GreenandTaylor Internal French Door Set Installation Guide
- August 6, 2024
- GreenandTaylor
Table of Contents
**GreenandTaylor Internal French Door Set Installation Guide
**
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Tape measure
- Spirit level
- Pencil
- Drill and appropriate drill bits
- Screwdriver (manual or electric)
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Wood shims/spacers
- Screws (as specified in the door set instructions)
- Door hinges (3 per door)
- Latch and pair of handles (non-specialist, unless specified)
- Wood saw
- Wood filler
- Sandpaper
- Paint or finish (as required, excluding Danish oil)
This internal French door set does not come with hardware or furniture. You will need to provide 3 hinges per door, a latch, and a pair of handles. For industrial-style black French door kits with narrow styles, a narrow backset latch may be required. Contact your approved retailer for certainty on the specific hardware needed.
- Preliminary Preparation:
- Check whether the door frames and/or doors are unfinished or primed. If they are primed or unfinished, apply the desired finish (paint, stain, varnish) to all applicable timber parts before installation. Follow the finish manufacturer’s guidance to ensure proper application and drying. Note that Danish oil should not be used.
- Ensure all parts are completely dry before proceeding with the installation.
- Clear the workspace and have all tools and materials at hand.
- Opening Preparation:
- Ensure the opening is square and level. Measure the width and height of the door frame to confirm it matches the dimensions of the French doors.
- Assembling and Installing the Door Frame:
- The set comes with an adjustable frame that can fit multiple sizes. Measure the width of your opening to determine the necessary width for the head piece of the frame.
- If the head piece is too long, mark the excess length and use a saw to cut it down to the correct size. Ensure the cut is straight and clean.
- The frame packs head and jambs are to be butt jointed. Place the head piece on a flat surface and align the side jambs at each end to create a butt joint. Make sure the joints are square.
- Drill pilot holes and use screws to attach the side jambs to the head piece securely.
- Place the assembled frame into the opening and use wood shims to ensure it is level and plumb. Check the alignment with a spirit level.
- Secure the frame to the opening using screws, ensuring it is firmly fixed and does not move.
- Attaching Hinges and Hanging the Door:
- Place the doors within the frame to check the fit. Ensure there is a consistent gap of approximately 2-3mm at the top and sides, the required under-door clearance (undercut) will depend on your floor covering. We recommend a clearance of at least 7mm.
- Mark the hinge positions on the door and the frame. Typically, hinges are placed 150mm from the top and bottom of the door, with a third hinge centred between them.
- Attach the hinges to the doors and frame, ensuring they are securely fixed.
- Fitting the Timber Pairmaker (T-piece):
- A timber pairmaker (T-piece) is supplied and should be fitted to the slave door to form a rebate for the master door to close up to.
- When offering up the doors to the opening, ensure clearances are correct, considering the added thickness of the T-piece.
- The slave door may need trimming down to accommodate the T-piece. Measure and trim the slave door as necessary to ensure a proper fit.
- Hanging the Doors:
- Hang the doors within the frame, checking that they open and close smoothly. Ensure the master door closes neatly against the T-piece on the slave door.
- Installing the Latch and Handles:
- Mark the position for the latch on the edge of the doors, ensuring it aligns correctly when the doors are closed.
- Drill holes for the latch mechanism and the door handles as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Fit the latch mechanism into the door and attach the door handles.
- Adjustments and Finishing:
- Make any final adjustments to ensure the doors are level and aligned properly.
- Fill any gaps or screw holes with wood filler and sand smooth once dry.
- Paint or finish any remaining parts as desired, ensuring to follow the paint or finish manufacturer’s instructions for the best results.
- Final Check:
- Open and close the doors several times to ensure smooth operation.
- Check that all screws are tight and secure.
Tips:
- If the doors are slightly misaligned, adjust the hinges by loosening and re-tightening the screws.
- Use a spirit level frequently to check the alignment throughout the installation process.
Frame Configuration and General Notes:
The frame pack consists of the following:
- 1no. Rebated Frame Head,
- 2no. Rebated Frame Jambs,
- 2no. Rebated Frame Mullions
- Pair Maker (T-Piece).
The frame components are also supplied over-length to allow height reduction for different depths of floor covering/ different opening widths. Overall outer frame size guidance can be found on the purchase page of your relevant retailer’s website. Note, these dimensions are for guidance only, as real- terms dimensions will depend on the choice of mortise hardware and required floor clearances.
Supplied loose should be Doors/ Sidelights. Architrave, hardware, packers and other fixing materials are not included. These doors are not supplied rebated, so do not require specialist rebated door latches. Certain black french door kit ranges may require a specialist narrow backset door latch. If you are uncertain on whether your kit requires this latch, please contact your relevant retailer’s customer service department.
Before starting any prep-work the brickwork/ partition opening and decide upon your desired opening configuration. Doors and Sidelights can be trimmed in height and width to allow some adjustment to the required opening dimensions/ floor clearances – maximum trimming information varies between product designs and will depend on the individual door/ sidelight maximum trimming tolerances – if you are in doubt over the maximum allowable trimming tolerance for the doors in your set, please contact please contact your relevant retailer’s customer service department.
Please ensure that all components are present and in good condition prior to installation. Finishing timber goods is of paramount importance to insure aesthetical and functional longevity. Treat the timber components with a good quality paint, varnish or wood stain – ensure that you follow the finishing instructions supplied with the doors for all timber components. If you are in doubt or need finishing advice, please contact your relevant retailer’s customer service department.
Prior to Installation
Unpack and loosely assemble the Jambs, Mullions and Frame Head on a clean flat surface. Use the doors and sidelights to act as a spacer between the vertical frame components. 17-18mm should also be allowed within the internal frame rebate for the pair maker, hinges and for clearance to allow for an unobstructed opening and closing sequence for the central door French door pair. Double check that the finalised external frame dimensions suit the opening, then trim the excess frame head off from one end and re-finish the end-grain.
Installing the kit
-
Preparing the Frame:
a. The frame’s head and jambs are rebated to provide an edge for the sidelights to be installed up to, and for the French doors to close up to. Notch out the frame jambs and mullions using a saw to allow these components to sit into the rebate of the frame head. It is important to ensure that the jambs/mullions sit fit flush against the head of the frame to create a tight rebate for the doors and sidelights to be fitted into.
b. Pilot drill through the head of the frame in the locations of the jambs and mullions.
We recommend countersinking all screws flush with the associated frame component to allow for a cleaner finished look.
c. Apply wood adhesive to the adjoining surfaces between the vertical frame components and the Frame Head, then screw the jointed components together.
Wipe off any excess wood adhesive with a clean cloth.
d. Ensure the frame joints are tight and that the frame is kept square prior to installation -
Install Frame and Sidelights:
a. Place the sidelights into the newly created vestibules between the frame jambs and mullions and fix into place.
i. Providing that the frame jambs and mullions were installed square, the sidelights should fit square and true into the rebate supplied on the jambs and mullions.
b. Place the frame into the opening. Use a spirit level to make sure it’s straight and shim as necessary. Use packing materials to ensure squareness where required. It is critically important to ensure that the opening between the vestibules is square and true to allow for easy installation of the doors.
c. Fix the frame into the opening through the head and jambs with appropriate fixings. -
Hang the Doors:
a. Fix the pair maker to the end of the slave door (optional master).
b. Providing that the opening between the mullions was left with sufficient clearances outlined during the “Prior to Installation” phase, and that the same opening is square and true as outlined in Part 2 of these instructions, attach hinges to the doors and then to the frame. Ensure the doors are level and have even gaps on all sides.
i. If the real clearances are less than outlined and the pair don’t fit, we recommend removing the pair maker, trimming down the pair maker edge of the slave door (following trimming guidance) until this optimum is reached.
ii. If there isn’t sufficient trim allowance on the single pair maker edge, we recommend trimming the balance required proportionally from both edges of both doors.
c. Install latch to the master door and fit any door furniture in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. -
Finishing Touches:
a. Fill any screw holes with wood filler, sand smooth when dry and re- finish.
b. Finish any trimmed edges to ensure product longevity.
c. Apply caulk around the frame where it meets the wall.
d. Fit architrave if desired.
