How to Use Exterior Double Doors

Are you looking to add a touch of elegance to an entryway? Perhaps you’re in the market for an accent piece—something grandiose, yet inviting to add a little character to your home. Or maybe you’d just like to enlarge the entrance of your house or freestanding building. If so, exterior double doors may be the solution for you.

5 Places to Use Exterior Double Doors

1. Front Doors
2. Patio Doors
3. Garden Sheds
4. Garage Entrances
5. Pool Houses 

You can easily install double doors in any entryway to liven up a space and increase functionality. But, when it comes to purchasing your double doors, you’ll want to make sure you’re choosing the right style, materials, and dimensions for your specific needs.

What are Exterior Double Doors?

Exterior double doors are exactly what the name implies—two doors in an outside entryway. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and materials. Double doors not only add a grand entrance to your room or freestanding building, but they’re also an unbeatable option for increasing accessibility, allowing you to more easily move equipment or furniture in and out of a room.

Exterior Double Door Materials

Some of the common materials used to make double doors are:

• Wood: Wood is one of the most popular double door materials. Wooden doors come in many different types, but two classic kinds of wood that we recommend are knotty alder and mahogany. Knotty alder is a lighter wood, while mahogany is darker in color. You don’t have to rely on natural wood grain to get the color you’re after, though. Wooden doors can also be stained to match the color palette of your home.
• Steel: Steel doors are a great option for exterior uses, like tool sheds, or even for industrial uses, like kitchens, where a lot of wear and tear is expected.
• Glass: Glass is perfect for letting more natural light into a room. Exterior French doors or an entry door with sidelights are both great options if you want a more open feel from your double door.
• Iron: Iron doors add character to your home’s exterior. Iron doors will require some occasional maintenance, but the sophisticated appearance is certainly worth the (minimal) upkeep.
• Fiberglass: Fiberglass is a common material used for exterior doors. Due to the material’s resilient nature, fiberglass doors hold up well against extreme weather and resist warping in wet or dry climates.

Styles of Exterior Double Doors

There are three main styles of exterior double doors: standard double exterior doors, exterior double Dutch doors, and exterior French doors.

• Exterior Double Doors: The standard exterior double door is exactly what it sounds like, two doors instead of one. Besides its unique, impressive appearance, the exterior double door is perfect for those who want a wider entrance to their home or building.
• Exterior Double Dutch Doors: Exterior double Dutch doors boast an idyllic old-world charm that many find irresistible. These double doors are famous for their unique construction; each door is divided into halves so that the top half opens independently from the bottom half.
• Exterior French Doors: Besides their timeless and distinctly elegant look, the exterior French door’s large window surface is great for letting in natural light. Exterior double French doors also come in many different styles, so you’ll be sure to find the pair that is right for you.\
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What Size are Exterior Double Doors?

When it comes to exterior double doors, there are three standard sizes:

• 74 inches x 82 inches
• 60 inches x 80 inches
• 72 inches x 80 inches

However, you don’t have to limit yourself to these three sizes. Rustica offers custom size doors built to your exact specifications. So, no matter how wide or tall you want your dream double door to be, you can rest assured knowing that Rustica has you covered.

How Much is a Double Exterior Door?

The cost of double exterior doors depends largely on the style, size, and material.The prices of Rustica’s high-quality selection of double exterior doors range from $2,700 to $7,600. Customizations, such as clear glass windows, increased door thickness, wood finish, and custom door sizing will also increase the price.

How to Install Exterior Double Doors

Installing exterior double doors is no different than installing single exterior doors. As long as you have the proper tools and door hardware, the process is relatively easy and fun! To install your double doors, follow these simple steps:

1. Stand the First Door: Using a screw gun or drill, screw the door hinges into the door. Then, stand the first door in the door jamb and adjust it until the door's face is flush with the edges of the jamb. Using a four-foot level, further adjust the door until it is square and vertically plumb. Take your time and make sure the door is perfectly level. You will use the first door to align the second door, so if it’s even an ⅛ inch out of alignment, the doors will not set correctly in the opening and you’ll have to start all over.
2. Mount the First Door: Screw the hinges into the jamb, making sure to keep the door in alignment.
3. Mount the second door: After installing the first door, insert the second door into the jamb but don’t screw the hinges to the jamb just yet. If the gap between your doors gets narrower at the top or bottom, simply adjust the second door until the gap looks even, then finish mounting the door by screwing the hinges into the jamb. If the spacing around your double door looks uneven, don’t fret. You simply need to insert shims around your door jamb until the spacing looks even around the doors.

Prehung exterior double doors are even easier to install. Because prehung double doors are already anchored to the jamb, all that’s left for you to do is insert the jamb into your door opening and shim it to ensure that the spacing is even before anchoring the jamb to the opening with screws or nails.

5 Ways to Use Exterior Double Doors

1. Front Doors

The front entry door is the focal point of a home. The style and material of your front door, therefore, can either improve or diminish your home’s curb appeal. While an elegant wood entry door draws the eye and gives a home a unique personality, an exterior wood double door will elevate that personality by adding a sense of opulence and openness to your home’s entryway. We recommend a beautiful, richly textured wood, like mahogany or knotty alder to give your exterior front double door an even greater sense of sophistication.If you’d like a little more natural light in your home, the addition of glass inserts in your double entry door will allow twice the natural light of a single door. Consider installing sidelights or transom windows to invite even more natural light into your home.If you want to set your entryway apart even further, consider an exterior double Dutch door to give your entryway an antique, Americana charm. There’s also nothing quite like throwing open the top halves of your exterior double Dutch door on a crisp autumn day to let some fresh air into your home.

2. Patio Doors

The patio is one of the most common areas people associate with exterior double doors, and for good reason. Opening the double doors to your patio creates a relaxed and open atmosphere, perfect for barbecuing, entertaining guests, or simply enjoying a lovely day.

The classic, laid-back charm of exterior double French doors is well-suited for a patio. And, because of the double French doors’ generous glass surface, you can bring the outside in, even on days when you’d rather not expose your home’s interior to the elements.

3. Garden Sheds

Exterior double doors are ideal for garden sheds. A wider entrance allows for greater accessibility, so you can more easily move equipment, like lawnmowers and wheelbarrows, or bulky items, such as bagged mulch or garden soil, in or out of your shed.When it comes to the styles of exterior double doors for sheds, you have a few options. If it’s utility you’re after, exterior metal double doors are the way to go. Metal doors resist aging and withstand extreme weather—cold or hot—so once you install your exterior metal double door, you won’t have to worry about much upkeep or maintenance.However, if you’re looking to give your garden shed a more rustic, barn-like charm, consider a solid wood double door. While an exterior wood double door that is constantly exposed to the elements will require more upkeep and attention than an exterior metal double door, you may find the authentic appearance of wood to be worth the trade-off.

4. Garage Entrances

While convenient, when it comes to curb appeal, the standard rolling garage door can be a bit of an eyesore. An exterior wood double door will set your garage apart by lending it a sophisticated, antique look with a modern flair ideal for craftsman style homes.

5. Pool Houses

Like a patio, a pool house invites outdoor recreation of all kinds. Birthday parties, pool parties, barbecues, family days—the list goes on. But, no matter the function of your pool house, a sense of openness and good flow is crucial to maintaining a fun and inviting atmosphere.

Exterior double doors with a large glass surface are great for accentuating the relaxed and beachy feel of a pool house. Many go with glass double sliding doors for their pool houses, but an exterior double French door also works well.

Can Double Doors be Locked?

Exterior double doors can certainly be locked! But, as with any type of door, the security of your double doors will depend on the type of door hardware you purchase. A quality lockset is essential for keeping your double doors secure.Double doors lock much the same way single doors do. While both doors typically have handles, only one door has a functioning handle set, while the handle set of the second door is purely decorative. Instead, the second door receives the lock and deadbolt of the first door, so that, when locked, both doors are joined together.To further secure exterior double doors, a flush bolt is often included on the door with the false handle. A flush bolt is like a vertical deadbolt that anchors a door to the door frame at the top and bottom. This ensures that when the exterior double door is locked, it can’t be pulled outward.Because you won’t typically use both doors in a double door set, you can expect to leave the flush bolt locked most of the time, creating an inactive door and an active door. Think of the inactive door as being part of the wall, while you’ll use the active door like a standard single door.

Can French Doors be Locked?

Yes! The same rules apply to glass French doors as we detailed above. Just make sure to purchase a quality lockset for your glass French doors to ensure your safety.

Where to Buy Exterior Double Doors

Hopefully this article has shown you what to look for in your exterior double doors. We’ve covered the price range, materials, styles, uses—even how to install a double door in your home. All that’s left is to find and purchase the exterior double door of your dreams. That’s where Rustica comes in!Here at Rustica, we offer a broad selection of high-quality exterior double doors that we’ll customize to your exact specifications. Curious? Come browse Rustica.com. No matter what size, shape, pattern, or finish you’re looking for, we’re certain that we have the double door for you.