French & Double Doors

French & Double Doors in Tampa, FL | Winslow Windows & Doors

French and double doors bring something no sliding panel can match: a full, unobstructed opening with symmetrical sightlines that make a room feel larger the moment you walk toward it. Here in Tampa, that appeal comes with a catch. A standard French door from a big-box store will not survive what our wind zones throw at it, and a failed door is a breach point for wind, water, and flying debris. Winslow Windows & Doors supplies and installs paired impact-rated French doors built around laminated glass in every lite and multi-point locking hardware. We install them across Tampa, from Beach Park to New Tampa, with every opening set level, plumb, and square to the manufacturer’s HVHZ requirements. Call (386) 559-6999 to talk through your opening.

Call (386) 559-6999

Product Overview - French & Double Doors

The defining feature of this door is that every lite carries laminated impact glass. There is no weak pane in the assembly, no single point where a wind-borne 2×4 can punch through and pressurize your home. That matters in Tampa, where our storm season is not theoretical and the building code treats exterior openings as part of the structural envelope. These are paired doors, hinged to open inward or outward depending on your configuration, with sightlines that mirror each other so the door reads as one deliberate architectural element rather than two panels bolted together.

Multi-point locking hardware is standard. Instead of a single latch at the handle, the door engages at the head, sill, and intermediate points along the inactive panel. That spreads the load across the frame under negative and positive wind pressure and makes the door genuinely difficult to force open, which matters as much for security in Tampa neighborhoods as it does for storm performance.

Where these doors fit is flexible. We install them as front entries in Davis Islands and Hyde Park, as rear openings from living rooms to lanais in Carrollwood and Westchase, and as interior-to-exterior transitions in newer construction where the owner wants light without sacrificing code compliance. The frame options are aluminum and vinyl. Aluminum gives you the slimmest sightlines and the most finish durability in direct coastal sun. Vinyl gives you thermal performance at a lower price point. Both are engineered to carry the weight of laminated glass without sagging over time.

For a Tampa homeowner, a French door is rarely just a door. It is the thing you look at every time you enter your home. Getting the proportion, the finish, and the hardware right is worth doing carefully. We help with that selection and then install it so it performs the way the NOA says it will. Call (386) 559-6999 to start.

Technical Specifications

These are the core specs for our impact-rated French and double doors. Specific configurations vary by series and wind zone, so treat this as the broad picture. We verify every number against your exact quote before you sign anything.

• Frame materials: Aluminum or vinyl, selected by exposure and budget
• Maximum width: Up to 96 inches across the paired opening
• Glass options: Laminated impact glass (PVB interlayer), Low-E insulated glass, tinted glass, clear glass
• Finish options: White, almond, bronze, black, tan
• Hardware: Multi-point locking, active and inactive panel hardware included
• Design pressure: Matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100 PSF; never higher than your location requires
• Compliance documentation: Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers issued per configuration

The 96-inch maximum width covers most paired openings in Tampa homes, including wide lanai transitions where a single door would feel cramped. If your rough opening is narrower, we size down and trim the frame to suit. Glass selection changes both the look and the thermal behavior of the door, which we cover below.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

Laminated Impact Glass. The glass in every lite is laminated with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer. Under impact, the glass may crack but it stays in the frame. The interlayer holds the fractured pane together, keeping wind and rain out of your Tampa home even after a direct hit.

Miami-Dade NOA / Florida Product Approval. Our French and double doors carry Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) and Florida Product Approval numbers, issued per configuration. These are not generic marketing claims. They are the documents your Tampa building department wants to see when you pull a permit, and we provide them on your quote.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance. The assembly is engineered to Florida Building Code (FBC) High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements. That is the strictest wind-borne debris region in the country, and it is the standard Tampa enforces. Anything less is not legal for an exterior opening here.

TAS 201 / 202 / 203 Testing Context. HVHZ-rated products are tested under a protocol family that includes TAS 201 for large-missile impact, TAS 202 for cyclic wind-pressure loading, and TAS 203 for forced-entry resistance. Your door has passed through this gauntlet before it ever reaches our warehouse.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone. We match design pressure to your specific wind zone, up to +/-100 PSF, and never higher. Over-specifying sounds impressive but wastes your money. Under-specifying fails inspection. We calculate the number your opening actually needs and quote to that figure.

Energy Performance. Low-E and insulated glass options are available for every frame configuration. In Tampa’s climate, Low-E cuts solar heat gain through the door’s large glass area, which matters when a west-facing French door bakes in the afternoon sun from April through October.

Color & Glass Options

Frame finishes come in white, almond, bronze, black, and tan. The right choice depends on your home’s exterior language. White reads clean and traditional, the most common choice in Tampa’s Craftsman and bungalow stock in Seminole Heights and Riverside Heights. Almond softens the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces and hides dust and salt haze better than pure white near the bay. Bronze and black give you a modern, high-contrast look that works particularly well on Mediterranean and contemporary elevations in South Tampa, where darker window frames have become the standard on new builds. Tan suits stucco-heavy exteriors where the door should blend rather than announce itself.

Glass selection works the same way. Clear laminated impact glass gives you the truest light and the cleanest view of your yard, pool, or lanai. Tinted glass cuts glare and adds privacy, which matters on east-facing openings that catch morning sun or west-facing doors that get hammered in the afternoon. Low-E insulated glass adds a thermal barrier that keeps air-conditioned air inside, the practical choice for any door that faces direct sunlight in Tampa. We can mix glass types per project if one lite sees more exposure than the other, though most homeowners keep the pair matching for consistent sightlines.

Installation by Winslow Windows & Doors in Tampa

An impact-rated French door is only as good as its installation. The NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers apply to the product as tested, and the testing assumes a specific installation method. Fit the frame out of square, skip the perimeter seal, or set the sill without proper shimming, and you have compromised the entire system, regardless of what the label says. This is the primary reason we do not sell these doors for homeowner pickup and self-install.

Our process starts with a pre-install inspection of the rough opening. We check the substrate, the existing flashing, and the condition of surrounding framing before we order anything. In Tampa, older homes in neighborhoods like Tampa Heights and Palma Ceia frequently have settled openings that need correction before a new door goes in. We measure for that reality, not for a perfect rectangle on paper.

Installation itself follows AAMA 2400/2410 practice. We set the frame level, plumb, and square using shims at the hinge and lock points, then mechanically fasten per the manufacturer’s approved method for the substrate, whether it is block, wood frame, or steel lintel. Around the perimeter we apply AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant, which fills the gap without bowing the frame, followed by a continuous exterior seal that can handle Tampa’s afternoon deluges and wind-driven rain. Every opening gets a water test before we call it done, and we leave the site clean.

Permitting is part of what we manage. HVHZ jurisdictions in Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa require the right product approval documents at submittal, and we provide them. Coastal exposure in places like Bayshore Beautiful and Beach Park often demands a higher design pressure than an inland lot, and we confirm what your address requires before you order. Improper installation is the silent failure mode for impact doors. We are hired to make sure it never happens. Call (386) 559-6999 to schedule a measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions - French & Double Doors

Get a Quote - French & Double Doors in Tampa

If you are planning a French or double door for a Tampa home, the fastest way to get real numbers is a free on-site measurement. We come out, measure your opening, confirm your wind zone, and give you a written line-item quote with the finish, glass, hardware, and installation included. No vague ranges, no surprise change orders. Call (386) 559-6999 to schedule yours.

Written by the team at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Tampa since 2009.