DIY French Doors on a Budget?

[LovableGluttons]

Hi!

I'm planning on installing an in ground pool. Before I spend the money on that, I was thinking of walling off a patio. Access to the patio is through two sets of sliding glass doors, one from the living room/great room, the other from the Master Bedroom. So two walls of the patio are sliding glass doors, the other is a solid wall. I'd like to remove the sliding glass doors, extending the Master bedroom into the space, then having French doors where the regular opening to the backyard was. In the living room, on the wall facing the backyard, we have a window I'd like to remove and install a set of French doors there as well, so we have two ways into the backyard, but not more patio.

I haven't called a contractor yet, just got the name of a local one today.

If you've done something like this, how much did you spend? DH is pretty handy and thinks we could pay for the framing and permits, but do the rest ourselves. Since I'm having a hard time biting the bullet to put the pool in, I may as well get the French door thing done before a pool screen enclosure makes the job more difficult after the pool is installed.


How much was it to do it yourself if you did?

How much did it cost to have a contractor do it?


Thanks so much!


P.S. Also, anyone have any recommendations for a place to purchase a beautiful front door and side panels? I don't like the selection at Lowe's or Home Depot.

 

[JDUCKY]

We just did something similar. We're putting in a pool next year and wanted access to the backyard from the kitchen (only other option was walking all the way thru the family room to a door near the other side of the house or going thru the MBR).

We ended up going thru the Handyman Connection and had someone install french doors in a breakfast nook where we used to have windows. They cut down the concrete block wall to the ground and put in some basic french doors we got from Thomas Lumber here, locally:
http://www.thomaslumber.com/home?page=doors

Don't recall the price of that portion of our work done as we had them do a few other things to the house, too, but the doors were just under $1000 delivered to the house.

 

[LovableGluttons]

We just did something similar. We're putting in a pool next year and wanted access to the backyard from the kitchen (only other option was walking all the way thru the family room to a door near the other side of the house or going thru the MBR).

We ended up going thru the Handyman Connection and had someone install french doors in a breakfast nook where we used to have windows. They cut down the concrete block wall to the ground and put in some basic french doors we got from Thomas Lumber here, locally:
http://www.thomaslumber.com/home?page=doors

Don't recall the price of that portion of our work done as we had them do a few other things to the house, too, but the doors were just under $1000 delivered to the house.

Thank you!!! If you had to guess, how much did the handyman labor portion run you?

I was initially thinking of French door looking sliders, but I want to be able to leave the doors wide open during the months here when the weather isn't too warm, or for parties, to allow lots of air flow through the house from the pool area inward.

 

[JDUCKY]

Thank you!!! If you had to guess, how much did the handyman labor portion run you?

I was initially thinking of French door looking sliders, but I want to be able to leave the doors wide open during the months here when the weather isn't too warm, or for parties, to allow lots of air flow through the house from the pool area inward.

It wasn't that much...he was finished in a day so certainly less than $1000 for the labor, probably half that. I'll have to check the work order when I get home.

I was originally looking into collapsing sliding glass doors but french doors give that big, wide open look for a lot less money

Oh, and I assume you have a screened enclosure?

If not, you can get those retractable screen doors but not sure how well that would work and look.

 

[semo233]

Just an idea: Before you go spening money on new french doors, see if there is a building materials recycling center near you. Some of the items they sell are brand new and were just not usable at a job, so the contractors sell or donate them to the centers. Here are two in my area:


http://www.reconnstructioncenter.org/index.html

http://fairfieldcountyrestore.org/