get a line how to upgrade your family with a new Seth of French doors .

Emily Minton - Redfield

Adding Gallic doors to the interior or outside of your home is a great means to update its look . Gallic doors are traditionally a pair of doors sequester on opposite English of a double doorway frame , allowing the doors to meet in the middle when closed . These doors do n’t typically need a kernel keep , allow honorable memory access through the doubled doorway when both door are open . However , depending on thetype of Gallic doors , there may be one fixed door that does n’t open or even a French - style sliding room access , which provides as much admittance as a standard single doorway .

bedroom with balcony and corner fireplace

Credit:Emily Minton-Redfield

If a impertinent curing of doors seems like an likeable acclivity , employ this guide to watch how to put in Gallic doors .

Before Getting Started

The location of the door , obstructions , the type of shabu , and any cover choice for exterior door should be considered before starting a French door facility project . If the new doors will be install in the same location as a exercise set of old French doors or asliding door , correspond the area around the door to assure there will be enough place for the new door to open and close .

likewise , if you ’re installing French doors in a newfangled threshold , it ’s a good idea to mark off for obstruction , as well as consider the best spot for comfortable access , sun vulnerability , and views . Clear drinking glass panel give you a expectant view of the outdoors , but may not provide enough privacy . If this is the case , consider switching to textured or frosted panes .

When it total to blind options , a standardsliding CRT screen doorisn’t a skilful selection because the track may interfere with the function of the French door . Instead , magnetic sieve doors or a retractable screen door that pluck up into the doorway jamb may be the good option . You could also choose to leave the space undefendable instead of put in a projection screen .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Install French Doors

Measure the Doorway

set out this project by using a tape measure measure to take a mensuration of the height and width of the current doorway . Make certain to off the door shave with a pry legal profession before measuring the room access to ascertain that the measuring is as accurate as possible .

With this measuring , find and purchase a French doorway outfit that will match in the space . When considering potential product , keep in intellect that there should be about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch between the frame and the door . If you ca n’t find a outfit that fits the room access , you may need to order custom - made Gallic doors .

Cut the Sill Pan

For exterior doors , you will take to assess the breadth of the doorway form and cut the sill pan to the same sizewith a hack saw . The sill pan helps to keep rainfall , sleet , and snow out of the home .

Apply Waterproof Caulk

Use a caulking gunand waterproof adhesive caulk to go for three rows of adhesive caulking along the al-Qa’ida of the threshold frame . The adhesive caulking will keep the sill pan in place without screws and will help keep wet out of the home .

Put the Sill Pan in Position

slip the sill cooking pan into status over the base of the door frame , then exhort it down onto the caulking , crowd evenly along the entire duration of the sill cooking pan to solve out any air bubble or mismatched areas . you could also use a roller or a likewise shape target to help flatten out the sill pan .

Install the Door Frame

If you ’re installing exterior French doors , the door physical body will have a base , but if you ’re installing an interior band of French doors , the systema skeletale will be three - sided .

For exterior doors , apply waterproof adhesive caulking along the perimeter of the sill pan , then sit the door frame into the sill goat god . This will likely take more than one person to accomplish due to the width and weight of the door frame . Once the radix of the threshold build is in blank space , tilt the room access frame up to slide it into position .

For interior Gallic doors , but cant over the doorway frame of reference up and into position with the assistance of a partner . slip the sides of the human body back against the bare sharpness of the doorway , ensuring that they sit down as close to the room access as potential .

Mount the French Doors

Some French threshold kits come with the doors pre - hung on the frames , while others add up singly . If the doors are not hung on the frame , use the provided hinges and hardware to pay heed each threshold , ensuring that the bag of the door is supported during installation to prevent the weight unit of the threshold from tearing out the screws . Use a level to double - check that the doors are put in aright before legal proceeding .

Once the door are hung on the form , use a drill to drive a 3 - inch screw through each hinge , securing the doorway and door frame to either side of the doorway . Typically , the hinges will have a pre - drilled hole for this rise screw .

Mark the Strike Plate Position

With the doors in station , close each door and Gospel According to Mark where the shoot bolt hits at the top and bottom of the room access . The shoot dash locks the French doors in place but requires a rap crustal plate for lend security measures and durability .

Install the Strike Plates

Position each of the four strike plate according to the measure taken in the previous step . Use a drill to batten each smasher plate to the top and bottom of the door frame of reference . Next , drill a kettle of fish through the pith of the strike plate for the shoot bolt .

For home French doors , decide if you want to add the bottom set of bang plates . Just keep in nous that the strike plateful will need to be secured to the floor .

Seal the Door Frame

It ’s recommended to varnish the door frame on the top and side with waterproofed caulk . verify to seal both the inside and the outside sections of the door to foreclose moisture and air from seep through the gap .

Give the caulking about 24 hr to in full set up , then reinstall the door trimming or replace the door trim with a new cosmetic trim that better case the French door artistic .

Install the Doorknobs and Lock