DEFINITION
French doors are generally two doors and can open out or in and can be made up of any number of double glazed glass panels for exterior french doors and with single glazing or with panels for interior situations.
BENEFITS
Exterior French doors let in maximum light and when used in the interior of your home they can make a room appear larger or they could be solid panelled to create privacy, either way they also add elegance.
Glass
Genuine (original) French doors are made with individual panes of glass, they may have one or multiple panes pane of glass with a frame (astragal) that defines the individual pane sections, they are now more typically constructed using false (glued) astragals to give the French doors a multi pane effect. The glass used in French doors must be tempered safety glass and can be plain or frosted but the latter is really unusual.
MATERIALS
French doors can be made from Pvc, Aluminium or in several types of hardwood, including mahogany or oak for external doors and in any number of wood types and composite materials for interior situations.
French Door Pair French White Doors French Doors with Sides
TYPES
French doors are generally two doors and can open out or in, they can be single pane (double glazed for exterior doors) or with multiple pane effects, wider openings require one side light to the left or the right and in some extra wide situations they require side frames to each side, see some examples below.
PRE-HUNG DOORS
French doors for the exterior of your home can be either pre-hung or not pre-hung. A pre-hung door is already in the door frame casing, levelled and ready to install. A non-hung door requires the homeowner to build a door frame casing to hang the door in, which is more labour intensive and also requires all the fittings to be added. Pre-hung French doors are available in pairs and with side screens (frames) as mentioned earlier.
ACCESSORIES/SPECIALTIES
French doors can be a standalone entryway to your home or they can have other details such as with transoms over the top and sidelights on either side.
We as specialist suppliers of French Doors can offer any number of solutions including prefinished and unfinished french doors.
SIZE
There are several sizes of French exterior doors from which to choose. Most of our manufacturers offer a minimum door width from 1200mm 9per pair) and a minimum door height of 2080mm, both sizes relate to the frame and door set combined.
Most interior French doors are a standard thickness of 35mm and 45mm for external French doors, the frames would off course be thicker.
HISTORY
French doors originated in the 17th century at first as windows, not doors. French doors were brought to America by the early settlers of Louisiana and their influence can still be seen in places like New Orleans.
French doors have been a feature in more "modern" homes for about 200 years and their popularity is only growing. French doors are functional and decorative at the same time, when fitted as external doors they do not give a room privacy but are perfect for encouraging alfresco dining.
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