Most people take doors lightly. People often fail to give doors the credit they deserve. Doors are often disrespected, mistreated, abused, and misused. Nevertheless, most people would agree that doors are an important part of any home. There are many types of doors available in the door market.
In most home inspection services, you will often hear of French doors. Not many people know what these doors are, but they often hear of them. So what are these doors? If you have ever suspected that these doors are not really from France, you’ll be correct. The question, therefore, is why these doors are described as French.
When people refer to these doors, they usually refer to exterior doors. This door is basically a dual-part door that’s hinged on both sides. This means that you can open the door from either side. Sometimes, these doors are also known as bi-hinge doors. However, bi-hinge is a general description which is often used for interior doors.
What makes these doors have the name French, yet they are not really from France? Well, this name was derived from a historical aspect of doors and it does not refer to any geographical location or country. This term is rooted in the description of earlier French designs known as casement doors. Casement options are still advertised and sold with the name casement till date.
Like stated earlier on, these doors are usually double doors. They do not have a center mullion. They also lack a frame for dividing the door between its two panels. The two sides have weather stripping that assist in keeping out weather elements.
One of the two sides is basically designated as the active panel. The active side is usually utilized for normal egress and ingress. The other panel is known as the inactive panel. The inactive panel is usually kept locked.
Sometimes, a locking mechanism known as Espagnolette bolt is used in these doors. This locking mechanism is a locking system that involves activating the movement of a piece of metal that is round using a lever. The metal rod engages the receivers at the bottom level sill and the top level header of the frame.
Another distinguished feature that comes with these doors is their ornate and decorative molded panel on the bottom of the door. With these basics in mind, you can now tell what these doors are in reality.
Our company supplies and installs French doors in Sydney. Contact us for more information.
Also Read: How much do French doors cost?