French Door Installation

When it comes to patio doors, one of the most popular types is the French door. In addition to looking spectacular, French doors are also functional and convenient. In this article, we will provide you with information about French doors, helping you in the buying process, along with steps to installation. The great thing about French doors is that just like other glass, you can choose from single, double, or triple pane. With this, should you live in a cold weather city, you could choose the double or triple pane to keep the cold air out and the warm air inside, making your home cosy and utility bills lower.

French doors have been a popular door for years and with good reason. These doors are hinged at the outside of the unit, containing a minimum of two, active panels that swing in or out from the centre. Although French doors were at one time considered less secure than traditional swinging patio doors because of the active panels being locked to each other rather than on a permanent jamb, people's opinions have changed.

Today, French doors are different. They now have a three-point locking system that actually secures the door to the head jamb and the sill. The result is a much more secure door for your home. Although you can on occasion find French doors made from various materials, they are typically made from wood. The added security and the beautiful design of this type of door is what make the French door such an incredible choice. If you want to install French doors in your home, the following information will help.

For a pre-hung French door, unpack the unit, making sure all of the pieces are included and no damage has been done to the door in transit. If the door has pre-hanging clips to keep the door aligned, leave these on.
Next, adjust the door unit so the face is plumb. Secure the inactive side jamb to the wall framing just temporarily, using two, three-inch long drywall screws that are placed six inches below the head jamb but above the sill.
While inside the home, shimming and checking the gap that goes along the top of the active door, making sure it is even the entire width of the French door from the hinge jamb to the latch jamb. If the gap is too wide above the latch jamb, you can use a shim under the sill beneath the latch jamb, making it even. If the gap were too narrow, the shim would be placed beneath the hinge jamb.
Once even, check to ensure the unit is plumb. Now, shim the latch jamb, checking it by using a straightedge, which will ensure the shim, is not driven too far, where the jamb would be bowed. Shim six inches below the top of the French door unit, six inches above the sill, and then above and below the lock. Never shim above the head jamb.
With a carpenter's square at the corners, make sure the unit is square. If not square, add shims below the sill. Next, go outside to secure the inactive side jamb, using three-inch drywall screws through each pair of the shims.
Back inside, check the face the unit, making sure it is plumb. Additionally, check that the gap between the door and jamb is even going along the top and down side of the latch jamb. Again, use three-inch drywall screws going through the latch jamb into the wall framing.
Now, check the bottom of the French or, making sure the door sweep is even with the threshold across the entire width of the door. If necessary, make adjustments.
When inside the house, you will then stuff fibreglass into the gap between the doorjamb and the wall framing, making sure it is nice and tight but not too tight. Nail brick mould 6 inches on the centre outside, then install the interior casing.
Back on the outside, you will need to caulk around the brick mould where it meets the house. If you have a two-panel, pre-hung French door unit, you want to run heavy caulking beads along the floor at the location where the sill rests. Then on the outside of the house, you need to run caulking beads on the centre bottom of the unit.
From there, simply follow the manufacturer's instructions for the completion of the French door installation since these will vary from one manufacturer to another.