How to Weatherproof your Exterior French Doors

In rooms which have small windows or receive little natural light, one option to consider would be installing exterior french patio doors. Enabling you to open your living space outside in the Summer and to have good views of the garden all year round, modern timber framed French patio doors are better than ever at keeping out the chills of winter.

Unlike the traditional single pane wooden patio doors which lost heat through poor insulation and design, modern timber patio doors retain internal heat through sealed doubled glazed units and draught exclusion whilst retaining all the charm of traditional french doors. A great way to update your living space, patio doors completely transform the look and feel of your home.

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How to Seal Exterior Patio Doors

When it comes to weatherproofing your doors, making sure they’re bolstered against the elements is one of the most important things that you can do. The timber itself on any external french door supplied by Express Doors will be pre-treated to ensure that it stands up to the elements. However, this is rarely enough to keep out the draughts. All Express Doors are also fitted with weather-strips. Also known as weather seals, weather strips are pliable strips of rubber which are affixed to both the door and frame to create an airtight barrier when closed. 

To install a weather-strip, simply nail or glue the strip to the frame and door so that the two sides meet when closed.

The inclusion of an airtight seal keeps out the draught, in most cases. If your doors face a prevailing wind such as South-West facing or Northerly, a weather-sealing alone may not be enough to prevent draughts and cold from getting through. In such instances, you should also insulate your patio doors.

How to Insulate French Patio Doors

If the room where your patio doors are installed always feels cold, it may be time to install some additional insulation. In addition to weather-sealing, you can invest in heavy lined curtains and/or blinds. As well as keeping out the cold, these will make a real feature out of your external patio doors. Check out our article on dressing French doors for more information. 

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Curtains

Whilst it can be expensive to find good quality curtains, the overall effect to the look and décor and the reduction in heat loss will ultimately benefit you.

Dependent on the size of the opening, curtains can be extremely heavy to open and close and so an alternative may be to fit an electrically-operated curtain track. Whilst this will cost more, it prevents damage to curtain rails/rods and many will find them significantly easier to operate.

Blinds

Vertical blinds are particularly popular at the moment in conservatories and homes with large windows. Blinds are a good way of shielding out unwanted light, creating privacy and insulating windows and patio doors, but are much less obtrusive less than a curtain.

How to Repair and Adjust French Patio Doors

Sometimes, the cause of draughts coming through your doors may be that your doors are incorrectly fitted. Because french doors over lap each other, if they are not set close enough together, this can create a gap allowing cold air to seep through and warm air to escape.

To adjust your doors, you will need to set your hinges into a packer to push the doors slightly closer together, narrowing the gap. If you have uPVC doors, you will need to remove the cover and use a hex key to alter the hanging position of the doors.

French doors are a beautiful addition to any home, opening up the room and improving your view of the garden and the world outside. Traditional french windows were prone to warping and were infamously draughty, but this is no longer the case. By taking steps to ensure you choose a sealed double glazed unit, a solid timber frame and that your french doors are fitting snugly and securely you can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors indoors, all year round.