French & Double Doors

French & Double Doors in Coral Gables, FL | Winslow Windows & Doors

French doors open a home differently than a slider or a single swing door. They create a wide, symmetrical passage that connects a living room to a terrace, a dining room to a loggia, or a primary suite to a morning balcony. In Coral Gables, where outdoor living is part of the architecture itself, paired impact-rated French doors are one of the most requested upgrades we install. Winslow Windows & Doors supplies and installs this profile across our PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass lines, engineered to Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements. Call (904) 478-8983 to talk through sizes, glass, and finishes for your Coral Gables home.

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Product Overview - French & Double Doors

French & Double Doors in the Impact Series are paired doors with laminated glass in every lite. Both panels swing, which gives you the full opening width when you want it and a balanced, symmetrical sightline when the doors are closed. The visual effect is classic, but the engineering underneath is anything but decorative.

Each door carries an impact-rated laminate. The hardware is multi-point, meaning the door locks at the head, at the sill, and at the meeting stile, not just at a single latch. For a Coral Gables home in a wind-borne debris region, that matters. A door that locks at three points resists racking and deflection under cyclic wind loading far better than a single-point lock.

We see these doors specified on Mediterranean-style homes off Riviera Drive, on newer contemporary builds near the Biltmore, and on ranch-style houses in the Granada section. The frame materials, aluminum or vinyl, hold up to salt air and humidity without the swelling or warping you get with wood. Aluminum offers narrower sightlines and more rigidity on taller openings. Vinyl brings thermal performance and a softer feel. Both are finished in colors that work with Coral Gables architecture, from crisp white to deep bronze.

Maximum width is 96 inches, which covers most interior-to-exterior openings without a center post. When you want that unobstructed pass-through to a pool deck or garden, this is the profile that delivers it.

Technical Specifications

• Frame materials: Aluminum or vinyl, both engineered for coastal Florida exposure.
• Maximum size: Up to 96 inches wide, configuration dependent.
• Glass options: Laminated impact glass with PVB interlayer, Low-E insulated glass, tinted glass, clear glass.
• Finish options: White, almond, bronze, black, tan.
• Locking hardware: Multi-point locking at head, sill, and meeting stile.
• Compliance documentation: Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers available per configuration, verified on your quote.
• Design pressure: Matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100, never higher than what the structure requires.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

Laminated Impact Glass
Every lite in these French doors carries a PVB interlayer. When impact occurs, the glass may crack, but the interlayer holds the fragments in the frame. The opening stays sealed, which keeps wind and water out of the house during a storm. This is the core of what makes the product impact-rated, and it’s standard on every configuration we quote in Coral Gables.

Miami-Dade NOA / Florida Product Approval
Each configuration we sell carries a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance or a Florida Product Approval number. These are issued per specific size, glass, and hardware combination, not as a blanket rating. We verify the approval number for your exact configuration on the written quote, so your Coral Gables permit submittal is accurate from day one.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance
The product is engineered to Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements. HVHZ is the stricter code tier that applies to Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Coral Gables falls under it. If a door is not built to HVHZ, it does not pass inspection here. These are.

TAS 201 / 202 / 203 Testing Context
HVHZ-rated products are tested under the TAS protocol family. TAS 201 covers large-missile impact, TAS 202 covers cyclic wind-pressure loading, and TAS 203 covers forced-entry resistance. The French & Double Doors profile is engineered within this testing framework, which is what allows the NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers to be issued per configuration.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone
Design pressure is matched to the wind zone of the specific opening, up to +/-100, and never higher than the structural requirement calls for. Overspecifying is a waste of money. Underspecifying is a code failure. We size the DP rating to your Coral Gables location and your elevation, and we show you the number on the quote.

Energy Performance Options
Low-E insulated glass is available for these doors. In Coral Gables, the Low-E coating cuts solar heat gain through the glass while the insulated airspace slows heat transfer. Tinted glass is another option for west-facing openings that catch hard afternoon sun. Clear laminated glass remains the choice when maximum natural light matters more than thermal performance.

Color & Glass Options

Finish selection should follow the house, not the showroom. White and almond work on the coral-rock and stucco Mediterranean homes that define much of Coral Gables. Bronze and black create a stronger frame line on contemporary builds and on homes with dark window trim already in place. Tan splits the difference, warm without being beige, and it hides coastal dust well.

On the glass side, clear laminated impact glass is the most popular choice for French doors because it preserves the view and the light. Low-E insulated glass is the pick when the doors face south or west and the room behind them gets hot in summer. Tinted glass reduces glare and adds privacy, which matters on street-facing doors in denser sections of the Gables. We can mix glass types across a single project, so a shaded east-facing door and a hot west-facing door do not have to match if the priorities differ.

Installation by Winslow Windows & Doors in Coral Gables

The approval number on a door means nothing if the opening is not prepped and sealed correctly. We install every French & Double Doors set as a system, not as a door swap.

Before installation, we inspect the rough opening, the header, and the condition of the existing buck or framing. In Coral Gables, many homes are older masonry construction, and a door set into block or stucco needs different anchoring than one set into wood framing. We check that before we order anything.

On install day, the frame is set level, plumb, and square. A door that is even slightly out of square will bind at the meeting stile, and the multi-point locking hardware will not throw correctly. We shim and anchor to the substrate, then seal the perimeter with AAMA 812 low-expansion foam. That foam does the quiet work of killing air and water intrusion around the frame. Our installation practice follows AAMA 2400/2410 standards for fenestration installation, which covers the anchoring, flashing, and sealing sequence that a rated opening demands.

For Coral Gables specifically, we are familiar with the local permit process and the HVHZ documentation the building department wants to see. The NOA or Florida Product Approval number for your configuration gets included in the submittal package. After the doors are hung and adjusted, we run water on the exterior and check for intrusion, then clean the opening and walk you through the hardware operation.

Improper installation compromises the rated system. A door with a valid NOA installed with the wrong anchor pattern or an unsealed sill will not perform as tested. That is the entire reason professional installation matters on an impact-rated product.

Frequently Asked Questions - French & Double Doors

What wind zone or design pressure are the French & Double Doors rated for?
The design pressure is matched to the wind zone of your specific Coral Gables home, up to +/-100, and never higher than the structural requirement. We pull the wind zone from your address and elevation and confirm the DP rating for your exact configuration on the written quote. Call (904) 478-8983 and we will look it up while you are on the phone.

What is the lead time for these doors?
Lead time runs roughly four to eight weeks from order to delivery for most configurations, depending on the manufacturer line and the glass package. Custom sizes and less common finishes add time. We give you a firm window when we quote, and we track the order through delivery so your Coral Gables install date does not move without you knowing why. Call (904) 478-8983 for current lead times on the line you want.

Does my permit require a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval submittal?
Yes. Coral Gables building permits for impact doors require the product approval documentation for the exact configuration being installed. We include the NOA or Florida Product Approval number on your quote and in the permit submittal package, so the plans examiner gets what they need the first time. Call (904) 478-8983 to confirm the approval for your size and glass.

Can I customize the size or configuration?
Most openings up to 96 inches wide can be configured without a major redesign. The panels are built per order, so out-swing, in-swing, glass type, and finish are selected per project, not pulled from stock. If your Coral Gables opening is non-standard, we measure and match the configuration to the rough opening before ordering. Call (904) 478-8983 to schedule a measurement.

How do I maintain the frame and hardware?
Wash the frame with mild soap and water and rinse the track and sill drains regularly. Keep the multi-point lock points clean and lightly lubricated. In Coral Gables, salt air builds up faster than inland, so a rinse every couple of months keeps the finish clean and the hardware moving smoothly. If a panel ever feels stiff or the lock does not throw cleanly, call (904) 478-8983 and we will send someone out.

Get a Quote - French & Double Doors in Coral Gables

We supply, permit, and install French & Double Doors across Coral Gables and the surrounding Miami-Dade area. Every quote includes the NOA or Florida Product Approval number for your configuration, a line-item price, and a measured opening. Call (904) 478-8983 to schedule a free on-site measurement and project consultation.

Written by the team at Winslow Windows & Doors, supplying and installing hurricane-impact windows and doors in Coral Gables, FL.