French doors are lovely to live with, but with two leaves meeting in the middle, there is a bit more to keep aligned than on a single door. Most French door and window repair jobs come down to a handful of familiar faults: sagging leaves, locks that will not line up, and draughts creeping through the middle. Here is how to spot each one and put it right, plus when it is time to call us.
Sagging or dropping leaves
The most common French door gripe is a leaf that has dropped, so it catches on the floor, the frame or the other leaf. Because the two doors have to meet neatly down the centre, even a small sag shows up quickly.
- Watch where the leaf catches as it closes. Dragging at the bottom of the outer edge points to a drop on the hinges.
- On most modern French doors the hinges adjust for height. Pop off any caps, find the height screw and lift the leaf a quarter turn at a time with an Allen key.
- Do both hinges on that leaf evenly so it stays square.
- Test after each small turn until the leaf swings clear and meets its partner cleanly.
If both leaves have dropped, sort the fixed or first-closing leaf first, then align the second to it.
Locks and handles that will not line up
French doors usually have a main locking leaf and a slave leaf held by shootbolts top and bottom. When things drift out of line, the lock will not throw or the handle feels stiff.
- Check the shootbolts on the slave leaf drop cleanly into their keeps in the frame. If they miss, adjust the keeps a millimetre or two, or lift the leaf slightly.
- On the main leaf, look for shiny marks on the keeps that show where the hooks are catching, and nudge the keeps until the lock engages smoothly.
- A handle that spins or feels loose can mean a worn spindle or gearbox, which stops the mechanism throwing properly.
Never force a lock that will not turn. That is the quickest way to snap a gearbox and turn a small alignment job into a new lock.
Draughts through the middle
The join between two leaves is the classic spot for a draught, especially on doors that face the weather.
- Inspect the rubber gaskets around both leaves and the centre seal. Flattened, cracked or perished seals are a common culprit and cheap to replace.
- Use the compression adjustment on the hinges to pull the leaves in tighter against the seals, then check they still lock easily.
- Check the centre weatherbar or brush seal where the two leaves overlap, as this is what blocks draughts down the join.
- Make sure both shootbolts are engaging, since an unlocked slave leaf sits loose and lets air in.
Other niggles worth knowing
- Condensation between the panes means a failed sealed unit, not a door fault. The glass needs replacing, not the door.
- Rattling in the wind usually points to worn seals or slightly loose keeps.
- Sticking only in summer is heat expansion, often cured with a small hinge tweak.
- A leaf that swings open on its own means the door is out of level and needs adjusting back to square.
When to call a professional
Hinge, keep and seal adjustments cover the bulk of French door troubles. Some faults, though, need a proper repair. A worn or failing multipoint lock, a snapped gearbox, hinges pulling out of the frame, or a frame that has moved with the building are all beyond a quick tweak. And because French doors are a favourite target for burglars, it is worth making sure the locking is sound rather than living with a mechanism that half works.
We handle exactly this. Our window and door repairs in York cover dropped leaves, failed locks and worn seals on French doors across York and North Yorkshire. If your doors are genuinely tired, our aluminium sliding and bi-fold doors and uPVC doors in York pages show modern replacements that open up onto the garden beautifully.
FAQs
Why won't my French doors close properly?
Usually one leaf has dropped on its hinges, so it catches on the floor, frame or the other leaf. Lift it with the hinge height adjustment a little at a time. Worn seals and misaligned keeps can also stop them meeting cleanly.
How do I fix a draught through the middle of French doors?
Check and replace any flattened or perished seals, use the hinge compression adjustment to pull the leaves tighter, and make sure the centre weatherbar and both shootbolts are engaging. A failed centre seal is a common, cheap fix.
Why won't the second French door leaf lock?
The shootbolts on the slave leaf are missing their keeps in the frame. Adjust the keeps a millimetre or two, or lift the leaf slightly, so the bolts drop in cleanly. Never force the handle if it feels stiff.
Can I adjust French door hinges myself?
Yes, most modern French door hinges adjust for height, side to side and compression, usually with an Allen key. Make small quarter-turn adjustments and test often, doing both hinges on a leaf evenly to keep it square.
When should I call a professional for French door repairs?
Call a specialist if the lock or gearbox has failed, hinges are pulling from the frame, or the frame itself has moved. Forcing a faulty lock can snap the gearbox, and secure locking matters on doors that open to the garden.
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