We are considering installing French Doors leading to a patio off of our family room. However, we're concerned about privacy. We have plantation shutters in the rest of the room. Can plantation shutters be mounted/installed onto french doors?
Thanks for everyone's help!!
yes.
however - if you have 2 doors, one is stationary and the other opens (with the hinge being in between the 2 doors), you have to keep in mind that if the door opens too far, the 2 shutters could get mashed together get damaged or break. depending on your door's measurements and the projection of your shutters, you might be okay, as long as you're careful and don't let the door swing completely open. you can get a little hardware doohickey that fits onto the door hinges, made just for keeping doors from opening beyond a certain point.
so, to be sure, before purchasing them, find out what the shutters' projection is and then take a look at your doors the location where they'll be mounted. then open your door see what will happen.
from personal experience: i mounted 2 wood blinds on our doors and we can only open our door til it's coming straight out (90 degrees) and no more. opened any further and the two headrails touch. but, we're careful and so far it's worked out okay. to get in out, we don't really need for the door to be opened any further, but on a very windy day, i'm a nervous wreck!!! (i would've been okay with 1 blinds.....)
Thanks, Annette. But I'm a little confused now. I envision covering the glass section of each of the two french doors with the shutters. Each shutter would work independendly as each would be attached to one large rectangular pane of glass, right? I think I've seen this on hgtv but can't find it on their website. It appeared to me as if the shutter section jutted out a bit on each door to accommodate its frame on the window itself.
If that would be the case, then opening either of the two french doors wouldn't be an issue. Am I correct on this or am I only imagining that this can be done?
so, you've got the kind of french doors that BOTH open, from the middle? like, you can walk up to them, grab both doorknobs at the same time which are practically side by side, open them both walk right through a huge opening?
overhead view of yours opening into the room: / \
because my french doors consist of 2 doors, but one is just a stationary door (no knob). the other one opens, and hinges from the middle of the 2 panels, so it's possible for me to swing my door open so far open, into the room, that it could come all the way back around hit the stationary one.
overhead view of mine opening into the room: __/
understand now?
if you've got the first kind, no problemo!
Gotcha! You're right. I'm envisioning two separate doors that open in the middle with lever handles, one on each door. I thought that was the definition of 'french doors.' Also, everyone has been telling me to have both doors swinging OUT towards the outside, rather than in. One more thing -- the ones I've seen have one large solid pane of glass in each door, as opposed to doors with lots of smaller panes in them. Scroll down the page on this link to see what I mean:
http://www.windowexpress.net/products.htm
Wouldn't that then make it possible to install the plantation shutters in each? Only thing is, it might cause the shutters to jut out a bit more into the room. Wonder if that's a problem.
Thanks for your help. I'm learning a lot!!
Hey, I just did a search on Google and I think I found exactly what I'm talking about. Scroll about half way down the page @:
http://www.riverwoodcompany.com/generic0.html
So I guess it is do-able. Think it's an expensive undertaking?
thanks, again!
when i think of real french doors i think of the kind you've got. but then what do i call mine (when only one door opens)??? hmmmm...
also, who are these everyone people who are telling you to have the doors swing out??? i'm 99% sure they're supposed to swing IN, like your front door does. most of the doors in your house that lead you to the outside, swing in. for one thing, when they swing in, the hinge is on the inside. if it swung out, the hinge would be on the outside, and burglars could just undo your hinge take your door off to get inside!!! (actually, they make a safety hinge just for that purpose) but generally, i think you need them to swing in. my door swings in. imagine that it's raining outside. would you want your door to swing out into the elements? (your patio is probably covered, but the same logic applies). to be sure, i'd post that question in the Doors Windows forum.
anyway - yes, as that last picture shows, it's possible. as to how expensive it is, that website had a place to go for a quote. might as well get one. then compare it to several others. be prepared - they're not cheap! but you know that, since you've already got plantation shutters in the room. i wouldn't expect these to be any more than those were. (maybe just a bit more because of the frame). are you going to go with the same brand that the other ones are? i would. you want them to all be the same.
also, since you are putting up shutters, i'd go with the plain glass, not the divided lights. that would be too busy.
the projection will seem like a lot at first, but being an outside mount on a door, where else can they go but out? we're used to seeing shutters mounted inside window frames, so it'll just take some getting used to. i don't think it will be any kind of problem though.
Plantation Shutters can be installed in French Doors. The main concern is door handles. The frame on a plantation shutter can be notched or you can order extensions for the handle.... If I can be of help let me know.
P.s. Also think about both doors being open at the same time. The shutters may hit each other or obstruct the full opening.
P.s. Also think about both doors being open at the same time. The shutters may hit each other or obstruct the full opening.
~we already covered that - his doors both open from the center outward, so they can't hit each other.
but good info on the handle [potential] problem.
Tags: plantation, shutters, french, doors, into room, your door, both doors, each door, each other, french doors, plantation shutters, same time
