French Doors Add Light and Beauty to a Home

Adding french doors to your home is a great way to bring the outdoors inside. It is easy to increase the curb appeal of your home by adding the touch of class that naturally resonates from these doors. French doors can also make a small home seem much larger by extending the usable living space of your home onto the patio. And during the summer months entertaining family and friends will be easier and more appealing with the easy access to additional space.

In France during the 17th century Renaissance period, windows were sometimes extended to the floor allowing for more light to enter a room. Remember that we are talking about pre electrical times so bringing natural light into a room was highly desirable as a means of not only brightening a room but also as a way to add natural heat. Eventually these extended windows became doors and were mostly used on upper floors of a home. They would often open onto a small balcony. As time has passed this style of door which is basically a large window that opens, became known as the French door. In order to make these doors with all that glass more stable, the glass was divided into multiple panes divided by wood slats known as mullions. These glass panes became known as lites and french doors to this day are referred to by the number of lites that they use. For example a french door with 10 lites would be called a ten lite french door.

In modern times the French door has been viewed as alternative to the patio door. A patio door is generally considered a two paned glass door where one pane slides open in front of the other. These sliding glass doors carry many of the same benefits as a French door such as added light, heating, and a great view of the outdoors. One drawback to a patio door is that only half the opening is available to pass through. With double french doors you have a very large opening with no obstructions. This is a very desirable characteristic as it greatly opens up a room.

One consideration for a homeowner considering replacing a patio door with french doors is the fact that patio doors tend to be wider than a standard double door. The reason for this is that if a double door were as wide as a standard patio door the individual hinges doors would be extremely heavy and may eventually sag and wear. A modern twist on the French door has alleviated this problem though. Today you can purchase folding french doors that can accommodate a much wider opening while still maintaining the classic beauty and calming effect of tradition french doors.

If you would like to add light and warmth to your home, increase your homes curb appeal, and enjoy the convenience of a wide open entrance to your patio, consider french doors.