French Doors in Bristol

Family-run Bristol business · 20 years trade experience · Assure Register accredited

What are French doors?

French doors are a pair of full-length glazed doors that open outwards from the centre — the classic choice for connecting a living room, kitchen, or dining room to the garden. When both doors are open, nothing blocks the doorway.

Unlike patio sliding doors, French doors swing fully open, giving you the widest possible opening. That makes them better for moving furniture, large items, or just enjoying an open-air feel on a warm day — but they do need clear space outside to swing into.

Fitting a set of French doors in Bristol. The opening is made good, the frame set square and packed, and the doors hung and adjusted before we leave.

Why choose French doors?

• Full-width opening — both doors swing wide, nothing blocks the doorway
• Natural light — floor-to-ceiling glass floods the room
• Daily + entertaining use — one door for everyday, both for hosting or moving large items
• Secure — multi-point locking plus shoot bolts on the secondary door
• Low threshold option — step-free garden access available
• Sidelights available — add fixed glazed panels either side for a wider, brighter opening

Turning a window into French doors

French doors do not have to go where a door already is. If you have a window looking onto a garden, patio or decking, the wall underneath it can usually come out and the opening taken down to floor level. It is a bigger job than a straight swap, but it is the one that actually changes how a room feels — and it is the part most window companies will not take on.

Here is one we did in Shirehampton, start to finish, over two days.

Whether the wall below your window can come out depends on what is above it and what the wall is doing structurally. That is the first thing we check, and we will tell you straight if it is not a runner. Send us a photo of the window and the room it is in.

French doors vs patio doors

The main difference is how they open:

• French doors swing outwards — need clear space outside but give a completely open doorway
• Patio doors slide sideways — save space outside but only half the opening is usable at any time

If you have a covered patio, decking, or path right outside the door, patio sliding doors may be more practical because they don't swing into the outdoor space. If you have room, French doors give you the wider opening.

Plenty of people call both of them patio doors, and that is fine — it is what they open onto rather than what they are. If you are not sure which you have or which you want, send a photo and we will tell you. If it is the sliding type you are after, the detail is on our patio doors page.

What does it cost?

French door prices depend on the width of the opening and whether you include sidelights. As a rough guide:

Those prices are for supplying and fitting the doors into an opening that is already there. Taking a wall out below a window, like the job further up this page, is extra — it depends on what is above the opening and what the wall is holding up, so it gets quoted once we have seen it.

Exact price confirmed after a free site visit. We'll measure the opening, discuss options, and give you a clear written quote — no pressure.