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French doors will not close

How to Fix French Doors That Are Not Closing

After winter, you may find your French doors are not closing again. Our checklist will help you diagnose a French door that won't close to fix the problem.

What is a French door

French doors are a popular choice for opening into a garden or outdoor space. They will probably be used less than other doors and may remain closed for most of the winter months. Water ingress, material expansion and low maintenance can have an impact on the door's integrity and in spring when you come to open your doors again, you might notice that your french doors won't close properly.



Reasons why your French doors are not closing properly

Problems with French doors are usually because one of the doors moves slightly and becomes misaligned. Isolating which door is the culprit is always a good starting point.

  • Heat or cold can make them expand or contract. Direct sunlight on a hot summer's day especially causes this for composite. Timber products can be prone to natural shrinkage or expansion.
  • A slight movement in the frame or the door adjustment can result in one door becoming misaligned with the other.
  • Low use over winter can result in the moving parts corroding slightly or reduced lubrication due to no movement.
  • Issues with the lock becoming stiff to operate due to water ingress or light use.

How to fix French doors that won't close

  • There is a good chance that your issue is caused by the movement of one of the doors.
    With the doors both closed, check the gap running down between both sets of doors is equal all the way, without the top or bottom of the doors being closer from one end to the other. Also, check all the moving parts and that some small piece of grit is not clogging up any of the running gear or stopping the doors from closing together
  • Does it look like the door has expanded as the gaps around the door are not equal?
    Many customers are surprised by how much expansion or shrinkage can impact their doors. But as the tolerances are set within a fine degree to reduce draughts only a one or two millimetres expansion can make the door stick. Both timber and uPVC will expand to a small degree and we recommend that any attempt to isolate your issue is carried out on an average weather day. If it's not expansion it could be the doors are no longer.
  • Are the gaps unequal at certain points or are the doors catching on each other due to moving closer?
    This could be the issue that one of the doors has moved slightly. Read our guide on how to adjust uPVC door hinges to help realign the door.
  • Is it the locking mechanism or moving parts such as hinges at fault? Doors do require light maintenance, and French doors especially which have low use will require a light oil to be applied. Also, ensure that there is no grit in the running gear.

After running through the checklist above, your French doors still won't close, we recommend contacting your manufacturer, or a specialist who can assist in realigning the doors.


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