French Glass Patio Door Handle Installation

French doors, also called French windows, add an elegance to a patio entrance. These double doors open wide to provide access to the outside. The glass covering the majority of the doors lets in the maximum amount of light possible. French patio doors have the hardware prefitted and shipped separately from the door so you will not have to worry about drilling the holes for the door handle and lock. Installing a door handle in a new door or replacing a doorknob makes opening the French doors from the inside easier than twisting a traditional doorknob.

Door handle kit with screws for French doors
Phillips screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Stand on the inside of the doors and decide which of the two doors you will reach for to open the doors. This will determine if you install the handle on the right or left door. The other door will house a dummy handle with the striker plate for the lock.
- 2
  Push the lock with the door strike into the door you choose for the active handle. Affix the strike plate to the precut area of the door with the two installation screws included with the handle set.
- 3
  Insert the active handle half for the inside of the door into the lock through the predrilled hole in the door. You will know that it is the inside handle because it will have a metal bar on the inside that extends perpendicular to the handle and fits into the lock. The handle tip should face away from the edge of the door. Attach the plate around the base of the door handle with two Phillips-head screws. You should be able to now turn the handle and move the latch.
- 4
  Screw the surrounding plate for the outside door handle onto the exterior of the active door.
- 5
  Push the striker box into the inactive door edge. Screw it into place with two Phillips screws.
- 6
  Attach the dummy door handles on either side of the door with the remaining Phillips screws. This handle will not turn.

How to Build Wall Arches

How Do I Hang a Pre-Hung Exterior Door with Vinyl Siding?

Doors