulted in half our workforce being trained in house, a fact of which we are proud. We also aim to develop the skills of the workforce in order to be able to deliver the degree of craftsmanship and service that customers demand. With the business expanding, David has delegated the responsibilities of workshop management to the capable hands of Shane Arnold, enabling David himself to concentrate on dealing with the growing numbers of customers and on the design process itself. A successful business must always be prepared to reorganise, and the recent award of the Investors in People standard shows the business is run very much as a team, with everyone playing a vital role in maintaining the high standards of work and customer care.