Firstly, what is a upvc French door? Upvc stands for unplaticised polyvinyl chloride. We are all familiar with polyvinyl chloride as that is basically the other name for plastic and as you know plastic is used in every kind of product imaginable. With upvc they have unplaticised the plastic, which means that the process removes the component of plastic that make is soft or flexible. Upvc is much more rigid and stronger than pvc.

Creating French doors out of a form of plastic allows manufacturers to design new features and designs that simply were not possible or practical with wooden doors. One of the biggest innovations has come from hinging the doors to each other to form a folding door that can have as many sections as the home or business owner might need. These doors are often linked into a series or folding doors that replace an entire wall for a business owner so that the shop can be opened up to the outdoors thereby allowing either more seating capacity as in the case of a restaurant or allowing easier entry and exit as in the case of a shop. Other innovations include things such as central locking systems where you would lift up on the door handle to activate a series of lock pins, offering greater security.

Upvc French doors offer many benefits over wooden doors. Most of these benefits come as a direct result of the materials used to manufacture the door. Because the doors are manufactured using a moulding process they are easier to manufacture and can more easily be kept within strict manufacturing specifications ensuring a better and more consistent fit. The upvc has very good built in insulating properties but these can even be enhanced by injecting insulation material into the voids within the door.  These doors do not swell and contract due to seasonal changes the way that wooden doors do, this helps them last longer and seal better. The doors do not peel or flake and as a result do not require repainting. Wooden doors also have the drawback of being susceptible to pests such a termites.

So as you can see there are many benefits to be gained by switching to a more modern door. I would not recommend ripping out perfectly good wooden doors in order to gain these benefits but if you are in the process of remodeling or if your existing doors are nearing the end of their usefulness, you may want to seriously consider upgrading to upvc French doors.

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.