5 FAQs About Wooden French Doors
The history of wooden French doors can be traced all the way back to the 17th century, heavily influenced by design ideas from Italian Renaissance architecture, featuring a strong sense of geometry, symmetry, proportion and lots of natural light… style features that still set these doors apart even today, some 400 years later down the line.
The doors themselves initially served as a way to open out onto a balcony, but as they became more popular their use expanded to ground floor level, opening up properties, flooding spaces with more light and helping to create a seamless transition between the indoors and the out.
What’s particularly great about modern French doors is that they work wonderfully in a range of different settings, so you can use them to excellent effect throughout the house… but to help you decide if they’re the doors for you, here are some frequently asked questions about these products that should point you in the right direction.
French doors work in the same way as any other door with a hinge and you can install them so they either swing in or out, depending on your requirements.
2. What are French doors used for?
They’re usually used as external doors, but there’s a growing trend for people to use them internally, as well, such as for home office space, for playrooms and for dressing rooms. They’re also often installed as an entranceway to conservatories.
3. How do you secure French doors?
Because French doors feature a lot of glass, fears over security can arise, but as long as the products are good quality and the installation is carried out professionally, they’re just as secure as other options, including patio doors and sliding glass products.
To bolster security, always opt for double glazing and toughened/laminated glass, as well as a Secure by Design and PAS24 accredited multipoint lock, with a 3 star high security cylinder, which are all standard fittings here with ATW.
In addition to secure locking systems, its imperative that the glass can not be taken out from the outside. Not only do we ensure our glazing system is waterproof, we also implement a unique method of glass installation to ensure the glass is not removable, with our GGF approved glazing system for high security doors.
No one has ever managed to break into any of our doors.
4. Are wooden French doors easy to maintain?
To keep your timber doors looking beautiful and in excellent working order, a little bit of maintenance work will be required.
Clean them regularly to ensure that no debris or dirt builds up that could hinder the swinging motion of the doors, looking out for dents and chips as you go. You may also want to treat or repaint the doors over the years as part of your maintenance schedule.
If you look after your doors properly, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t serve you well for 60 years or more!
5. Are wooden doors eco-friendly?
As well as looking beautiful, timber doors are also very eco-friendly when compared to other materials, such as PVC. Plasticisers are often included in PVC production, which can be harmful to the environment. Wood, meanwhile, can be sourced sustainably and offset carbon emission production, helping you to make your home greener in all sorts of ways.
