French doors - is this a correct installation?

11 years ago

Hi everyone,

We are getting a French/double door installed. When I got home and saw the job I was quite disappointed. In my opinion the doors are too far apart (I can stick a finger between them and see through) and I thing that the bolt will not reach the second door to close properly. Is the spacing normal?

We have already paid $650 for the installation (Toronto, Canada) and the contractor is asking for an extra $250 if he needs to rehung the doors. I believe that the installation is not well done and that it shouldn't have an extra cost for us if he didn't measure well (the contractor installed a new frame himself).

His other solution is to cover with a T astragal (I think that's the name) but I don't like this idea.

Any opinions, ideas, comments appreciated. Recommended contractors in the area?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

User

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

All butt doors need a T astragal, even if they're back beveled. Period. I don't see how anyone can screw up a pre hung unit, so if it came that way, you've got a beef with the manufacturer. If the doors were hung individually, and the rough opening needed adjusting and new trim, was that part of the scope of work? As well as building the casing?

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Comments (10)

Judy Mishkin
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
are these interior or exterior doors? (i have to think interior because otherwise he wouldnt have left them quite this raw).

doors cannot perfectly close against each other one at a time, if they were wood on wood you'd have to have both open and close them gently at the same time. so, interior doors could well have some space (i think mine did) because they dont have rubber gaskets filling the gap.

yours do have more space than necessary of course. even if they were better they'd still have a gap, an astragal would be the sensible fix.

so the guy kind of screwed up, i think he's not a pro at *this* job. it will take him more time to do it, you might negotiate to split the upcharge for his error and your disappointment and put the astragal in and rehang the doors if the bolt really doesnt reach.

and don't hire him again.
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Sophie
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your reply Sophie. The doors were not prehung, the contractor built a new frame and did the hinge holes. They are interior doors.
I guess that the T Stragal will hide the separation but still it looks like the hardware is not going to close properly. Maybe it can't be appreciated in the photo but the bolt barely touches the second door, doesn't "overlap" with it.
Materials were on top of that price too, $350, so at the end it is adding way more than what we expected for a job that doesn't even look well finished. But again that is only an opinion from somebody who doesn't know about door installation.
Sophie
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your reply too nnigrt!
Sophie
Original Author
11 years ago
Doors bottom:
PRO
Ville Doors
8 years ago
If you can stick a finger in between doors, the gap is too big. It should be no more than 1/8". The door should be reinstalled. Addition of an astrigal is still recommended after reinstall. No excuses for contractor. His fault.
PRO
R-U-S Doors, Inc.
8 years ago
Need a door shoe on the bottom of each door immediately and you are missing the astragal - I don't know if you swapped the old doors and kept the existing frame - if so the new-atragal should have been applied to the inactive door and weatherstripping placed inside of it for a proper seal. GET YOU MONEY BACK ... IF THAT DOESN'T WORK HIRE ANOTHER PERSON AND ASK TO SEE SAMPLES OF THEIR WORK (EVERYONE TAKES PHOTOS OF THEIR JOBS) - RUS
PRO
R-U-S Doors, Inc.
8 years ago
If these are interior(s) then they were completely over-plained with the plainer - new doors would be needed.
PRO
Ellsworth Design Build
8 years ago
Old post 2015
Mary
8 years ago
What is the best way to install a mahogany astragal on mahogany double doors? Should it be glued or should a nail gun be used? Thank you.