French doors

[Anonymous]

We want exterior French doors leading onto our deck (opening into the house). It's an eastern exposure and we live where winters can be brutal. My parents had some installed in the fifties and it was a heating disaster. Surely manufacturing advances have made this feasible fifty years later, haven't they? ...or should I really have my head examined? I'm sure the architect intended my house to have them and was talked out of it. It was probably a good idea then, but is it that still the case?

I can't find a website that offers a comparison of brands, fair or otherwise. Are there brands that I should be warned about? Is there one brand that really stands out as top quality? What's my best bet - wood, metal, or fibreglass? Anything else that I should know.

[Rich]

There are so many different types of French Doors and as many manufacturers. Some of the features you will want to look for is Low-E glass, Dual paned Argon Filled (some have nitrogen I think which is fine too), or tempered insulated glass. Solid wood doors are as good as anything. If you want something else you may look at insulated fiberglass. Probably the top of the line door is the ultimate French Door by Marvin (they're made in Minnesota so they're used to cold :D ). www.marvin.com
Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

I took a look at Marvin's website and made an appointment with a local to come out and give us a quote on the French doors.

I was kind of thinking Andersen, but I had this gnawing feeling in my gut about them for some reason - I can't put my finger on why. I'll still probably have them come out and give me their spiel, but your Minnesota argument makes more sense than anything I've heard yet. We're in Michigan and can appreciate what they deal with in the winter. I'm also wondering about Pella's offerings. I think someone told me that they have a system with storm doors for winters like ours. Personally, I'm wondering why they had to go that route. Don't the doors measure up???

Thanks for the help.

[Rich]

Both Pella and Anderson have excellent products as well. Most of the manufacturers now a days will create a "new line" for extreme conditions, but overall it's the same doors with small additions like heavier duty weatherstripping. One thing to think about is summers are just as hard to deal with as winters. So a door that does well in the summer with heat infiltration will also do well with cold infiltration.