French doors are a popular choice with San Diego homeowners looking to add some additional style and light to their homes. They are also a great upgrade for those looking to add value to their home, and to give it a more upgraded look. They offer a classic touch and allow you to better enjoy the beautiful San Diego weather.
What is the actual definition of a French door? French doors, sometimes called French hinged doors or swinging French doors, are made up of two adjoining doors that are hinged on opposite sides and open from the middle, usually outward. French patio doors are characterized by glass panes that run the full length of the doors. Homeowners who prefer a more classic or traditional style will often choose French patio doors over the more modern sliding patio doors.
The French doors we sell at BM Windows are made with low-maintenance, long-lasting vinyl and dual pane windows. You can read more about French doors on our product page.
The History of French Doors
French doors originated, as you would assume, in France. However, their design was inspired by ancient Roman architecture. In the late 1700s, the French were at war with Italy. Following several victories by Napoleon’s army in the Italian Wars, the French soldiers returned home, and brought with them an appreciation for Italian Renaissance art and architectural design. This style of architectural design emphasizes symmetry and light—two key characteristics of French doors.
The first French doors were actually floor-length windows (and were called, appropriately, “French windows”). They were usually placed on the second stories of French homes, and led out to small balconies. They allowed additional light into homes, which was very important before the advent of electricity. The windows could also be opened to allow fresh air to come in. Eventually, French architects began using them on the ground floor, embedding panes of glass into wooden doors.
By the late 1800s, French doors were beginning to be seen in English architecture as well. When the English settled in America, they brought this design feature with them. Today, French doors continue to be a popular design choice in homes across the country for their classic style and for the additional light and feeling of spaciousness they add to a house. They are also regularly incorporated in office building designs, as well as in restaurants with outdoor eating areas.
French Doors and Energy Efficiency
Because French doors consist of so much glass, you might assume that they aren’t very energy efficient. However, the replacement French doors we sell at BM Windows offer excellent energy efficiency with such features as an advanced dual pane insulation system, a high performance glazing system, and fusion-welded corners with multiple insulation chambers.
With our replacement French patio doors, you don’t have to sacrifice your home’s comfort to have the added style that comes with replacement French doors. The French doors we sell will help to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Our French doors also offer excellent insulation from outside noise.
French Doors and Home Safety
Because French doors consist of large glass panels, you want to make sure that the French patio doors you purchase have some important safety features.
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First of all, you want to install French patio doors that have tempered glass, also called safety glass. This type of glass, which is also found in car windshields, will break down into small pebbles of glass upon heavy impact, rather than sharp shards of glass that could be harmful. This is an extremely important feature for the safety of your family.
To help prevent forced entry through your French patio doors, we offer doors with exterior glazing. Glass that is exterior glazed has an insulated glass-to-frame seal that can only be penetrated from the interior of the home. In addition, our French patio doors come with a three-point stainless steel locking system and a dead bolt for additional security. The replacement French patio doors we sell have all passed a stringent “forced entry” resistance test, and are among the safest French door products on the market.
Options with Replacement French Patio Doors
Our French patio doors can be customized to complement your specific San Diego home. They come in many different sizes to fit the space leading out to your patio. If you want to add additional glass doors to let in even more natural light, we can add fixed or operable sidelites on the sides of your pair of French patio doors. In most cases, you can choose to have your French patio doors swing in or out.
We offer multiple frame colors, as well as hardware options in popular finishes like white, satin nickel, and bronze. You can also add decorative grids, patterned glass, or engraved glass to give your French doors a truly custom look. At your free, in-home consultation, one of our knowledgeable team members can go over all of your options with you and help you decide on the features that will best fit with the style and architecture of your home.
Other Benefits of French Patio Doors
French patio doors give San Diego homeowners a way to open up a larger area to the outdoors than the more common two-panel sliding patio door. Since both doors in a set of French doors swing out (or in, if you so choose), the entire width of the doors can open up, as opposed to a sliding door, where only half of the width of the doors can be opened, since one panel slides over the other.
French patio doors are easy to operate and offer more security than a sliding patio doors, since they can be both locked and deadbolted.
One important thing to consider with French patio doors, is that you need to maintain enough clearance to allow the doors to swing in or out. So if you have a patio or balcony that is on the small side, sliding patio doors may be a better option for your San Diego home.
Professional Service and Industry-Leading Warranty on Replacement Windows and Doors
Our professional installation teams have installed many replacement French doors over they years. They have installed them where there was previously a typical exterior door, a sliding glass door, a window, or no door or window at all. Whatever the current set-up is in your San Diego home, we can work with you to accommodate the French doors you desire. We do the job right to ensure that your new French doors are properly installed, so as to not allow in moisture from the outside.
As with all of the replacement windows and doors we sell in San Diego, our French doors come with our industry-leading BM Windows Guarantee, which includes a Limited Lifetime Warranty on our products, as well as a Lifetime Installation Warranty, giving you the peace-of-mind that if there is ever a problem with your French doors, we will take care of it!
At BM Windows we only sell quality, energy-efficient window and door products, but we also offer them at affordable prices. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your home with French patio doors or replacement windows, we’d love to talk with you and see how we can work within your budget.
Contact BM Windows today to schedule your free, in-home consultation. Or come by our showroom to see samples of our products and to get information about all of the features we offer. We can help you choose the products that are right for you and provide you with a free, no-obligation estimate. We also place a high priority on customer service, and work hard to make sure every customer is extremely satisfied with the job we do and the service they are given.
