Drafty French door advice please

[ajchien]

So, moved in a new house a few months ago, and now that it's getting cold ... I've got a french door that is quite drafty.

Looks like the issue is that it has both a deadbolt and a knob with latch - except that both the deadbolt And the knob (on the first opened door) latch fits into the groove loosely on the other door. So much so that the first door can swing back and forth minimally open maybe 1/4" or so. I hope this makes sense to you guys.

I've thought about fixes which could be:
1) put additional adhesive weatherstripping in
2) I've seen french doors have an additional ball-catch latch located at the top of the door that helps keep the door more firmly in a fully closed position
3) I could install a deadbolt strike latch in the groove of the second door

Which method do you guys think is best?

 

[Nowater]

Post a photo!

 

[JonnyMac]

Yep. Common problem with french doors.
You need to do the following.

The second opening door needs vertical recessed bolts fitted to the face that is hidden when the main door is closed. They need to shoot into the top and bottom of the frame.
The main or first opening door will now either tightly close onto the secondary door or if its a little out at top and bottom, you need to do the same vertical bolt at top and bottom but this time on the face of the door.

I had some that were factory made like this once but my current place didnt have the bolts. So I retrofittedthem and its perfect.
I can take a pic if you want...
Jonny

 

[ajchien]

I have the vertical bolts you're talking about. I think my issue is that where a normal door has a strike plate that fits the deadbolt, my door has a drilled hole that is larger than the deadbolt. It allows the door to slightly shift open.

Let me see if I can get a pic.

 

[olytdi]

Yep. Common problem with french doors.
You need to do the following.

The second opening door needs vertical recessed bolts fitted to the face that is hidden when the main door is closed. They need to shoot into the top and bottom of the frame.
The main or first opening door will now either tightly close onto the secondary door or if its a little out at top and bottom, you need to do the same vertical bolt at top and bottom but this time on the face of the door.

I had some that were factory made like this once but my current place didnt have the bolts. So I retrofittedthem and its perfect.
I can take a pic if you want...
Jonny

This. Jonny nailed it.

 

[schor]

Yep. Common problem with french doors.
You need to do the following.

The second opening door needs vertical recessed bolts fitted to the face that is hidden when the main door is closed. They need to shoot into the top and bottom of the frame.
The main or first opening door will now either tightly close onto the secondary door or if its a little out at top and bottom, you need to do the same vertical bolt at top and bottom but this time on the face of the door.

I had some that were factory made like this once but my current place didnt have the bolts. So I retrofittedthem and its perfect.
I can take a pic if you want...
Jonny

Agreed Jonny's got the answer. You may even have the bolts there already, if not then that was a pretty dumb manufacturer.

 

[garage rookie]

Could you possibly make or buy a dowel big enough to fill that hole and redrill it? Also put a sleeve inside the new hole to help with wear on the hole after you drill the new one.

 

[JonnyMac]

Not 100% on how you are set up.
But even if the dead bolt is loose, the 'tightness' of the primary opening door can be or should be controlled by how tight the vertical bolts are locating into the frame..

 

[ajchien]

Not 100% on how you are set up.
But even if the dead bolt is loose, the 'tightness' of the primary opening door can be or should be controlled by how tight the vertical bolts are locating into the frame..

Just to clarify, the bolts i have are located in my secondary door. When the bolts are extended into the frame, the secondary door is solid.

But the primary door still moves a bit. Enough to be drafty. I'm on a hillside and it can get quite windy.

 

[ajchien]

Here's a pic. I have these sliding bolt things on the top and bottom of the secondary door that locks this door in solid.

 

[ajchien]

Ok, I just triple read Johnny's first reply.

So my answer is that I need another set of bolts on the primary door, but on the face of the primary door. How do I accomplish this? These doors open inwards - if it's on the face of the door - vertical up puts the bolt into the trim pieces, and into carpet below...

 

[JonnyMac]

Yes. You need bolts on the primary door.
Sounds like the door is not hung in a frame all the way around?
I would first just try the upper bolt, if the door is rigid enough you should be able to get the bolt tight enough at the top to pull the bottom in. Putting one in at the bottom may look a bit **** if its on carpet. You could try a spring door stop on the base. Effectively just a push down plunger which is fixed to the bottom of the door?? The rubber base will grab the carpet nicely. ..

 

[ajchien]

Yes. You need bolts on the primary door.
Sounds like the door is not hung in a frame all the way around?
I would first just try the upper bolt, if the door is rigid enough you should be able to get the bolt tight enough at the top to pull the bottom in. Putting one in at the bottom may look a bit **** if its on carpet. You could try a spring door stop on the base. Effectively just a push down plunger which is fixed to the bottom of the door?? The rubber base will grab the carpet nicely. ..

Do you have a pic of how you retrofitted a bolt on the primary door?

 

[streetisneat]

I think garage rookie has the answer. The secondary door is solid but the main or opening door moves because the door latch is not holding the main door tight to the secondary door. plugging hole in secondary door and re drilling to proper size and location should solve the problem. Assuming the weatherstripping is good on the astragal between the doors!

 

[schor]

You don't actually need the bolts on the primary door, but they help.

The deadbolt is not used to lock the door into position that is the job of the latch and the strike plate. The latch should snug up the door. Try to move the strike plate towards the outside a bit and it should tighten things up.