The hinged door that opens your living room onto the terrace or balcony. In one or two leaves, French-style or tilt-and-turn, it brings together light, full ventilation and a level walk-through. A more affordable, simpler alternative to a large sliding wall, perfect for openings of everyday size.
The things that genuinely matter for a French door fitted by our teams. Concrete benchmarks, designed for everyday use on the ground floor.
The French door swings wide open inwards, on one or two leaves. The tilt-and-turn mode also lets you tilt the top open to ventilate without opening everything — ideal for airing safely.
One leaf for narrow openings (up to ~1 m), two leaves beyond that to free up the whole passage. The second leaf can be semi-fixed (espagnolette-locked) or fully opening.
A 20 mm recessed threshold gives a level walk-through, with no step. Comfort for pushchairs and wheelchair accessibility, while keeping water tightness thanks to built-in drainage.
On the ground floor, laminated glazing (two panes bonded by a film) holds together if it breaks and slows down break-ins. Combined with multi-point locking, it is the foundation of a secure French door.
A large glazed surface means a major source of heat loss. With high-performance double or triple glazing and a PVC or thermally broken aluminium frame, the French door reaches the level required for grants.
Full-height and extensively glazed, it floods the room with natural light and offers a clear view outside. The best light-to-budget compromise for linking a living room to its garden.
* Indicative values for common PVC or thermally broken aluminium ranges. Exact performance depends on the material, the glazing and the dimensions — confirmed at the site survey.
No opening is ideal for every project. Here, honestly, is where the hinged French door shines and where a sliding wall will be more relevant.
It is the obvious choice whenever you want to link a living space to the outside without the budget of a large sliding wall. A few cases where it is the right call:
The most direct access between your lounge and the terrace. Two hinged leaves to step out freely, a level walk-through and maximum light.
On a single leaf, it opens onto a balcony or loggia without intruding outside. Tilt-and-turn to air it up high in complete safety.
A 20 mm flat threshold removes the step: comfort for families with a pushchair and accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
For a very large opening with no inward swing, the sliding wall is better suited. And for a simple glazed door that slides along the wall, take a look at the sliding patio door.
The customer kept tripping over a high threshold and a single-glazed French door that let the cold in. We fitted a two-leaf PVC French door, tilt-and-turn, with a 20 mm flat threshold, laminated triple glazing and multi-point locking: a level access, far warmer and far safer.
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« Nous avons fait appel à la société Wendows pour le renouvellement de nos châssis et nous sommes vraiment ravis du résultat ! Les travaux ont été réalisés dans les délais annoncés et la finition est impeccable. De plus, M. Aprile qui s'est occupé du devis, s'est toujours montré disponible pour répondre à toutes nos questions. Nous vous recommandons donc de faire appel à eux pour vos travaux ! »
« Nous avons fait appel à Wendows pour le remplacement de nos châssis et nous sommes très satisfait de notre choix. Qualité et suivi de chantier au top ! »
« Ik heb via WEndows een raam aangekocht van 2m x 2m. Mijn algemene ervaring is goed. Zeer goeie communicatie, altijs zeer snelle reactie bij een vraag of opmerking. Het installatie team werkte ook zeer efficient. Tevreden van het eindresultaat! Bedankt WEndows »
The French door links a living space to the garden on a reasonable budget. Compare it with the sliding wall (very large surfaces) and the front door (main façade), then open the page that interests you.
| Critère | French doorVous êtes ici | Sliding wallVoir la gamme → | Front doorVoir la gamme → |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative price | €€ — affordable | €€€€ — high | €€€ — depending on security |
| Clear passage | Full (hinged) | Partial (sliding leaf) | Full (one leaf) |
| Large surfaces | Up to ~2.5 m | Ideal, several metres | Not applicable |
| Daylight gain | Very good | Maximum | Variable (panel) |
| Inward swing | Yes, to plan for | None | Yes (one leaf) |
| Security / break-in | Laminated + multi-point | Laminated + multi-point | The most reinforced |
| Ideal for | Everyday garden/balcony access | Large opening onto the garden | Main entrance of the home |
For very large openings onto the garden: maximum glazed surface, no inward swing, leaves several metres wide.
Compare with the sliding wall →A glazed door that slides along the wall without intruding into the room. The space-saving compromise between a hinged door and a sliding wall.
Discover the sliding patio door →In aluminium, slim profiles and large leaves for a contemporary look and big glazed surfaces.
See aluminium →The best insulation-to-price ratio for a French door of everyday size. Understated, high-performing and economical.
See PVC →The glazing does most of the performance work. For a ground-floor French door, also think about laminated safety glass.
Choose your glazing →An overview of our window frames & joinery in Belgium: materials, glazing, fitting and grants on one page.
Back to the window guide →The price depends on the number of leaves, the material, the glazing and the chosen threshold. The French door remains the most accessible glazed access. Here are some benchmarks for a fitted French door.
See the detailed price list →* Indicative ranges per fitted French door, excluding specific configurations. A costed estimate is provided with your free quote.
The French door opens on hinges: one or two leaves swing inwards and free up the entire passage. The sliding wall slides sideways, with no inward swing, and is better suited to very large glazed surfaces. At everyday sizes, the French door is more affordable and offers the tilt-and-turn mode for airing.
A single leaf is enough for openings up to about one metre wide, typically onto a balcony. Beyond that, you move to two leaves to free up the whole passage to the garden. The second leaf can be semi-fixed or fully opening depending on the use.
Yes. A 20 mm recessed threshold provides a level walk-through while remaining watertight thanks to a drainage system and suitable seals. It is the recommended solution for accessibility and everyday comfort, provided the fitting is done with care.
It can be fully secure. On the ground floor, we recommend laminated glazing (which holds together if it breaks and slows down break-ins) combined with multi-point locking and reinforced hinges. These options are part of our standard configuration for garden access.
Yes, with the tilt-and-turn mode: the handle lets you either open the leaf wide or tilt it open from the top to ventilate. You refresh the air safely, even when you are away, without leaving the passage wide open.
Grants depend on the thermal performance achieved (the Uw coefficient), not on the type of opening. A high-performance French door qualifies, depending on your region and income, for a renovation grant and the 6% VAT rate for homes over ten years old. We handle the paperwork for you.
Free home survey, grants calculated, a single point of contact. Describe your project in under a minute.