French doors: clad wood, steel pairs and more

What is a French door?

A French door is a pair of hinged doors, mostly glass, that meet in the middle. Both leaves can open for a wide passage. It is the classic way to connect a room to a terrace, a garden or a pool deck. It gives the widest clear opening of any swing door.

Honey Rock Window and Door works with three manufacturers that offer this kind of door. Sun Windows (Owensboro, Kentucky) makes a True French door in clad wood. Bertrand (Luzino, Poland) makes French doors in PVC and wood. Jada (Grass Valley, California) builds steel swing doors that come as pairs. See the partners page for each maker. The glossary entry for a French door has the short definition.

How do French doors open?

French doors swing on side hinges, in or out. One leaf is active and carries the main lock. The other is passive and is held by bolts or a locking mechanism until you release it. Release it, and both leaves open as one wide passage.

Sun describes its True French door as a two-panel door where “one panel being the main operating panel while the second panel can be unlatched and opened to expand access through the door opening.” The passive panel has head and foot shoot bolts, which a handle on that panel releases.

Bertrand takes a different route. Its double-sash door has a movable mullion, so both sashes can open at once. Bertrand says that, unlike traditional European designs where the passive sash is held with angle bolts, its system uses a handle. Lifting the handle adds locking points.

Jada’s steel door pairs use multi-point locking into the inactive door. The inactive door also locks into the head and the sill with concealed flip latching.

Which swing is right, inswing or outswing?

Pick the swing for your weather and your floor plan. Inswing keeps hinges and hardware inside and suits covered openings. Outswing seals tighter against wind-driven rain but needs open space outside. Both are common for French doors.

Jada states that inswing doors are “difficult to weather seal at the sill” and suggests them where the opening has protection from extreme weather. It gives an example: an inswing pair works well as a bedroom door pair to reach a shallow balcony. For outswing, Jada says the higher the wind blows, the tighter the door seals against its weatherstrip.

Sun offers both. Bertrand lists inward-opening and outward-opening doors. Read about the sill before you choose, and see our custom entry doors pillar for more on swing, sills and locks.

Where do French doors fit in a home?

French doors fit where you want a formal, symmetrical opening: a dining room onto a terrace, a primary suite onto a balcony, a study onto a courtyard. They also work as a double entry door. They suit traditional and transitional homes, and steel pairs suit modern ones.

Plan for the swing arc. Furniture, railings, screens and planters can block a leaf. Each leaf needs a clear arc, and an outswing pair needs clear space outside. Ask for a plan view of the swing before you order.

On a west-facing wall in Texas, plan the glass first. Read the energy-efficient windows pillar and the guide on SHGC and U-factor for Texas.

What materials and glass can French doors have?

Your choices depend on the maker. Sun builds clad wood with an extruded aluminum exterior and a clear pine interior. Bertrand makes PVC and wood versions. Jada makes thermally broken steel. Glass is insulated in each case.

Maker	Product	Material	Notes from the maker
Sun Windows	USA Clad Wood True French Door	Aluminum-clad wood	Tempered insulated glass, Low-E, argon fill, Duralite spacer, multi-point latching
Bertrand	French doors	PVC and wood	Single-sash and double-sash, inward and outward opening, movable mullion
Jada	Steel swing doors (door pairs)	Thermally broken steel	Narrow sightline profiles, multi-point locking installed

Sun’s clad-wood doors can be stained or painted inside. Its exterior is aluminum with a powder coat finish. Bertrand says it plans to add aluminum French doors later, and it makes no date promise on the page. Ask what is in production today.

Jada’s steel profiles give very narrow sightlines, so the glass carries the look. Jada offers levers and knobs from Rocky Mountain Hardware or Sun Valley Bronze as standard. For divided lites, Jada says simulated divided lites “give a similar appearance as TDL yet they rate better.” Read about steel windows and doors and thermally broken steel.

For glass safety, read the glossary entry on tempered glass. Sun lists tempered insulated glass among its door features.

Should I choose French doors or sliding doors?

Choose French doors for the widest clear opening and a traditional look, and when you can spare the swing room. Choose sliding doors when floor space is tight or furniture sits near the opening. Compare the sill, the exposure and how you will use the door.

Question	French doors	Sliding doors
How wide is the opening?	Widest, when both leaves open	Less than full width on a standard slider, since panels overlap
Floor space	Needs swing room inside or outside	No swing room
Sill and weather	Inswing is hard to seal; outswing seals tighter in wind	Jada’s bottom-roll track can use a continuous drain
Look	Classic, framed in panels	Large glass panels with fewer frame lines
Panels offered	Two leaves	Sun offers two, three or four panels; others vary
Suits	Formal openings, entries, symmetry	Wide views, tight rooms

Sun’s sliding doors come as two-panel, three-panel or four-panel units. Jada’s bottom-roll sliders use a track with a continuous drain. If you want a very wide opening with no swing, look at sliding and lift-and-slide doors and folding doors. If you want a dramatic single panel, see pivot doors.

What should I ask before I order French doors?

Ask about the parts that fail first: the sill, the locks and the glass. Get the answers in writing, with drawings. Honey Rock publishes no lead times, prices or door ratings, so ask for them during your quote.

• Which swing, in or out, suits my exposure and floor plan?
• What is the sill and threshold height, and how does it meet my floor?
• How does the passive leaf lock, and how many locking points does the pair have?
• What are the NFRC U-factor and SHGC for my exact glass?
• What are the finish, handle and hardware options, and what is extra?
• What is the maximum size in my configuration? Jada publishes no maximum door sizes on the pages we read.
• What does the maker warrant for this product line?
• Is my home in a Landmark or conservation district? Dallas says Certificates of Appropriateness are required before exterior work on Landmarks and in Landmark districts. Read windows in Dallas historic districts.

Next step

Tell Honey Rock about the opening, the swing you prefer and the look you want. See the doors overview, then start your project or call (214) 484-9982.