FrenchDoorsinPoole&Bournemouth
A full opening, a secure double-leaf lock, and doors that suit a period house or a narrower opening where a bifold would be the wrong call.
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- CertifiedAssure Insurance-backed
- 10+ YearsExperience
- GuaranteedFor 10 Years
French doors, including our own
One of our own installations, plus a period cottage and a set with sidelights for style.
The first photograph is a genuine Wilshaw installation. The other two are French-door photographs sourced for style, not photographs of our own work.
French, patio or bifold: which suits your opening?
An honest steer before anything else. It usually comes down to the width of your opening and the look you're after.
| French doors | Sliding patio doors | Bifold doors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical opening width | Around 1.2m to 2.4m | 2.4m and wider | 3m and above |
| How it opens | A hinged pair, swinging in or out | Slides along a track with one continuous seal | Folds back completely, stacking to one side |
| Best suited to | A period house or a narrower opening | A wide opening where you want maximum glass | The widest openings, where you want the wall to disappear |
| Relative cost, like-for-like opening | Usually the most affordable of the three | More than French, less than bifold | The most expensive, because of the heavier glass and track |
Swipe to see every column
The material choice
Composite or aluminium: what actually differs
We fit French doors in both composite (Endurance) and aluminium (Cortizo), and it's a genuine choice, not a default we steer everyone towards. Composite has a solid thermal core, so it holds its shape well and keeps the heat in. Aluminium gives you a slimmer frame, so you get a bit more glass in the same opening. Both ranges are properly stocked.
- Composite (Endurance): a solid thermal core that holds its shape
- Aluminium (Cortizo): a slimmer sightline, more glass for the same opening
- Both genuinely stocked, not a one-size-fits-all default
A pair of opening doors
Is that not a weak point?
French doors lock through a master and a slave leaf. The master leaf carries the handle and the main multi-point mechanism. The slave leaf has no handle of its own, it's held by shootbolts that drive into the frame at the top and the bottom. Both leaves have to engage before the door's properly locked, and the point where the two leaves meet, the meeting stile, is what determines how tight and secure the closed pair actually is.
- Master (active) leaf: the handle and the multi-point mechanism
- Slave (passive) leaf: shootbolts into the head and the threshold, no handle of its own
- The meeting stile is the detail that actually matters
Which way should they open, and is there a step?
Genuine decisions, not a footnote in a spec sheet.
Opening outward
The traditional choice. The swing stays out of the room and opens the house up to the garden.
Opening inward
Used where outside space is tight, or where hidden hinges matter more for security. Can catch the wind on an exposed opening.
Weathered threshold
A low upstand that still gives strong weather protection.
Low or mobility threshold
Near-flush access. Best kept to sheltered openings, since it trades away some weatherproofing.
What's wrong with the doors you've got
No scare stories, just what we see on the job.
Draughty and worn
Old single-glazed timber French doors with perished seals let the draught straight through, and the frames have usually moved with age.
Won't lock square any more
The shootbolt and meeting stile wear over time, so the doors stop lining up and locking properly.
Looking tired
Faded or rotten timber frames date the whole back of the house, even once the rest has been done up.
How it works, start to finish
No hard sell, just the steps.
The survey
Josh comes out, surveys the opening and measures it up himself, and brings colour swatches for you to see.
The quote
We send your measurements to the supplier and come back with a clear, fixed price.
The fit
We fit on the day agreed. The remaining balance is due once the job's done.
The bits people worry about
Are two opening doors really as secure as they look?
The master and slave leaf system above answers this. Both leaves lock independently before the door's secure.
Will they let more heat out than a solid wall?
Replacement doors are held to the same Building Regulations ceiling as windows, whatever the material.
What if my opening isn't a standard size?
Every opening is surveyed and made to measure, so it doesn't need to be a standard size.
Why people pick us for these
Josh surveys and manages every job himself, so you're dealing with the person actually doing the work, not a salesperson. Both material ranges, composite and aluminium, are genuinely stocked, not a default we steer you towards. And every job is backed by an Assure insurance-backed guarantee.
- Owner-led, one point of contact from quote to fit
- Both material ranges genuinely stocked
- Assure-backed guarantee on every job
French doors, explained properly
French doors work best on openings from around 1.2m up to about 2.4m, giving you the full width to walk through. Past that, a bifold or a sliding door usually makes more sense, because the glass is folding or sliding away rather than swinging on two hinged leaves. That's a big part of why "bifold doors" gets searched for so much more than "french doors": most people asking about bifolds already have a wide, modern opening in mind. If yours is narrower, or the house is more traditional, a symmetrical pair of French doors usually looks right in a way a full-width bifold doesn't.
We don't publish a set price for French doors, because every opening's different, but it's worth knowing roughly where they sit. A French door pair is a simpler build than a bifold: two hinged leaves on a standard frame, with no multi-panel track and no running gear engineered to carry heavy sliding panels across it. Our own aluminium bifold sets typically run £3,000 to £5,000 fitted, and a French door pair on a comparable opening usually comes in below that. It genuinely is a lower-cost route into a garden opening, not just a different look. Tell us the opening and we'll price the actual job.
Is it warm and secure enough?
Building Regulations set a maximum U-value of 1.4 W/m²K for a replacement external door, the same ceiling that applies to windows. French doors typically sit somewhere around 1.2 to 1.5 W/m²K depending on how they're specified, comfortably inside that limit.
On security, PAS 24:2022 is achievable on a French door when it's specified with the right glass and hardware. It isn't automatic on every system, so it's worth asking about specifically if it matters to you.
What customers say
Straight from our Google profile.
5.0
Natasha Evans
Josh and his team worked incredibly hard replacing all of the windows and doors in our house, including fitting a beautiful bifold door in place of our old French doors. We could not be happier with the results. The quality of the workmanship was excellent, and Josh was fantastic with communication throughout the whole process. He was reliable, professional, and kept us updated every step of the way. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for high-quality work and great service.
Andy
Josh installed our new windows, triple track doors, roof lights and front door at our house in Bournemouth. A very professional, tidy and efficient service from beginning to end. Would highly recommend Wilshaw Glazing.
Tevez Ishmael
Highly recommend Wilshaw Glazing Installed bifold with Blinds inside the glass for our new extension on our house really happy with the end result, couldn't recommend Josh enough
How much do French doors cost, and are they cheaper than a patio door or bifold?
We don't publish a fixed price because every opening's different, but French doors are usually the cheaper of the three formats for a like-for-like opening, since the glass is smaller and lighter than a slider or bifold. The best way to get a real figure is a quick survey, and there's no obligation.
Are French doors a good idea?
For a period house or a narrower opening, yes. They give you a full opening without the width a bifold needs, and they suit a traditional elevation in a way a full-width bifold doesn't.
Are two opening doors as secure as one solid door?
Yes, when they're locked properly. The master and slave leaf system means both leaves engage independently, so it isn't a single weak point.
What happens next if I want a quote, will someone measure up?
Josh comes out and surveys the opening himself, brings colour swatches, and measures it up before anything's ordered. There's no pressure to go ahead.
Other door styles we fit
Composite Doors
A thicker, more secure option for a front entrance.
Learn more
Aluminium Bifold Doors
Folds away completely for the widest openings.
Learn more
Patio Doors
A single continuous seal for a wide, simple opening.
Learn moreuPVC Doors
The practical choice for a back, side or utility door.
Learn more
Aluminium Doors
Slim sightlines and more glass for the same opening.
Learn more
Aluspace Internal Screens
An industrial look, dividing a room without losing the light.
Learn more
Where we fit them
Covering Poole, Bournemouth and across Dorset.
Ready to talk about your opening?
Get a free, no-obligation quote, and we'll talk you through French, patio and bifold before you decide.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk, or email? Call Wilshaw Glazing on 01202 156 611 or email Josh.Critchley@wilshawgroup.com