European French doors
At the factory, before shipping
Photos are illustrative and not necessarily this exact system.
Both leaves open. No bolts to fiddle with.
Typical European double doors have an "active" leaf with a handle and a "passive" leaf you release with bolts at the top and bottom. Americans hate those bolts. Our French doors use hardware designed for the US market: both leaves have handles, a movable mullion travels with the door, and when both open you get the full width with nothing in the middle.
How the handle works
Press the handle down and it springs back; the leaf opens, the way you expect. Lift the handle up and it throws extra locking points: a tongue at the edge and rollers that hook into keepers along the sides and two each at the top and bottom. The door is pulled tight against its seals. Then you lock it with the key. It's a bit different from a European tilt-and-turn handle, and we'll show you at handover.
Sizes and materials
Single or double leaf, inswing or outswing. Ask us which materials and sizes fit your opening.
The movable mullion is the whole point. Open both doors and the room just continues outside.
Inswing or outswing in Seattle?
Outswing doors close against the weather; wind pushes them tighter, and the threshold is easier to make watertight. Inswing doors keep the deck clear and screens outside. On exposed west and south walls, we lean outswing.
| Spec | French doors |
|---|---|
| Configurations | single, double; inswing, outswing |
| Mullion | movable (double doors) |
| Passive leaf | handle-operated, no head/foot bolts |
| Locking | multi-point: edge tongue, side rollers, 2 points top + 2 bottom |
| Materials | uPVC, wood, wood-aluminum (aluminum planned) |
| Max height | about 11 ft (wood, wood-aluminum) |
| Glass | double or triple, laminated or tempered |
| NFRC rating | Ask us for current status for your project |
| Lead time | 3–4 months; made to order and shipped by sea freight |
| Warranty | 20-year limited manufacturer warranty; 3-year installation warranty (warranty terms) |