ABOUT FRENCH DOORS

French doors are pairs of glazed doors which open directly from a living room to the outside. They may be made of timber, vinyl, or aluminum, and may be hinged, folding, or sliding. They are sometimes known as Patio Doors.

The glazed panels may be clear glass, including special glass designed to reduce solar transmission. Alternatively the glazed panels may be decorative, in stained glass style. Timber french doors may be left as a natural wooden finish or painted.

The leading French door manufacturers selected by Abacus Construction Index, which are listed below the panel of sponsored links, have comprehensive websites, with information on all aspects of French doors, including online catalogs of French doors, styles and materials for French doors, and care and maintenance of French doors.

RECOMMENDED BOOK ON INSTALLING AND HANGING DOORS

We strongly recommend the book 'Installing and Hanging Doors' by Gary Katz. It covers: choosing a door, choosing hardware, door jambs, hanging doors, and weather-proofing for exterior doors. To read more about this book, and to buy it online at Amazon if you wish, please click on the blue link in the panel below:

LEADING FRENCH DOOR MANUFACTURERS

Andersen French Doors. Andersen is a leading manufacturer of windows and doors, including French Doors. The business, which is privately owned, was started in 1903 by Hans Andersen, a Danish immigrant, in Hudson, Wisconsin. Logs arrived via the St.Croix river. Andersen now employs more than 9,000 people in 20 locations. Its headquarters in Bayport, Minnesota, comprises a 2.8 million square foot facility on a site of 65 acres.

The Andersen website contains sections on products, window types, French door types, window problems and low-E4 glass. There is also an ideas section with a photo gallery and information about art glass, including the Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass series. The Anderson range of French doors includes single hinged French doors, hinged French doors with multiple panels, gliding patio doors, sidelights and stationary panels, transoms, and commercial entry doors made to fit standard and custom commercial entries.

Clark Hall French Doors. Clark Hall is a leading manufacturer of French doors. The Clark Hall website has sections for stock French doors, custom exterior doors, wrought iron doors, and interior doors. There is also a trade section with information about volume discounts.

Clark Hall custom French Doors include designs with decorated glass panels, divided light doors with small glass panels separated by strips of wood, leaded glass exterior doors, and solid doors in a variety of hardwoods. These include Honduran and Indonesian Mahogany, Honduran Cedar, South American Oak, Andean Walnut, Malaga Cherry, Premium Knotty Alder, and Hard Maple. All timber is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as being harvested from well managed forests. To assist in delivery, Clark Hall offer a lift-gate option on all its product deliveries. The lift-gate is mechanical platform at the rear of the delivery truck that enables the French Door unit to be lowered to the ground mechanically.

Milgard French Doors. Milgard is a manufacturer of windows and doors including French Doors. Its history dates back to the founding of Milgard Glass by Maurice and Gary Milgard in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958. The Milgard company now employs more than 3,000 people. The Milgard website contains sections on getting started, products, and finding a dealer for Milgard products. There is also an image gallery.

In 1968, Milgard Manufacturing started producing sliding glass doors. Two years later, aluminum frames were redesigned to fit both single-pane and insulating glass. The Milgards developed a type of aluminum frame that was suitable for cold weather areas where only wood frames had been effective. All Milgard vinyl windows and doors are made to order. The vinyl compound is specially formulated to withstand harsh climatic conditions.

OTHER PRODUCTS RELATED TO FRENCH DOORS

You may also like to visit our USA product guides on: Bifold Doors, Door Hardware, Door Knobs, Entry Doors, Folding Doors, Patio Doors, and Sliding Glass Doors.

USEFUL LINKS RELEVANT TO FRENCH DOORS

Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association

Door & Hardware Institute

International Door Association

Window & Door Manufacturers Association

CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT DIRECTORIES

We recommend the following professional construction directories, which include standard specifications, manufacturers' specs, and CAD details: 4Specs at www.4specs.com, Arcat at www.arcat.com, Arcom at www.arcomnet.com, Reed at www.reedfirstsource.com, Sweets at www.sweets.construction.com.