Two single doors to create a french door (internal)

_Sam_

I'm thinking of knocking part of the wall between sitting and dining rooms and installing french doors there. Will be looking for a local joiner to do this, but wondering if this may not be a good idea to use two single doors to create a double?

The current doors in the bungalow are good quality oak even if a bit old-fashioned - replacing them all is not a priority right now and I'd like them all looking the same so would prefer to re-use the current doors rather than buying a new set for the sitting/dining divide.

We will be removing the door separating kitchen and dining (just leaving an arch there for the time being), and removing a side door in the sitting room. Both are the same size and so I thought to use them to create the french doors.

ThisIsWeird

Can't see any reason why not.

It might need a 'lip' added to one door, for the second door to close against so that there is no see-through gap between the two, but you may consider this unnecessary. But the door handle & locking mechanisms will almost certainly need to be different from their existing, so one 'bolts' into the top frame or floor to stay closed. You may make do with magnetic or spring type latches.

Le_Kirk

Hopefully you have thought about what happens when you knock down the wall and take away the support for whatever is above the door.  There is likely a lintel above the existing door and you would need to install one to fit above the new double width doors.  I am not a surveyor or building professional, just a thought that bricks/joist/rafters do not sit very well on fresh air!

FFHillbilly

I have 2 x 686mm doors from kitchen to living room, one has flush bolts at the top and bottom and is shut most of the time.

Doozergirl

Le_Kirk said:

Hopefully you have thought about what happens when you knock down the wall and take away the support for whatever is above the door.  There is likely a lintel above the existing door and you would need to install one to fit above the new double width doors.  I am not a surveyor or building professional, just a thought that bricks/joist/rafters do not sit very well on fresh air!

This.   You may need a structural engineer and building control involved. 

The potential issue with existing doors is that they are often wider than doors you'd purchase for the purpose of being french doors and they will swing into the room further. 

I've never really been convinced by double doors.  You lose the ability to place furniture by them - like an open plan room but worse because you need circulation space around the swing door of the doors, not just the opening itself...then the opening isn't massive so it still feels like two rooms.   You might as well have two rooms. 

sugar-walsh

I'm with doozergirl. Unless you make pocket doors or sliding barn type doors, which would still require space. 

We once put a new door between kitchen and lounge.husband (a joiner) made it so we could put doubles in if required, but we opted for a single in the end. More wall space and to be honest, it was mostly shut for heat purposes. We just put a glass door in so you could still feel part of the same room

ThisIsWeird

Good points.

You have other doorish options, Sam, worth thinking through.

The two doors can be centrally-hinged to make them fold to one side. Or Parliament hinges will allow them to fold right back flat against each wall. Or sliding door gear can be used - nice ol' rustic barn style if it suits - to slide the doors away if there's enough wall space, one to each side, or both to one.

greensalad

Doozergirl said:

I've never really been convinced by double doors.  You lose the ability to place furniture by them - like an open plan room but worse because you need circulation space around the swing door of the doors, not just the opening itself...then the opening isn't massive so it still feels like two rooms.   You might as well have two rooms. 

Exactly this. I have double doors from my living room to kitchen. They are bifold. But because I have furniture/other doors o either side of them I permanently keep them folded and secured half and half, which means the opening in the middle is just a normal door width. They are pointless.

But when I redo the kitchen I plan to add a pocket door system. Seeing as you're already knocking wall down I would do that. 

Jonboy_1984

In my second house with an arch between kitchen and living room area and really don’t like the fact I cannot shut the door when frying or when the grill is smoky.

_Sam_

Thank you all so much, great suggestions - I haven't thought about building control, did think a lintel would be needed but I suppose is it due to the width of the opening (two doors) that a structural assessment would be advisable?  

I was thinking to avoid the lip so as not to have to mess with the doors too much, and some sort of magnetic connection and flush bolts sound good, ideally I'm hoping to have as the floor as flat as possible maybe just a threshold but not more than that.

_Sam_

Doozergirl said:

Le_Kirk said:

Hopefully you have thought about what happens when you knock down the wall and take away the support for whatever is above the door.  There is likely a lintel above the existing door and you would need to install one to fit above the new double width doors.  I am not a surveyor or building professional, just a thought that bricks/joist/rafters do not sit very well on fresh air!

This.   You may need a structural engineer and building control involved. 

The potential issue with existing doors is that they are often wider than doors you'd purchase for the purpose of being french doors and they will swing into the room further. 

I've never really been convinced by double doors.  You lose the ability to place furniture by them - like an open plan room but worse because you need circulation space around the swing door of the doors, not just the opening itself...then the opening isn't massive so it still feels like two rooms.   You might as well have two rooms. 

Thank you I agree with what you say about having two rooms, like in the case of a traditional victorian semi sitting and dining rooms separated by double doors I wouldn't do that either. Our bungalow floor plan is a bit unusual, I include a photo below. 

On the dining room side of the wall we can't put any furniture not even a dog bed as it would be right in the way. On the sitting room side at most I could probably put a narrow console table but not much else as it is also a thoroughfare. (We could get rid of the side door only so no thoroughfare, but that would mean a weird round about trip to the loo should anyone need it in the evening while watching a movie or something!)

On the other hand the double doors would make sitting room a bit more 'sociable' almost like an open plan but with the possibility of closing the doors. It would also make the access to the garden easier, and some view to the garden from the sitting room. Also the sitting room is the south and dining is north, so the dining would then benefit from some sunlight to make it more cheerful. Getting rid of the side door would free the space for some furniture in the corner.

I'm not 100% sold on the idea but about 90% (mostly not looking forward to dust and mess!) But it looks to be an improvement on the current layout and I'm not sure how else we could improve it.


Before, the red doors to be removed and re-used:


After: