I want to install a new french door where an existing sliding door is in place--how difficut is this?
I have done exactly what you are looking to do on my own house. I had an odd size with two side windows as well. I ordered a french door and the windows from Home Depot ( which they made too big and had to re-order). The next door they made was 2 inches too short. Anyways, the job is not too difficult for a good handyman to do, as long as he is willing to take the time necessary to get it plumb and level. To remove old sliding glass door it depends on how it was installed and what kind of exterior you have. If you have a stucco exterior you will need to repair around the original opening as you will have to remove stucco from on top of your window framing. You could repair that with new stucco and then trim it out with hardi board and paint. It is more expensive to buy doors and framing separately than it is to buy them pre-made. My suggestion would be to check out your local home repair store and local door stores to see if they have any returns or oops as I call them. Most are in perfect shape at a lot lower cost. I did just that for my brothers house ( 2 exterior doors and 3 windows) saved almost 600.00. You will also need to make sure you do a good job with the envelope sealing as that can turn a nice new door installation job into a honey you messed it up job. cheers
Is there a way to install door handles in/on my french doors?
Hi Lizzy. This pair of doors may have been hung just for decorative purposes, without provision for actually closing them. To actually use them would typically involve both a knob & latch set, one door acting like any interior door, the other kind of a movable door jamb, with a fixed handle - and a latch to secure it to the floor or frame above, so it just sits there when you open and close the other door. When you want to open the entire area, you release the top/bottom latch on the "fixed" side and swing them both open. An elegant interior detail. Elegant may well include expensive. Given that, go to a good building center (that a call confirms they can deal with French doors) and pose the same question. Check out their hardware, and what kits they've got for boring wood doors for lock/latch sets. If you can borrow or rent a 1/2" electric drill (slow and powerful), that will supply the muscle nicely. Can be done with a more common 3/8" drill, but don't jam the motor... I've seen really tasty work that actually included a rotary latch for the fixed door that moved a rod up and down to secure it. Most common (thankfully) is a simple surface slide-bolt latch, at the top side most often (just reach up, no bending over). Just pick something that looks right with your selection of the main hardware. Given your can-do attitude, and modesty in your good work so far, I suspect you can do this, too. You can always hire it. If you do decide to DIY, practice boring on some scrap 2-by lumber (clamped down). Even a couple of dry runs will give you a feel for the setup and the drill. Old-time tip: When boring through a finished door with a hole saw, keep checking the back side. When the pilot drill pokes through, pull out and go back there to finish the hole. No tear-out damage.
Questions about installing/buying French doors to replace sliding glass doors?
I have done exactly what you are looking to do on my own house. I had an odd size with two side windows as well. I ordered a french door and the windows from Home Depot ( which they made too big and had to re-order). The next door they made was 2 inches too short. Anyways, the job is not too difficult for a good handyman to do, as long as he is willing to take the time necessary to get it plumb and level. To remove old sliding glass door it depends on how it was installed and what kind of exterior you have. If you have a stucco exterior you will need to repair around the original opening as you will have to remove stucco from on top of your window framing. You could repair that with new stucco and then trim it out with hardi board and paint. It is more expensive to buy doors and framing separately than it is to buy them pre-made. My suggestion would be to check out your local home repair store and local door stores to see if they have any returns or oops as I call them. Most are in perfect shape at a lot lower cost. I did just that for my brothers house ( 2 exterior doors and 3 windows) saved almost 600.00. You will also need to make sure you do a good job with the envelope sealing as that can turn a nice new door installation job into a honey you messed it up job. cheers
Which glass door should I install in my new home: French patio door or sliding glass door?
You have to take into account the age and style of your home. If you have an older property I would recommend French doors, as they normally have traditional wooden frames. You can get them with large single glass panels or smaller lattice-style glazing. However, as others have pointed out, you need enough spare space on your terrace for the doors to open outwards without knocking over the garden furniture.Sliding patio doors, on the other hand, are mostly made from uPVC and feature large expanses of glass, so tend to look best in modern homes. They let in lots of natural light and their sliding action makes them great space savers, but they might look a little out of place in, say a Victorian cottage. We used to have some but the sliding mechanism kept jamming, so we replaced them with traditional French doors – much easier to open.I have a third alternative to suggest: folding doors. These open outwards but don’t need as much space as French doors, because they fold back flat on either side of the opening. You can get ones with wooden frames, too, so they should go with most house styles. We had a look at some but sadly our budget wouldn’t stretch that far!
Where can i buy french door knobs???
These are called "handle sets". You should be able to find what your looking for at your local home improvement "big box" store. If not, the internet can find you a supplier. If you DO run into a dead end, contact a local locksmith. They can get you just about ANYTHING you are looking for.
How do I unlock my french doors?
Sure you're using the right key in the right lockset? Try pushing the door in and back out while working the key. The bolt could be jammed against the strike plate. Shoot some spray lube inside the key hole and on the bolt to see if that'll help loosen things up. Door handles are made to operate in either direction. The passive door should have slide bolts on it's striker edge that go into holes in the top jamb and threshold. Give those a shot of slick stuff when you finally get the door open.
I need ideas concerning french doors?
Why not do a window treatment over the whole doorway just as you would over a whole window... Here are some ideas (i'm not sure how formal the room is): http://www.lasconi.com/JH4.jpg http://www.bungalowheavendesigns.com/Articles/IMG_0145.JPG http://www.changinteriors.com/nss-folder/pictures/ChangWindowTreatment.jpg http://www.danainteriors.com/shopsite/media/PL-23A-Pole-Swag-Valance-l.jpg http://freezone.ssan.com/graphics/howto/crafts/dow/ccornice.jpg Window treatments add so much to a room because you can totally set a theme, mood, scheme with the fabrics and trims that you use! Good luck!
Why do houses in America have double front doors?
Double front doors are a good solution for comfortable operation. They help to save space requiring less area for opening. In addition, they are smaller than the standard leaves, thus requiring less effort when opening and closing. Easy to use, such models allow freely carrying large and bulky items: household appliances, furniture and so on.Ideal for large spaces, double front doors create noble and aristocratic chic. They are great to install in rooms with wide doorways. This variant is especially optimal if the doorways are of a non-standard size. They serve as a reliable protection against unauthorized entry as well. That's why many houses in America have double front doors.
I want to remove my garage door and install a wall, I am a female and plan to do most of the work????
The most important thing is to have a professional remove the garage springs, if it's the type that are coiled above the door. They are under tremendous force and can cause injury if you don't know how to remove them. Besides that, you will need to get a permit from the building department, or else one of your nosy neighbors will call and turn you in. After you get your permit, you'll start by framing in the hole where the door was with a 2x4 wall. start by measuring the opening and building a wall on the floor, with the studs 16" on center, then standing it up and placing it in the opening. You'll need to do something to the outside of it, to make it match the rest of your house, then add any electrical that you might want on there. Then you'll need to call for an inspection before you drywall it. Then put up some insulation and drywall and mud the joints and screw holes. After you are done, call for a final inspection. That way you'll be legal and won't have to worry when you go and sell the place that the garage conversion was done without the required permits. This is just a "crash course" on what needs to be done. You might want to check with one of your friends who might be more knowledgeable in this area, and see if they'll be able to help you out. Have fun!!!
How can my parents secure the french doors leading to their pool?
I'm looking for a non-permanent way to secure the french doors in my parents' home. I have an almost-4-year-old daughter and the lack of safety leading to the pool deck concerns me when we visit my parents. Until recently they've always had sliding patio doors that had a security pin at the top; my daughter couldn't open the door by herself. They recently had french doors installed and there is nothing but a simple deadbolt standing between my daughter and the pool...she can easily unlock a deadbolt. My mother doesn't want to install any sort of safety latch that will require her to drill into her new doors. I think she's being ridiculous and the lack of safety makes me nervous. I've looked online for french door safety locks but the only thing I've really found is a child safety device but it requires disassembling the door handle/lock to install. I don't think my parents will go for this. I'm looking for some sort of alternative so I can assure my daughter's safety without starting WWIII with my parents over this issue (obviously I will insist on them installing a safety device if I can't find another solution). We don't visit my parents often so I hate to create a war making them install a device that they'll have to deal with everyday just to accommodate our occasional visits.