Repair service
French Door Repairs in Newcastle
French doors rely on both leaves meeting squarely. When one leaf drops or the keeps move out of line, the doors start catching, the handle becomes harder to lift and the locks or shootbolts stop engaging properly.
We repair French doors across Newcastle and the North East, including alignment, hinges, handles, multipoint locks, shootbolts, weather seals and failed glass panels. We repair the part that has failed rather than recommending a new door where the existing one can be put right. For windows and glazing as well as doors, see all our window and door repair services.
Guaranteed workmanship.
Repair first
15 minute replies
Working hours
Free in-person quotes
Fully insured
Guaranteed workmanship
French door faults we repair
- Dropped doors catching the frame or each other
- Doors that need lifting or pushing to lock
- Handles that sag, spin or feel stiff
- Multipoint locks and shootbolts that will not engage
- Loose or worn hinges and uneven gaps
- Draughts, rattles and failed weather seals
- Misted, cracked or damaged glass panels
Realigning both door leaves
French doors have a main leaf and a slave leaf, so the hinges, keeps and shootbolts all need to line up together. We check where the doors have moved, adjust the hinges and reset the keeps before deciding whether any part needs replacing.
Correct alignment lets the doors meet evenly, close onto their seals and lock without forcing the handle.
Shootbolts and the slave leaf
The slave leaf is the second door in the pair, held in position by shootbolts that engage keeps at the top and bottom. If either bolt misses its keep, that leaf may not sit where the main door expects it. The handle on the main leaf can then feel as though the lock has failed, even when the first problem is the position of the other door.
We check both shootbolt keeps and the hinges on each leaf, including worn hinges on the main door. Where the hardware is sound, hinge adjustment and resetting keeps can restore the relationship between the doors. A damaged shootbolt, worn hinge or failed multipoint mechanism needs its own replacement rather than further force through the handle. Our uPVC door lock replacement page explains work on a failed mechanism, while hinges, locks and handles covers the other operating parts.
When calling, tell us which leaf catches, whether the slave door's top and bottom bolts engage, and whether the main handle moves freely when open but resists when closed. Mention any lifting or pushing needed to bring the doors together. Photos showing the meeting edges, hinges and keeps help explain the fault. Our uPVC door will not lock guide covers locking symptoms; front door dropped or catching explains the effect of alignment. If the pair cannot secure the property, ask about emergency repairs.
Locks, handles, hinges and shootbolts
If continued strain has damaged the multipoint mechanism, handle, hinge or shootbolt, we replace the failed component and leave the rest of the door in place. We also check the slave door because a fault on one leaf often puts extra load through the other.
For other hinged entrances, see uPVC door repairs; a sliding leaf running on rollers belongs to our patio door repairs. For a dropped window sash in the same room, window hinge and friction stay repairs deals with its separate supports.
Draughts and misted door glass
Uneven gaps and flattened seals can make French doors whistle or feel cold. Realignment restores compression where the hardware is the cause, and failed weather seals can be renewed.
If condensation is trapped between the panes, the sealed glass unit can be replaced on its own while the door frames remain in place.
The meeting point between two leaves
With French doors, the position of one leaf affects the other. The main door may appear to have a failed lock when the slave leaf is no longer held squarely by its shootbolts. Equally, a worn hinge on the main leaf can make the meeting edges catch even though the second leaf has not moved. Inspection covers both sides of the pair so the repair is not based solely on the handle you use most often.
Tell us whether the doors catch each other, scrape the surrounding frame or close but refuse to lock. Mention which leaf needs lifting and whether the slave door secures properly. Those descriptions help separate hinge movement from a damaged multipoint mechanism or shootbolt. Adjusting the hinges and resetting the keeps may restore the locking relationship without replacing hardware that is still working.
The closed pair also needs to meet its weather seals evenly. Draughts and rattles can result from the position of the leaves or from seals that have flattened. Realignment addresses compression where the hardware is responsible; renewing a failed seal addresses the material itself. Cloudiness inside a glazed panel is a further, separate fault. It can be repaired by changing that sealed unit while retaining the door frames. Describing movement, locking and glazing independently keeps the work focused on what has actually failed.
French door not closing properly
When a French door is not closing, the cause is usually alignment. Either one leaf has dropped on its hinges or the two leaves no longer meet squarely. An adjustment visit, similar to our uPVC door adjustment service, often brings both leaves back in line. Where the hinges themselves are worn, door hinge repairs covers replacing them.
Our French door repair service covers uPVC French door repair as well as timber and aluminium doors. French door window repair, meaning broken or misted glass in either leaf, is handled under door glass replacement. French doors sit within our wider door repairs.
Related specialist repairs
Questions
Frequently asked
Why do my French doors need lifting to lock?
One or both leaves have usually dropped, putting the locking points and shootbolts out of line with their keeps. Realignment often restores smooth locking before the mechanism fails.
Can you repair the slave door as well as the main door?
Yes. We repair alignment, hinges, keeps and shootbolts on both the main and slave leaves.
Do misted French door panels mean I need new doors?
No. If the frames and hardware are sound, the failed sealed glass unit can be replaced on its own.
Can you stop draughts around French doors?
Yes. We check alignment, compression and weather seals to find why the doors are not closing tightly, then repair the cause.
Why do my French doors only lock if I push them together?
Pushing can temporarily bring misaligned meeting edges and locking points into position. We check whether the slave leaf is held squarely and whether the main leaf has dropped, rather than assuming the handle alone is faulty. Forcing the pair is not a substitute for correcting that alignment.
Can French door hinges be adjusted rather than replaced?
Where the fitted hinges are adjustable and still sound, adjustment may bring the leaves back into line. A hinge that is worn or damaged needs assessment for replacement instead. The keeps and shootbolts are checked alongside the hinges so both leaves work together.
Can you repair French doors that have been forced?
We assess the damaged lock, hinges, shootbolts and surrounding door rather than treating every forced pair as a replacement job. Tell us whether it can still be secured. Our emergency repair service is available for insecure properties, with the repair focused on the parts found to have failed.
Do you repair aluminium or timber French doors?
We work on aluminium and timber windows and doors as well as uPVC. Describe the material and whether the fault affects movement, locking or glass so we can inspect the relevant parts. See aluminium window and door repairs and timber window repairs for our existing material-specific work.
How much is a French door replacement?
We are a repair first business, so we only price new French doors where repair is genuinely not possible. Replacement costs vary with size, material and glass, and are quoted individually after a free in-person visit.
How much do replacement French doors cost compared with a repair?
Fixing hinges, shootbolts, locks or glass usually costs far less than new doors. We check whether the existing pair can be repaired before discussing anything else.
Why does one French door leaf not shut flush?
Usually the leaf has dropped on its hinges or a shootbolt keep has moved. Both can normally be adjusted or replaced.
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Guides that go with this repair
Discuss french door repairs
Photo estimates sometimes possible.