French doors originated in the France during the 17th century and have been used in varying styles all over the world ever since. In the beginning they were used to open out onto balconies on the upper floors. Nowadays they are often used for gaining access onto a patio or terrace at ground floor level. They are mostly arranged in a pair, but a single door can also be referred to as a French door. The term French door can be translated to a door that contains glass the full height within a surrounding frame. But for symmetry purposes a pair of doors seems to work better.
If you have a standard window in your home overlooking a terrace, it can easily be converted to incorporate French doors. The section of the wall below the window could be cut out making way for the new door set. The width of the window opening in this instance remain as before, therefore there is no need for major alternations to install lintels above the existing window opening. You need to check however with your local authority for advice on any necessary permissions.
Wood was traditionally used in the construction of exterior French doors but nowadays doors made from PVC and aluminum are possible options. French doors can open inwards or outwards. In either case you must check that sufficient space is available to allow each of the doors to open fully. Otherwise you may have to consider installing sliding patio doors. Sliding doors are indeed a great addition to any home but they came with a major drawback if compared to swinging French doors. Sliding doors usually consist of a pair of door panels that slide left or right, with one door parking to the rear of the other. When fully opened, only about 50% of the structural opening is useable. With swinging French doors almost 100% of an opening is useable when the doors are in the full open position. So French doors are a better solution from a user point of view.
Related posts:
