Getting To Know French Doors

Getting to Know French Doors


1What Are

French Doors?

French doors have starred in many a classic and contemporary home and are often included on lists of recommended home renovations. But why would you want to install French doors in the first place? Before we get into all that, let’s get the basics out of the way.


What Are French Doors?

WHAT ARE THEY?

French doors are essentially hinged patio doors that feature multiple panes of glass called lights (or lites). While they can be installed individually, they are most often seen as paired panels that open at the center and are hinged on each side of the doorway.

The terms “French door” and “French window” are often used interchangeably because the setup is similar to that of a door-height casement window. However, some people make a distinction based on the use of a central mullion: French doors have it, French windows don’t. But for the purposes of our discussion, we’ll keep things inclusive and stick to the basic “hinged patio door” definition.



French doors can be categorized as inswing or outswing depending on how they’re opened and where their hinges are located. Various styles and sizes are also available, the most common of which range from one-light (single-pane) to 10-light (two panes × five panes). The types of glass used as well as the materials used for the mullions and frames also vary widely.

inswing outswing

WHO INVENTED THEM?

The first French door can’t really be traced back to a single inventor; however, many believe that the design has its roots in Italian Renaissance architecture, of which light and symmetry were core elements.

Shortly after the Great Italian wars of the 16th century, these large windows began to gain popularity in France. They were sought after for their daylighting benefits—a must-have in the days before electricity. The increasing availability of glass not only made their production possible, but also paved the way for the creation of the door-height casement-style windows we now know as French doors.



WHAT DO THEY DO?

The decision to have French doors installed usually has more to do with curb appeal and resale value than anything else, but they also:

■ connect indoor and outdoor spaces physically, ■ connect indoor and outdoor spaces visually, ■ create the illusion of added space, ■ increase light, ■ increase airflow, and ■ create a convenient access point to patios, verandas or decks.

In Part Two of Getting to Know French Doors, we’ll find out more about another practical aspect of these installations: energy efficiency.


French Doors & Energy Efficiency

In the first part of this e-book, we touched on the history of French doors and the ways by which they can make your home look more functional and attractive. Now we’ll go a few steps further into the more practical side

of French doors.

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When it comes to home renovations involving fenestration products like windows, doors and skylights, energy efficiency is a crucial consideration. And where French doors are concerned, those discussions intersect at two main points: daylighting and heat gain reduction.

DAYLIGHTINGAs we mentioned in Part One, French doors were highly sought after in 16th-century France because of their ability to let in more natural light than standard windows. The same principle can help you reduce your overall energy consumption in daytime: the less electricity you use for artificial lighting during the daytime, the lower your energy bill will be.

HEAT GAIN REDUCTIONSummer heat gain is sometimes the unwanted consequence of letting in a lot of light through French doors. But like most modern windows, French doors these days are equipped with glazings and frames specifically designed to minimize this issue.

GlazingMost energy-efficient French doors are outfitted with low-emissivity glass and/or insulated glazing.



Low-emissivity (or low-E) glass allows you to enjoy as much natural light as you want while blocking as much as 96% of the incident heat energy that hits the glass. It does this by selectively reflecting infrared and ultraviolet light without compromising visible light transmission.

ultraviolet light

infrared light

visible light

Insulated glazing, on the other hand, reduces heat gain with the help of a low-conductivity gas fill that slows down the rate of heat transfer across the glass. However, its effect is way more pronounced during the cold months, when your goal is to keep heat loss to a minimum.



FrameLike insulated glazing, the following French door frame materials are also recommended for their ability to slow down conductive heat transfer:

■ Wood – a natural insulator with high aesthetic appeal; the downside is that it requires a lot of maintenance

■ Thermally-improved metal – steel and aluminum frames require thermal breaks to counteract their natural tendency to conduct heat

■ Composites – composites like Fibrex® are regarded by many contractors to be the best all-around option: they are highly insulating and are engineered to combine other materials’ most desirable properties like durability, beauty and low maintenance requirement

A NOTE ON AIR LEAKSLike daylighting, ventilation also has a flip side, namely, air leaks. But like most windows, this problem can be easily prevented with maintenance. So long as your French doors’ weatherstripping and gaskets stay in good shape, the risk of losing energy through air leaks is minimal.

If you were to have French doors installed, what are the things you need to know? We’ll find out in the third and final chapter of this e-book, where we’ll do a quick French door FAQ.


French DoorFAQs

Are French doors expensive to install? What kind of maintenance will they need? Will they clash with your

home’s architectural design? Read on to find out!

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French Door FAQs

Q: Are French doors expensive to install?A: Hard to say. No contractor will be able to provide an accurate cost estimate without visiting your home, and a price tag that may seem affordable to one homeowner may be out of another homeowner’s budget. Moreover, the cost to install French doors can vary widely depending on brand, material, style, location and several other factors.

Return on investment will actually be a more valuable metric for a homeowner who wants to know if a home improvement project is worth doing. Surveys like Remodeling Magazine’s 2015 Cost vs. Value Report can help provide a benchmark of average project ROIs. Cost vs. Value doesn’t provide exact figures for French doors, but French door ROI generally falls within the ROI range for replacement doors and windows: between 70% and 100%.

Q: What kind of maintenance will they need?A: The rules for French door maintenance are again similar to what you would expect for windows and doors: clean them regularly, have them inspected periodically and always leave repairs to the pros.

Ask a contractor for advice if you notice any of these problems:

■ Loose hinges ■ Misalignment ■ Sticking ■ Weakened seams ■ Water damage on threshold ■ Others: gouges, scrapes, dents


French Door FAQs

Q: Will they clash with my home’s architec-tural design?A: French doors are extremely versatile where looks are concerned, so they are not limited to a particular architectural style. Just like windows, you have a broad range of options when it comes to color, shape, number of lights, hardware and trims, so whether you live in a traditional or more contemporary house, you’re sure to find a style that suits your home.

Q: Whom should I call to have French doors installed?A: Always, always have a licensed contractor install your French doors. It’s the only way you can be sure of a good recoup for your investment. Choose a local window and door specialist with extensive experience in the industry as well as a partnership with a trusted manufacturer.


RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN OF DC/VA2814 Merrilee Drive, Suite A Fairfax, VA 22031

(703) 291-8898(703) 204-4594

www.RBAofDCVA.com

http://www.RBAofDCVA.com

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Getting To Know French Doors