Impact French Doors in Doral, FL

Impact French doors are a pair of hinged glass doors that open from the center, built with laminated glass and a frame tested for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. They suit openings where a slider would look out of place, such as a Mediterranean-style courtyard, a covered patio off a dining room, or a master bedroom leading to a pool deck. Both doors can open wide at once, which a slider cannot do without a costly multi-track system.

How they resist a storm

A French door pair has no center post, so in a storm the two doors meet at an astragal, the strip that covers the gap between them. The approved system relies on multi-point locks and on bolts that drive into the head and sill to keep the pair from separating under pressure. That means the hardware is part of the tested assembly. The approval lists it, and replacing it with off-the-shelf hardware can undo the rating.

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Swing and space

Most impact French doors in South Florida swing outward, which keeps the door from taking up interior floor space and lets wind push it into the frame. Outswing doors need clear space on the patio for the doors to open fully, so planters, grills and furniture should not sit in the arc. Inswing models exist and are useful where an outside landing is narrow; their threshold and hardware are built differently to resist inward pressure.

French doors versus sliders

French doors give a full, wide opening and a classic look. Sliders save swing space and generally cost less for the same width. French doors usually need more upkeep at the hinges and weatherstripping over time. When a home already has a French door pair, keeping the same style often makes sense for the look of the house and for an HOA's approved specifications.

Glass and grilles

Divided-lite looks are made with grilles between the glass or applied to the surface, since separate small panes would not meet the impact standard. Low-E coatings and tints help with heat on south- and west-facing patios. Each glass and grille combination must be covered by the product's approval, which we confirm before ordering. If you want blinds, internal blinds sealed between panes are offered on some lines and keep dust off the slats.