French doors add light and elegance to a room. Here are a few things to consider while you shop for your home's french doors.
A french door is a made of the same materials as other doors, but with an important distinction: They contain panels of glass (known as lites) which extend down the full length of the door. French doors may have one lite or they may contain many lites held in place by thin muntin strips. The lites may be clear, frosted, or frosted and decorated with lettering or artwork.
Many homeowners think of french doors as a pair of multi-lite doors hung as two leaves in a single frame and opening outward onto a deck or patio, but french doors come in many shapes, sizes, and arrangements. They're available for interior as well as exterior use - anywhere you want to increase the ambient light in a room.
Think of french doors as windows that function like doors (exterior french doors are also known as french windows.) Like windows, they help to alleviate the claustrophobic feel of a closed-in room or hallway.
Wood french doors are available in a variety of hardwoods (oak, maple, cherry and mahogany) as well as in knotty pine, fir, or a paint-grade wood that's primed and ready for the brush. Other popular french door options include long-lasting fiberglass, sturdy metal, or inexpensive MDF (medium density fiberboard.)
French doors may contain one pane of glass and warm a dull pantry, office, or utility room:
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| Rogue Valley 1590 | | Rogue Valley 1592 | | Simpson 1501 |
French doors may contain many lites and frame a den or family room. They may be hung as pairs in a single frame, or as a single exterior door framed with one or more fixed or operable (vented) sidelites:
Simpson Model 1255 Door
with 1709 Sidelite | | 
Neuma Fiberglass Patio Door
with Vented Sidelites |
Rogue Valley 1515 Series Interior French Doors
About selection and ordering:
French doors are ordered with a great many customization options - such as material construction, interior or exterior usage, number of lites, glass type, and finish - and selection can be a daunting task. Visit our door manufacturers listed in the "Manufacturer's Websites" menu and get a feel for the options available, or stop by the showroom and let us help you find the french door that's just right for you.
