What are the French doors?

When we hear “French doors”, a particular scene pops up to our minds. Most of us envision a large pane of glass sectioned into smaller panels that may also be referred to as window grids. When it comes to home design, a french door is more than just an interior or exterior door used for entry or exit. It’s an elegant way to design your home with a door that allows natural light to fill your home and has more benefits than just it’s sheer beauty.

In this article, we will define the French door and will describe its benefits for home design.

If you are looking for the best doors in London, specifically french doors, you can always rely on Antique Glass Ltd as your local glacier for glass products, doors, and windows.

What is the French door?

Let’s take a look at the dictionary definition of a french door:

French door (n.): A door, usually one pair, of light construction with glass panes extending for most of its length. They also can be referred to as French windows.

If you still don’t know what a french door is, pictures in this article can definitely help.

French doors are definitely a great way to bring a certain level of charm, elegance and class to your home. That’s why they are absolutely popular these days. They’re most often used at the back of a house to create a gorgeous walkway out into the garden and at the same time helping to bring the outside in by offering a great view of the outside.

They might sound like patio doors but that label has grown over the years to include pretty much any type of door that leads out into the garden. We will discuss the difference between a french door and a patio door later in this article.

French doors origin

French doors are found in many different houses in various countries. This type of doors is popular mostly for their beauty and for the way in which they allow natural light into a room. But why are french doors called “french doors?” Do they actually come from France?

The origins of frenchdoors can be traced back to the French Renaissance. During the seventeenth century, it became fashionable to have open space in the home. Allowing light into a room was equally very important. Glass french doors soon replaced the wooden doors between two rooms, allowing more light to enter a home’s interior.

Like many different architectural elements of the Renaissance, these new French-style windows first spread to Great Britain and then to the United States.

So if you really want to be a know it all, any window with two panels that open outward can be called “french doors,” (though more often we’d say french windows!).

Why use french doors for our home?

French doors add a touch of class from the outside and bring a lot of natural light to the inside. They also offer a generous amount of space to walk through. But this is not all! Here are some of the most significant benefits of using a french door.

Aesthetically beautiful

Whether your home design is traditional, modern, rustic or anything else, French doors can work and look beautiful in your space. The beauty of this type of doors comes from the proportions and symmetry, but French doors of today don’t have to contain grids to be considered a French door.

Letting in all the light

When it comes to a French door, it’s all about light. This door style was developed back in the 17th century and it was the answer to allowing more light into dimly-lit homes. With that goal in mind, These doors were developed much like a window but ensured that the glass extended for most of the door’s length.

Energy efficiency

Another great benefit of these doors today is that they are energy efficient. Most of them are manufactured with dual pane glass suitable for your local climate. But additional glazing can be added in cold climates to save energy in the form of heat or hot climates to save energy in the form of cooling.

Indoor and outdoor integration

Finally, a french door can help you embrace both indoor/outdoor living. If your family tends to gather in the kitchen, adding a French door to that room can offer additional space to entertain and a view of the outside. From summer gatherings to special occasions, a French door can add a special touch of indoor and outdoor integration.

Security

As long as they’ve been installed correctly, they can be as secure as any other door that leads into the home.

To help make these doors as secure as possible, you can take some extra measures:

• Install double glazing rather than single
• Cover the handles with security bars at night or when you’re not home
• Have laminated glass fitted which adds extra protection

what is the difference between interior and exterior french doors?

Most Interior French doors are entirely hollow inside. They are not soundproof or weatherproof. So, they are mainly made of a single material and they are rarely of metal.

On the other hand, exterior French doors are always made with wood, steel, or other types of metal. These doors can protect against the hot sun and moisture. For anyone considering using an interior door for outside purposes, the additional costs of heating and cooling but not seem very energy efficient.

So if you are thinking of using French doors, you must use the right one for your purpose.

French doors pros and cons 

Pros:

• They let in lots of natural light, creating an unrivalled sense of spaciousness and indoor-outdoor connection. They can brighten indoor rooms even when it rains.
• They can let in lots of air, boosting cross-ventilation in summer. When closed in winter, all that glass can channel the sun’s warmth.
• They allow sliders to have a more traditional look by means of beefier bottom rails and window grilles.
• They come with a wide choice of lights, so you can reinforce the style of your house and add architectural detail.

Cons:

• They can require floor space—on both sides if swinging doors are paired with swinging screens.
• They are subject to the elements. Ones that swing in may invite in water. Ones that swing out are exposed to the weather.
• They require some maintenance. With sliders, tracks have to be kept free of debris. The weatherstripping will need periodic replacement, and hinges tightening. All those panes need regular cleaning to preserve the view.
• They put you on view, too. At night, they may require shades, blinds, or drapes for privacy.

Where should I get French doors for my home?

If you live in London or Home Counties (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex) and you are looking for a french door shop, you can be in touch with AntiqueGlass Ltd. for high quality and doors.