A Guide to French Doors: Are They Right for Your Home?

Functional Benefits of French Doors

Beauty

French doors are some of the most elegant doors in home construction. Featuring more glass than frame, French doors have a lightness that brings natural daylight into the home.

Excellent views

French doors bring beautiful views into your home interior. If you’ve got a lovely patio, a view of nature, or a large property with gardens, French doors make it possible to enjoy what’s outdoors without leaving your home.

Stylish

No matter how long they’re around, French doors never seem to go out of style. French doors have been used in homes for more than a hundred years.

High value

Installing French doors from a quality brand can raise your home’s value and make your home more attractive to buyers, should you decide to sell.



Energy efficiency

The best door brands make French doors that are energy efficient. Using low-E glass and all the latest innovations in sealing and weatherproofing, French doors can be an energy-efficient addition to your home.

Choosing the Right French Door for Your Home

Once you’ve made a decision to install a French door, you still need to pick the right one for your home. There’s a great deal of variation in French door types, especially between brands, so it’s important to consider all the options before making a selection.

Styles

Subtle variations in French door styles make it possible to find the door that’s just right for your home.

• Different grille patterns. Classic French doors have grilles made up of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. Variations in this pattern can feature grilles that run diagonal or grilles that make different shapes.
• No grilles at all. Each French door may feature one large pane of glass with no grilles at all.
• Sliding, hinged, or pocket. Traditional French doors are hinged, but pocket doors and sliding doors are available as well.
• Hardware variations. The hardware you choose for your French doors will impact your door’s character and appearance. Hardware can have a modern or traditional appearance.

Material

Doors can be made from many materials, including wood-clad, fiberglass, vinyl, and aluminum. When selecting the material for your home’s French doors, consider the appearance, feel, and level of maintenance that you prefer.

Wood-clad doors have a wood interior with a protected exterior made from aluminum or vinyl cladding. Choose the French door material that has the look and maintenance requirements that appeal to you.

Color

Choose a color that coordinates with the color of your home’s siding, interior, landscaping, or whatever surrounding palette matters to you. Doors can be customized with various finishes, including stains or paint in white, black, or other colors. Neutrals are easiest to match with other colors and are most likely to age well as styles change.

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next few years, remember that neutrals also appeal to home buyers.

Types of Glass

The type of glass you choose affects your door’s efficiency and functionality. For example, privacy glass allows light in but makes it difficult to see inside your home, while energy-efficient glass helps reflect heat, so you can maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.

Other types of glass include impact glass (to repel flying debris during a storm, and protect against impacts from potential intruders), laminated glass (offering different levels of opacity to block the view into your home), and decorative glass, to make your doors more attractive.

The professionals at Woodland Windows and Doors can help you decide which type of glass is right for your home and personal preferences.

Are French Doors Energy Efficient?

Old French doors sometimes allow heat into the home through inefficient panes of glass. Modern French doors are very different. Woodland Windows and Doors sells French doors made by brands that prioritize energy-efficient construction. These doors have features such as:

• Low-E glass. Low-E glass reflects heat and allows visible light to pass through.
• Double panes. Double-pane glass has a layer of insulating air or gas in between, which prevents heat on one side of the door from passing to the other.
• Energy-efficient material. Modern building materials like fiberglass and composite wood are energy-efficient as well as attractive and easy to maintain.

Ready to Upgrade? Schedule Your French Door Installation Today!

The professionals at Woodland Windows and Doors sell French doors made from high-quality construction, with security features that keep your home safe from intruders. In addition to French doors, we sell specialty doors and oversized doors to meet all your door replacement needs. Want to learn more about our French door options? Contact Woodland Windows and Doors for a free consultation, or visit our showroom.