What is a French Door?
What is The Difference Between French Doors and Patio Doors?
How to Secure French Doors
How Wide are French Doors?
How to Install French Doors in A Wall
How Do I Hang Curtains on French Doors?
French Door Curtain Ideas
How to Hang Roman Shades on French Doors
How to Fix French Doors That Stick
How to Fix Uneven French Doors

What is a French Door?

By the most traditional definition, French doors are widely considered to be a pair of doors made to showcase many glass panels to allow in natural light and bring the beauty of the outdoors into the home. But this conventional description leaves out a lot about French doors and how they have evolved over the years. What’s more, there are many misconceptions about this type of entryway that the common definition fails to dispel.

Energy Efficient

Contrary to popular belief, French doors can actually save you more on your monthly energy bill than even a solid wood door. Because they have become such a popular choice for new construction over the past two decades, manufacturers have worked hard to make them highly efficient. Coupling weatherized wood, fiberglass, or metal frames with double or triple-paned and low-emissive (low-e) glass, today’s French doors for exteriors are literally made to weather the storm while offering incredible efficiency.

Add to Curb Appeal—and Your Home’s Value

While many people think of French doors as a great way to showcase their backyards or patios, today they are more and more frequently used as the front entryway of choice by builders and homebuyers alike. Available in standard sizes from 1’5” to 3’ wide and 6’ to 8’ tall, French doors now dot the front exteriors throughout many newly built homes, townhomes, and condos. And because French and double doors for front entryways are now available in a variety of materials, including mahogany, knotty alder, oak, pine, fiberglass, and metal, more consumers are drawn to newer selections. Prices for two doors are not generally any more than what homeowners would pay for a single exterior door, and this price point makes all the difference for those who like this classic style.

Tough on Crime and Resilient Against the Elements

Of all the misconceptions about French doors, the myth that they’re easier to break into and more commonly kicked down by home intruders than other doors tops the list of tall tales. New technology, evolved floor-to-ceiling hardware, longer hinges and latch plates, and hurricane-rated glass make today’s French door physically resistant against more than most traditional exterior doors. They are tough enough to withstand natural disasters, and also frequently come rated against impact and fire as well, making them that much more attractive as an option for home and storefront exteriors.

Overall Value and Custom-Building Options

French doors retain their value exceptionally well regardless of where they are installed on a home’s interior or exterior. In addition to offering a great value over time in standard sizes, French and double doors available in custom sizes and styles can be just as wise as they are elegant. Consider a wider and taller front entryway, one with built-in louver blinds, or one-off wrought iron embellishments to add value to your home.

ETO Doors offers custom built French doors for both interiors and exteriors. Consider speaking with one of our knowledgeable phone agents to begin planning and designing your personalized French entryway today.

What is The Difference Between French Doors and Patio Doors?

Frame Door

Many people ask what, if any, difference is there between a patio door and French doors. The key difference that makes them different is that French doors open either inward or outward (usually outward) to your garden, patio, or porch. Conversely, patio doors are typically sliding glass doors, sometimes referred to as Arcadia doors, slide on a metal track and open from side to side, rather than inwardly or outwardly.

Not unlike a shower door or a screen door, sliding glass patio doors slide horizontally, one passing the other, to create the opening for you to walk through. In some cases, glass patio doors in ultra-modern or midcentury modern homes may slide into pockets in the wall or on visible tracks on the ceiling rather than on tracks installed in the bottom of a doorframe. These types of pocket glass doors are becoming increasingly popular thanks to high visibility on DIY shows on networks like HGTV and periodicals like Architectural Digest and Dwell.

The Progression of French Doors into the 21st Century

A lot has changed in the world of modern doors since the advent of the French door, and they, too, have their new looks and styles, equally as aesthetically pleasing as today’s redefined patio doors. Two examples of the French door evolution are the folding and sliding exterior French door systems.

A folding French door system requires the homeowner to choose which side of the room they would like the handle hardware to be on. For example, if the door slides open closely to the corner of a wall, you’d want the door-opening hardware to be on the opposing end of the slide to make it easier to operate.

Both folding and sliding French doors are outswing only, meaning you cannot get a model in this style with doors that slide or open toward the interior of the home or office.

Perhaps the best feature of sliding French doors is that end-users and consumers get to choose how many leafs (doors) their exterior folding doors will come with. Unlike having French or double doors, sliding door systems are available with three, four, five, or even six door slabs. That means you could literally have an entire wall of doors that fold into one another accordion-style when you want a fresh breeze throughout the house.

Even when every leaf of the folding or sliding French doors are closed, you’ll still have a stunning, panoramic view of your entire backyard, patio, or open acreage.

Advantages of French Doors of Any Style or Size

While both patio doors and French or double doors have both made a lot of advancements over the past few decades, the French variety offers a lot more in terms of eliminating energy waste. Because they are in doorframes rather than on tracks, there’s much less chance of outside air getting in, or air-conditioned air getting out. The difference is obvious on a monthly electricity bill.

French doors are also less likely to break. Even when made of mostly glass, unlike patio or sliding glass doors, French entryway door glass is assembled within the door in panels, also known as “lites.” These lites are not only more solid because they’re smaller—they’re harder to break because they’re made of hurricane-resistant or impact safety glass, which can be directly hit without cracking. Patio door glass is often single or double-pane, while glass in today’s French exterior doors is triple-pane.

With the number of options you have in styles, sizes, wood types for frames, and beautiful new options in hardware for doors, now might be a great time to consider remodeling to replace your patio door with a set of French doors.

How to Secure French Doors

Regardless of the kinds of doors that lead in and out of your home, security is always an important concern that should be taken seriously. Many consumers avoid French doors for fear they just won’t offer the same level of protection that other types of doors do. However, French doors can be every bit as secure against home intrusions and Mother Nature as any other entryway. With a few minor tweaks and some tips on how to bolster the safety features of your French doors, you can enjoy the curb appeal you want with the safety you desire.

Appearances are Everything

With any front or rear entryway into a home, how strong the door and doorframe look can be the true measure of how well they will deter home intruders. French doors are no different than any other exterior door: if they look cheap, old, worn out, or distressed, they have a higher likelihood of being targeted by criminals. To ward off potential offenders, consider the following:

• Ensure that both your exterior doors and doorframe(s) are made from solid wood, fiberglass, or metal rather than compressed wood, Masonite, or other cheaply constructed materials.
• Consider installing multipoint lock hardware—this will offer a locking mechanism that latches to both the door(s) and the frame(s) in multiple locations rather than one simple twisting lock that only attaches one French door to the other.
• Pick door hardware that stands out: for example, if you have dark mahogany French doors at the front of your home, pick chrome or white powder-coated locks and knobs so the contrast in colors will showcase the security features.
• Pick door models with hinges that are three or more inches long—the longer the hinge screws, the better connected your doors will be to the frame. This makes kicking doors in far more difficult for prowlers.
• Entryway upkeep: maintain a clean, fresh entrance to avoid the appearance of a rundown—and easy to crack—exterior. Regularly wipe down and wax your exterior doors, and consider refinishing or repainting them as soon as they show signs of wear and tear.

Transparent Doesn’t Have to Mean Weak

Perhaps the largest security concern with French doors is that they are quite frequently designed with many glass panels. While this can be a great way to enhance the appearance of your front entryway, would-be burglars see all this glass as the target for an easy break-in. For the best protection against intrusions, consider French doors manufactured with hurricane-rated glass. Because it is fabricated with a layer of impact-resistant plastic, hurricane-rated glass can stand up to a lot more than debris flung around during severe weather events. Strong enough to repel multiple blows from a hammer, the shatterproof nature of hurricane-rated glass will keep your exterior doors every bit as secure as any wood or metal.

An Added Touch of Protection Without Sacrificing Aesthetic Appeal

Because French and double doors are increasing in popularity for new builds and home remodels, there are many new options in locking mechanisms, elongated latch plates, and security hardware that won’t make you choose function over visual appeal. Available in brass, chrome, wrought iron, steel, and many other materials, you can buttress your entryways easily and affordably with stylish hardware. Some popular choices include door-to-floor locks like the Door Club, and security bars designed with contemporary, modern, or rustic decor in mind.

How Wide are French Doors?

One of the most common questions about French doors has to do with how wide they are, both individually and as a pair. There’s no single answer to this question, because there are many different widths, heights, and thicknesses of French and other double door entryways. While every exterior entryway is different, there are a few standard sizes that French doors are offered in. Beginning at individual measurements of one-and-a-half feet wide (for a combined width of three feet), standard sizes increase in increments of two inches up to three feet (for a combined entryway width of six feet). But what about French doors for wider entryways? And what about door height and thickness—are there standards in place for these measurements, too? And finally, for exterior or interior entryways with unique measurements that fall outside the standard sizes, what are the options?

A Grand Entrance Requires a Wide Birth—and Trimmings

Oversized entryways made for French or double doors may actually be so wide and/or tall that even the widest, tallest door sets will not fill the rough opening. In these instances, you may still be able to find standard-sized French doors that will fill the space when accompanied by trim. Options such as sidelites and transoms will fill in the additional space on either side of the doors and the space above them.

Sidelites

Available in a wide variety of options, sidelites can offer as much or as little light in as you like. You can almost always find sidelites to match the wood, fiberglass, or metal doors for your entryway, and they are available with clear, translucent, sandblasted, or wrought iron-inlayed glass. Just as with the doors themselves, sidelites are designed in contemporary, modern, and rustic styles.

Transoms

A transom is another way to let in a little more light while filling in the space above a door, either within the doorframe or above it. Just as with sidelites, you can choose more or less glass within the transom, and you can also choose how clear or opaque you’d like the glass to be. Transoms are available in square, arched, and rectangular styles and sizes, and can also be custom-designed to fit any space.

Extra-Wide, Narrow, or Otherwise Tricky Entryways

If you want French doors but fear you won’t be able to have them installed because the rough opening is too wide, too narrow, or poses other unique challenges, custom-made doors open your options. French doors can be designed and crafted for any exterior or interior entryway in your home, workspace, or storefront. In this way, you can choose to add or subtract trim and embellishments like sidelites and transoms and focus entirely on the design elements that matter most to you.

How to Install French Doors in A Wall

Installing French doors in place of an old single exterior door is a great way to open up your space and create a larger view to your patio or backyard area. But before you get started, keep in mind you may need a building permit, permission from your HOA, and a lot of planning ahead helps, too.

Before making any marks or doing any demolition, order the French doors you want—at least two to three weeks before you plan on installing them.

Things to Do Before You Begin Demolition and Installation

• Know the exact dimensions of the French door set you’re getting, including the height, width, and depth (the width of the edge of the doors)
• Make sure the wall you are cutting into is not a load-bearing wall
• Review blueprints or otherwise ensure you won’t be cutting into any plumbing or electrical wires Rent a dumpster for all the materials you’ll be throwing away, as all the drywall and other debris won’t likely fit into your normal trash receptacle.

Beginning Demolition and Preparing the Rough Opening

These instructions are for pre-hanging French doors with either matching wood frames or paint-grade doorjambs. *

• Before unpacking your new French door set with doorframe, cover any valuables and furniture, etc. in the room where you plan on installing the doors. Knowing the height, width, and depth dimensions of the doors and doorframe, use a magic marker to mark the measurements of both the interior and exterior sides of the wall.
• Use a stud finder to locate any studs so you can avoid harming them when creating your rough opening. You will begin demolition by hammering holes between the studs you found earlier.
• Once you have ripped apart enough of the wall to see what’s going on internally, do a double-check for any electrical wiring, plumbing, or anything else you could destroy that would cause major issues, such as gas lines, etc.

Deep into Demolition: Creating the Rough Opening

• Once your check for dangerous internal components is complete, rip the wall apart entirely between the marks you’ve made in the wall. Keep tearing away until you are able to remove all insulations, drywall, sheetrock, and/or wallboard from the internal side of the wall.
• Next, move outdoors and begin the same ripping out process there, removing wallboards and any remnants of drywall, sheetrock, or insulation that remain. From the exterior side, use a cordless jigsaw, or to make the job go faster, you can rent or buy a reciprocating saw, which could cut your work time—and how hard you have to work on removing the entirety of the rough opening.
• Use the marked studs to guide your reciprocating or jigsaw as you cut from the top of the opening to the bottom. Once you have cut all the way around all the marked studs and feel the wallboard is wobbly enough, from the internal side of the opening, push the wall out. In this way, all the debris, splinters, and potentially dangerous hardware like screws or nails will land outside, rather than inside your home.
• Remove any remaining drywall or other debris from the top of the rough opening. Continue to remove all drywall where the top of the new doorframe will go until you can see rafters. Not to worry: your new doorframe’s top jamb will support this area without old drywall in place.
• Finally, to make your rough opening less rough, you’ll need to add plywood trim to either side of the opening. To install these pieces of trim, hammer in half-inch pieces of plywood that match the length and width of the French doors’ doorframe side (edge). After drilling trim pieces into the opening’s sides, get them more smoothly aligned with the sides of the wall by installing two studs per trim piece (so two studs per side of the doorframe).

Important tip: If there are any wall sconces or other electrical devices near the new rough opening, head up to the attic before going to town on ceiling drywall within the opening—wires from these fixtures could have been fed through the ceiling, and you could hit them if you don’t first ensure they’re not there to be disturbed in the first place.

Installing French Doorframe and Doors

• Drill in a 2×4 at the top of the rough opening, and another at the bottom using jack studs. Now you’re ready to attach the doorframe header: place it in the rough opening and hammer it into the wall using 16-penny nails.
• Using a caulking gun, apply a heavy coat of silicone to the 2×4 you installed at the bottom of the rough opening.
• Remove the remaining contents of the pre-hanging French door set from the packaging and very carefully place it in the rough opening, being mindful of the still-wet silicone at the base.
• If there are any places where you can see light coming through, use shims to fill in these areas until the doorframe no longer moves inside the rough opening.
• Use a hands-free level to ensure the doorframe and doors are centered inside the rough opening—if they are not, move the frame and/or doorjambs around until they are.

All you need to do now is apply silicone to the entire perimeter of the doorframe to keep air from coming in or going out of any open pockets of the rough opening. Paint or finish your walls, doorframe, and doors as desired, and you’re now the proud owner of a set of French doors—enjoy the view!

How Do I Hang Curtains on French Doors?

French doors are an excellent way to create a wide, inviting entryway for the front of your home or for an entrance to your backyard or patio. However, because they are wider than a single door, and because they generally contain many windows or lites (glass panels), French doors allow in a lot of natural light. Natural light coming from a front or rear entryway is a great thing—but for those times of day you don’t want the sun blaring through the house, you may want to consider hanging curtains on your French doors.

The Two Different Ways to Measure for French Door Curtains

Before deciding which type of curtains you wish to purchase for your French doors, you need to measure your doors. This will help determine the size of the curtains you should buy. Begin by deciding whether you want a curtain style that hangs above the doors, or one that will be attached to each individual door. If you opt to hang curtains above the doors, you’ll need to measure the width of each door, then add two inches for each side. For example, if you measured one door at 30 inches, the measurement to write down would be 32 inches. On the other hand, if you plan on affixing curtains to the doors using hardware, follow the same procedure for measuring, but add only one inch for the width of each door. The length of your curtains will also vary depending on how you hang them. If you plan to hang curtains above the doors, measure from a few inches above the doorframe down to where you want the curtains to end, whether you want them to hit the floor or be a several inches above. If you plan on installing the curtains directly on the doors themselves, measure from where you plan to install hardware at the top of the door down to the bottom of the door for best results.

Picking Curtains for Your French Doors

Given that you can choose curtains that install directly onto your doors or those that hang above the doors, the style that best suits your doors and your needs is up to you. Curtains fitted to French doors can allow more functionality by staying out of the way when doors are opened or closed, while free-flowing curtains hung above doors offer a more dramatic look to your entryway. Whichever you choose, curtains will be available in sheer, opaque, and canvas-type fabrics, so make sure you choose what goes best with your exiting decor—and what will keep the sun out of your home to the degree you desire.

Picking Your Curtain Rod—or Rods

After you have decided which style of curtain you plan on installing, your next step is picking out curtain rods to install directly onto the doors or on the wall above the doors. Using the measurements you took in the first step, pick curtain rods that suit your needs. For example, if you have opted to hang curtains above the doors, you will only need one long rod that spans the length of both doors—with four inches to spare as indicated in the measurement instructions. When picking a curtain rod for each French door, choose a matching pair that will fit within the width measurements of each door. You may also choose to purchase another matching pair of curtain rods to install on the bottom of the doors—this will keep curtains from dragging on the floor—but be sure to purchase French door curtains fabricated for use with curtain rods on top and bottom.

Curtain Installation

Installing curtains over French doors is easy when you simply follow the instructions for affixing curtain rod(s) to the wall or the doors themselves. In either instance, it’s a good idea to use screw anchors for the longest, sturdiest hold of the screws used to hang curtain rods. If you have decided to use four curtain rods (one for the top and bottom of each French door), be sure to thread curtain rod through the bottom curtain sleeve before screwing the rod to the door on both sides.

French Door Curtain Ideas

Curtains for French doors can be a great way to accent your foyer, backyard entryway, or any other entrance into your home. Not only do curtains add a touch of flair to your interior decor, they help to keep out light when it can be particularly overwhelming, such as when the sun is rising or setting. If you’ve been looking for curtain ideas for your French doors, here are a few inspired selections you might enjoy incorporating into your existing home design.

The Fix for Arched French Doors

Those with arched French or double doors can tell you, trying to find draperies, curtains, or window treatments can be a tough and tedious chore. But don’t rule out installing arched entryways just because curtains could pose a challenge. Instead, consider a less traditional option: Install a wall-to-wall ceiling-level track to hang floor-to-ceiling curtains from. This option offers many advantages—you can hang two, three, four, or more curtains, mixing and matching patterns and fabrics. The dramatic, long curtains create a spacious-looking room, too. And best of all, curtains on a track put you in the driver seat: pull them open and closed as often as you please for privacy, to show off your beautiful doors, or even showcase the colors and prints of the drapes by pulling them all to the sides of your French doors.

A View Through the Louver

Installing classically designed wood louver blinds on your French doors is a simple way to add a dash of class that lasts for years to come. Louver blinds are a seemingly simple look, which means they won’t take over the interior design in the rest of the space. Better still, louver blinds can keep out or invite in as much light as you like—pull them all the way down and draw the shutters closed for total blackout, pull them up all the way to expose the entire door, or create a combination between extremes that works for your style and taste.

The Layered Look

Using two different curtain rods, you can hang two sets of curtains to hang from the wall above your French doors. The inner curtains can be a sheer solid color or pretty pattern to match existing decor, while the outer curtain should be darker and made of a thicker fabric. This layered look is both visually appealing and utilitarian: when it’s just a little bright out, simply pull the sheer curtains closed; when it’s very bright outside, pull the thicker, darker curtains closed.

All About the Hardware

If you live in a modern, midcentury modern, or industrial style home, making curtain-hanging hardware a strong focal point can be a great design choice. Rather than picking a curtain rod that’s off-the-rack, consider having one made to match the building materials of your home. Wrought iron, rich repurposed wood, or chrome can all be great choices depending on how your house is decorated. If, for example, you have contemporary pocket doors with exposed, black metal sliders, a curtain rod to match will do a lot to pull the room together. On the other hand, if your home boasts exposed ductwork and beams, a thick, bright metal curtain rod can tie things up nicely. Of course, choosing the right curtains will make all the difference, too—pick colors, fabrics, and patterns that play off of other themes within your home for a complementary look throughout.

How to Hang Roman Shades on French Doors

Whether your French doors are installed inside your house or are being used as exterior entryways that face the outside of your home, keeping out prying eyes and/or the sun can create a challenge. To maintain privacy and stay in the shade, consider hanging Roman shades on your French doors.

Determining Measurements and Where to Hang Roman Shades From

If you already know the length and width of your French doors’ windows, jot these numbers down on a piece of paper and keep it handy; otherwise, use a tape measure to determine these measurements. There are many different styles of Roman shades, including those made from a gossamer-type material that allows in a good deal of light, and others made with canvas or another very opaque, thick material that will keep out all or most light. Choose the type that suits your needs, matches your interior design, and be easiest to install, doing the least amount of harm to the wood or fiberglass doors they’re being installed on.

If yours is an interior set of French doors, choose the side of the doors you want to be able to control privacy from. If you’re installing Roman shades to an exterior door set, they will be affixed to the interior side of the door. The Roman shades you selected should come with all the hardware needed to install them onto your doors, including top rail, convex-top-style screws, and the cord(s) to control the up-and-down motion of the shade once installed.

Hanging Your Roman Shades: Start with the Top Rail

With the top rail assembly out, use a DIY partner: one person will hold the top rail where it will be installed in the door. The other person will use the holes in the rail (ensuring it is even by using a hands-free level!) as a template to make shallow holes where the screws will go. Once you’ve determined the holes are even, one person will again hold the top bar in place, right over the pilot holes you just made. With a cordless drill, use the screws from your Roman shade kit to drill in the top rail firmly.

Your next step will be to feed the cords for the Roman shade through the eyelets you’ll find on the top rail you just installed. To do this, lay the Roman shade across a large table with the back of the shade facing upward (the side you want to see when the shade is hung should be downward-facing). You’ll notice the cords have already been fed through the Roman shade itself—your job from here is to fasten the hooks to the back of the shade right above where the cords begin, which is toward the very top of the Roman shade. Carefully picking up each of the cords by their ends, feed each one through its matching eyelet on the now-assembled top rail. In this way, the cords should hang on the outer side of each shade (the side opposite from the door’s knob or handle).

Finally, find the loops along the sides of each Roman shade and pull them up toward the hooks, then feed the hooks through the loops one by one. This “hook and loop” assembly is what gives these shades the classic Roman look you’re after.

How to Fix French Doors That Stick

French doors make such a lovely addition to your rear entryway, or even as a front door. But when the entryway to your patio, garden, or front walkway won’t open—or is difficult to open—because it’s sticking for some reason, the view isn’t quite as lovely. These steps will guide you through how to figure out why your French or double doors are sticking, and how to fix a sticking French door. With a few simple tools and an open afternoon, you can fix your stuck doors without having to hire a handyman.

The Causes of Sticking French Doors

French doors can stick for a few different reasons.
• The most common reason is that because they are exposed to the elements outside, they tend to swell because of weather events, including humidity, rain, and snow. To determine whether swelling is the cause, check the whole door area—including the doorframe. Look for areas of cracking, distortion, blistering, or unusual puffiness (this usually occurs at the top of the door or doorknob side of the doors).
• Old, rusty, or out of place hinges can also be the cause of sticking doors. To determine if your French or double doors are having trouble opening and closing because of hinge issues, attempt to swing each door separately back and forth. If you hear creaking sounds coming from the hinges of either door, then you know where your issue lies.
• In other cases, it’s the screws holding the hinges in place that are the culprit. When hinge screws have come even slightly loose, the French doors will be misaligned, and this is the cause of the sticking.
• In rarer cases, double-type doors will stick because of their doorknobs and latch assemblies. This could be a quick fix with the tightening of the knobs or handle assemblies, but it could be a little more complicated—we’ll discuss how to fix that issue, too.

How to Fix Swollen French Doors

You may have heard the best way to fix a swollen door is to plane the swollen surface areas. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of additional work, including removing the doors, re-sanding them, refinishing or repainting them, and reinstalling them. So, instead of using a plane, start by checking for areas where paint or varnish layers are thicker—if you find this, simply sand down the extra paint or varnish and see if that solves the problem. If that doesn’t do the trick, find the top or bottom area of the door where the sticking is occurring. Tape a thin piece of medium-grain sandpaper to the door (not the doorframe) and swing the door back and forth several times. This will reduce the swelling of either the door(s) or the frame (or both). If you take the sandpaper off and feel an improvement, but still feel there’s room for improvement, reattach the sandpaper and begin the same process again until you achieve a smoothly opening set of doors.

Installing New Hinges and Hinge Screws to Stop Door Sticking

The heavier doors are, the more likely it is hinges have worn down the screw holes of all or some of the hinges (especially those at the top that bear the brunt of the weight). These screw holes have become enlarged, so the screws are now loose and no longer holding the hinges firmly in place. To fix this, you’ll need new screws, some wood filler, and a putty or spackle knife.

With the help of a DIY partner, follow these instructions:

• Have one person hold the door while the other person begins unscrewing the hinges. Once the hinge screws are out, remove the hinges themselves. Next, remove the door from the frame.
• Place it on a stable surface, such as a pair of sawhorses, or the floor of your garage (place a clean tarp down first to keep the door from becoming damaged).
• Check the doorframe around where the hinges were for cracking or other damage. If you find cracks, plug them with wood filler and smooth surfaces with the spackle knife.
• Now you’re going to fill in the hinge screw holes on both the doorframe and the doors entirely with wood filler. Again, smooth the surface with the knife. Allow this to dry for about two hours (or longer if instructions on wood filler bottle suggest).
• After the filler has dried completely in the hinge screw holes, you’re going to screw the hinges back in. The wood filler will strengthen the surrounding wood and hold the hinges in place—even for the heaviest French doors.
• Once hinges are screwed into the doorframe, grab your DIY partner again for help to align and screw hinges into the doors, ensuring they are even by using a hands-free level.

Replacing Sticking Doorknobs or Handles and Latch Assemblies

When older French doors are sticking and neither weather or hinges are to blame, the issue could very likely be the doorknobs or handles and their latch assemblies. While you could try to repair aging hardware, your best bet is to replace it entirely. For best results (and for the sake of matching doors), replace the knobs or handles and latch assemblies on both sides. Notice that one side of your French doors has active, moving hardware and latch assembly, while the other has a handle that is purely decorative. This means buying French door handles and assemblies as a set—you can find many varieties to choose from at local hardware stores, ranging in price from $25–$250.

• On your active door, find the flat, long keyhole extension that goes all the way through the door—this is the cylinder pin. If the active handle is on the right, turn the cylinder pin counterclockwise; conversely, if the active handle is on the left door, turn your cylinder pin clockwise.
• If your old knobs or handle screw holes don’t match where the new ones will go, will the old holes with wood filler and allow to dry. If the screw holes do match, position your new handles and drill them in as tightly as you can without stripping the screws. This will ensure a flush surface to help avoid a new sticking problem.
• Next, you will insert the actuator slot, which is the circular piece of hardware that contains a hole at the center for the cylinder pin to go through. The actuator slot also connects to the lock bolt above the handle or knob. To assemble the actuator slot in the correct order, follow the instructions from the packaging, as each knob/handle/assembly set is different.
• After sliding the cylinder pin through the actuator slot, you need to firmly press and drill in the exterior face plates, then the interior face plates (these may not always be present).
• Next, slide the handles onto either side of the spindles (these are the narrow metal tubes that operate the latch mechanism). Use a screwdriver to carefully to drive the screws into the knob or handle on both sides of the door. Do not screw them in all the way just yet (see the next step first).
• Now you’re going to slide in the latch assembly: this goes through the door’s side (not the front or back of the door). Depending on your manufacturer’s instructions, the latch assembly may need to be attached before or after the spindles; read your manual carefully to avoid errors. As you connect the latch assembly to the spindles, you’ll notice the latch plate, which should fit neatly into the side of the door. If the latch plate sticks out at all, your door will stick just as it did before. You may have to carve out a wider or longer area in the edge of the doors to accommodate the new latch plate.
• Once the latch plate is in place, drill it in as tightly as you can without stripping the screws: this will ensure a flush surface with the door to keep any new sticking issues at bay. Now you can go back and tighten interior and exterior knobs/handles, turning them back and forth to make sure they function properly.
• Now you move on to installing the dummy handle on the opposing French door. To assemble the dummy handle, follow all the same steps as above, knowing things will be easier this time because you won’t have to assemble or attach any locks or latches.
• Ensure the latch or edge plate on your dummy handle-side door is also completely flush with the door’s edge and lines up smoothly with the latch plate on the opposing door. Once you see all edge plates line up, screw plates in tightly so they are completely flat on the door’s edge—again, this will keep door(s) from sticking.

How to Fix Uneven French Doors

While we all love the view provided by a beautiful new set of French doors. Unfortunately, this double door type can be more susceptible to shifting, which will cause the doors to come out of alignment with one another, or the doorframe. When this happens, don’t worry—fixing uneven French doors is quick and doesn’t require great construction skills.

Getting Started with Your Uneven Door Repair

To begin, you’ll need:
• Doorstops
• Drill
• Hammer

You may also need:
• An edging tool or wood chisel
• Shim(s)
• New casing wood screws

Start by finding where the unevenness is coming from. To do this, you need to open both of the doors all the way—you can keep them in their fully-open position using the doorstops. Next, take a look at the hinges of each door: are they rusted, calcified, loose, or otherwise in disrepair? If they are simply loose but look fine otherwise, try drilling the hinge screws in firmly. Remove the doorstops, close the doors, and see if the doors (and frame) are now level. If they aren’t, move to the next steps.

Deeper Uneven Door Repair

Looking directly at the doors and the frame, you should be able to tell which door is off-kilter. Whichever side this door is on will be the side you will add a shim to. The shim will go between the doorframe and the wall. That means you’re going to have to reopen the door, put the stop back in place, and use your hammer and edging tool or wood chisel to carefully detach your door casing on the side of the frame housing the uneven door. To avoid scrapes or scratches that would mean refinishing your casing or repainting your wall, very gently tap the hammer between the wall and casing, going from top to bottom until it’s loose enough to remove manually. Looking closely at the casing, be sure to remove any wood screws—throw these away and begin with new ones, as the removal process will distort their proper shape.

Now you’re ready to take the doorstop out again and close the crooked door (the other door should already be in the closed position). With the doors now entirely closed and the casing removed, it’s time to tap a shim between the frame and wall. Using your hammer, once again use light taps to tap the shim between the frame and wall between the middle and lowest hinge, closer to the latter. Review how the door is now aligning with both its frame and the other door. If it still looks uneven, add another shim just above the first one and check again.

You may continue adding shims all the way up the side of the doorframe until the result is an even door. Once you have achieved the desired result, you can break off the portions of the shim(s) sticking out of the wall using a mat knife to create perforation first. Reinstall your French door casing with your new wood door casing nails by creating new nail holes either just above or just below the old nail holes.

For a completely flush finish that will help you avoid unevenness again later, consider hammering casing nails in a little deeper, then applying acrylic wood filler over them. This will give both the casing and the shim(s) better hold for a longer time.