French Doors Can Give a European Flair to Your Home

When you add French doors to your home, you add a touch of European sophistication and beauty to your home while creating the illusion of more space to even the most compact rooms in your home.

French doors are hinged doors that contain one or more glass panels running its entire length. They can either be hung singularly or in pairs and may also have non-opening panels on either side. Because of the large amount of glass, French doors can provide plenty of natural light if positioned near a wall leading to the outside or provide a view of another room. If the door is positioned near an outside entrance, it may have weather-stripping around the edges and at the bottom.

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As the name suggests, French doors began in France around the 17th century. The style of the French door (which also included architectural elements from Italy) was first used for full-length windows that led to modest balconies. These windows eventually evolved into doors that placed an emphasis on symmetry and light, the latter an important factor in the days before electric light.

Since that time, French doors have undergone several changes in design and use. In addition to being positioned near outside walls to let in more light, French doors are used through homes where a sense of space is desired. Their many windows allow them to “connect” rooms to each other without opening the door.

Materials and Construction

As in the past, many French doors are still made out of wood. Some contain a single pane of glass while other are divided into sections by “mullions”, which are the wooden pieces that create the sections. In addition to wood, French doors can be made out of other materials such as vinyl or aluminum. To control the amount of light, some homeowners hang curtains from the top of the doors that can be used to filter or completely block the light.

Some homeowners add special touches to their French doors such as brass door handles and hinges. These elements add a degree of elegance to the door as well as hearken back to the door’s European history. Other doors have double panes of glass with decorative elements inserted inside to give it a unique look.

Since many doors are positioned near the outside elements, they can also include features such as weatherproof strips and weather-resistant paints. They may also have special coating on the glass to cut the amount of ultraviolet rays that filter through. This can protect your possessions from the damaging rays.

Give your home a European look and feel with classic French doors. Their unique design can bring new light into your life.