Bespoke Wood French Doors
Handmade external timber French doors for period, heritage and premium homes
H&C Joinery designs, manufactures and installs bespoke wood French doors for homes across the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders.
Each doorset is made to measure in our workshop, with the timber, glazing, mouldings, ironmongery and finish chosen around your property. Whether you need traditional French doors for a period home, a secure garden doorset for a renovation, or a glazed timber screen with side panels, we can create doors that fit properly and look like they belong.
Our external wood French doors can include A+ rated double glazing, concealed draught proofing, high-security multipoint locking and a factory-applied paint or stain finish for long-term performance.
What are wood French doors?
Wood French doors are paired timber doors with glazed panels, usually used to connect a room to a garden, patio, terrace or balcony. They can also be used internally to divide living spaces while allowing natural light to move through the home.
The main advantage of timber is design freedom. Unlike standard uPVC or aluminium doors, bespoke timber French doors can be made around your building, including unusual openings, traditional mouldings, slim glazing bars, arched heads, fanlights, side panels and heritage-style details.
For older homes, this matters. The wrong doors can flatten the character of a property. The right timber French doors can improve light, access and comfort while still respecting the original architecture.
Why choose bespoke timber French doors?
Standard French doors are designed to fit a product range. Bespoke timber French doors are designed to fit your home.
That means better proportions, better detailing and better control over how the finished doors look from inside and outside the property. For period homes, listed buildings and high-value renovations, this is usually the difference between a door that simply fills a gap and a door that improves the building.
Bespoke wood French doors are especially useful when you need:
- A made-to-measure doorset for a non-standard opening
- Traditional mouldings or glazing bars copied from existing joinery
- External timber doors with side panels or toplights
- Slimline glazing for a heritage or conservation setting
- A painted or stained finish to match existing windows and doors
- Modern security without losing a traditional appearance
- A warmer, more characterful alternative to uPVC or aluminium
External wood French doors
External wood French doors are ideal for garden rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, lounges, extensions and period property renovations.
H&C can manufacture your doors as a simple pair of glazed timber doors or as part of a wider doorset with fixed side panels, toplights or glazed screens. This is useful where the opening is too wide for two well-proportioned door leaves, or where you want to bring more light into the room.
Every doorset is designed around the property, the opening, the exposure and the style of the building.
External options can include outward or inward opening French doors, fixed glazed side panels, toplights or fanlights, matching glazing bars, traditional or contemporary moulding profiles, low thresholds where suitable, weather seals and draught proofing, multipoint locking, premium ironmongery and factory-applied painted or stained finishes.
Internal wood French doors
Internal wood French doors are a strong choice when you want to divide rooms without blocking light.
They work well between living rooms and dining rooms, hallways and reception rooms, kitchens and snug areas, or home offices where you want some acoustic separation without making the space feel closed off.
Internal doors can be made to match existing skirting, architraves, wall panelling, mouldings or other internal joinery. They can also be designed with a cleaner, more contemporary appearance where the property calls for it.
Internal options can include clear glass, reeded glass, sandblasted glass, patterned glass, painted or stained timber, traditional mouldings, matching architraves and bespoke ironmongery.
Find out more about Bespoke Internal Joinery.
Glazing, draught proofing and security
Modern timber French doors can look traditional while still performing properly.
For external doors, H&C can include A+ rated double glazing, concealed draught proofing and suitable weather seals to help improve comfort and reduce heat loss. Where the property is listed or conservation-sensitive, slimline heritage glazing may be considered where appropriate and subject to the project requirements.
Security is also built into the design. Timber French doors can include multipoint locking, secure keeps, robust hinges and carefully selected ironmongery without losing their traditional appearance.
Performance options can include A+ rated double glazing, slimline heritage glazing where suitable, concealed draught proofing, weather seals, multipoint locking, premium hinges, lockable handles, secure door keeps and suitable ventilation where required.
“A French doorset should look right for the home, but it also needs to open smoothly, seal properly and stand up to everyday use. We design the timber, glazing and hardware as one complete system.”
Timber, finish and durability
The right timber matters, especially for external French doors exposed to British weather.
H&C commonly recommends Accoya for external timber doors because of its stability, durability and suitability for painted finishes. Other timbers, including Sapele, Abodo and selected hardwoods, can also be used depending on the design, exposure, finish and project requirements.
Doors can be factory finished in H&C’s spray shop before installation. A controlled factory finish helps create a consistent coating across the doorset and gives the timber protection before it reaches site.
Timber and finish options can include Accoya for high-performance painted external doors, Sapele for strong hardwood joinery, Abodo for a rich natural or stained appearance, painted finishes in heritage or contemporary colours, clear or stained finishes where suitable, microporous coating systems and factory-applied spray finishes.
French doors for period and heritage homes
Period homes often need more care than standard replacement doors can provide.
The size of the glazing bars, depth of the mouldings, shape of the rails and proportions of each door leaf all affect how the finished doors look. Small details can make the difference between doors that feel original to the house and doors that look obviously modern.
H&C can manufacture timber French doors to match existing joinery details, including traditional glazing bar layouts, lamb’s tongue mouldings, bolection mouldings, curved heads, fanlights, side panels, narrow sightlines, painted timber finishes and conservation-style glazing options.
This makes bespoke wood French doors suitable for period homes, listed buildings, conservation properties and high-quality renovations where the appearance of the building matters.
Find our more: Historic England guidance on altering doors in older and listed homes
When side panels and glazed screens make sense
Not every opening should be filled by two oversized French door leaves.
For wider openings, fixed side panels or glazed screens can create a better result. The doors remain well proportioned, the sightlines stay balanced, and the wider opening still benefits from additional natural light.
H&C can manufacture French doors, side panels and glazed screens as one coordinated joinery system. This helps the mouldings, glazing bars, paint finish and hardware work together visually.
This approach is especially useful for barn conversions, garden rooms, extensions, large period openings, orangery-style spaces, rural homes and premium renovations.
Learn about Accoya: Accoya wooden doors information
Bespoke French doors designed around your property
Every French door project starts with the property, not a standard product catalogue.
H&C will review the opening, discuss the style of the building, advise on timber and glazing options, and design a doorset that suits the home. For period and heritage properties, this may include matching existing mouldings, glazing bars, colours or ironmongery.
External or internal French doors?
The right doorset depends on the opening, where it sits in the property and the way the room will be used. H&C can help specify timber French doors with the right combination of glazing, thresholds, seals, hardware and side panels for the project.
Helping you make the right choice
| Situation | Likely option |
| Garden, patio, terrace or balcony access | External wood French doors |
| Room divider where natural light should pass through | Internal wood French doors |
| Wide opening where two large leaves would look poorly proportioned | French doors with fixed side panels, toplights or glazed screens |
| Period or conservation-sensitive property | Bespoke timber French doors with matched mouldings, glazing bars and appropriate glazing |
| Need doors with minimal swing into the room or terrace | Sliding timber doors or timber bifold doors may be a better option |
How the process works
1. Initial conversation
We discuss your property, project requirements, existing joinery and what you want to achieve. Photographs, drawings, approximate sizes and information about listed or conservation status are useful starting points.
2. Survey and specification
Where appropriate, we survey the property, assess the existing joinery and review measurements, condition, access, performance requirements and surrounding architectural details.
3. Design and quotation
We explain the most suitable options and prepare a clear specification and quotation. Depending on the project, this may include drawings, materials, profiles, glazing, finishes, ironmongery and installation requirements.
4. Manufacture and finishing
The agreed joinery is manufactured, repaired or restored by H&C’s workshop team. Materials, profiles, construction details and finishes are completed to the approved specification.
5. Delivery and installation
Depending on the project scope and location, the completed joinery is supplied or installed. Final checks and adjustments are completed so the finished work looks right and performs properly.
Project example: bespoke curved timber screens for a barn conversion
H&C manufactured and installed five bespoke curved timber screens for a barn conversion in Northumberland, including French doors, single doors and fixed glazed screens.
The project used Sapele hardwood and Accoya modified timber, with A+ rated glazing, Secured by Design multipoint locking and a factory-applied microporous paint system. Narrow glazing bars helped preserve open garden views while giving the barn conversion a refined, characterful finish.
Why choose H&C Joinery for wood French doors?
Bespoke French doors need to look right, open properly, seal correctly and last.
H&C combines traditional joinery knowledge with modern glazing, secure hardware and factory finishing. This makes the service suitable for homeowners, architects, contractors and property professionals who need timber French doors made around the building rather than forced into a standard size.
Choose H&C if you need:
- Handmade timber French doors
- External garden doors or patio doors
- Period-style replacement doors
- Doors for heritage or listed properties
- French doors with side panels or fanlights
- Matching windows and doors
- A+ rated glazing and secure locking
- Factory-painted or stained joinery
Our Most In Demand Services
FAQs about wood french doors
Are wood French doors suitable for external use?
Yes. Timber French doors are suitable for external use when they are designed, manufactured, glazed, sealed and finished correctly. The timber choice, threshold, weather seals, glazing and finish all need to be specified for the location and exposure.
Can external wood French doors be double glazed?
Yes. Bespoke external wood French doors can include modern double glazing. H&C can also advise on slimline heritage glazing where a finer traditional appearance is needed for a period or conservation-sensitive property.
Can timber French doors be made with side panels?
Yes. Fixed side panels, toplights and wider glazed screens can be designed as part of the same doorset. This is often the best solution for larger openings where two oversized door leaves would look poorly proportioned.
Are timber French doors secure?
Yes. Timber French doors can include multipoint locking, secure keeps, strong hinges and suitable glazing. Security depends on the complete doorset design, not just the material.
Can wood French doors be made to match existing period details?
Yes. Bespoke timber French doors can be made to match existing mouldings, glazing bars, profiles, curved heads, fanlights and paint colours. This is especially useful for period homes, listed buildings and heritage properties.
What timber is best for external French doors?
Accoya is often recommended for painted external French doors because of its stability and durability. Other timbers, including Sapele, Abodo and selected hardwoods, may also be suitable depending on the project and finish.
Do timber French doors need a lot of maintenance?
They need sensible routine care rather than heavy maintenance. This usually means keeping the finish clean, checking seals and drainage, and touching up coating damage before moisture can enter the timber. The maintenance interval depends on exposure and finish.
Can H&C make internal French doors too?
Yes. H&C can manufacture internal wood French doors for room dividers, hallways, living spaces and home offices. Internal doors are specified differently from external doors, especially around seals, thresholds, glass and hardware.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding our services please contact us:
Telephone: 0191 482 3792
Email: [email protected]
Address: Unit 17 Morrison Industrial Estate North, Annfield Plain, Stanley, DH9 7RU
