Call +91 89704 69999
Call
Home  /  Guides  /  French windows and doors

French windows design for Indian homes: a guide to hinged glass doors

A design guide for homeowners and architects planning full-height hinged glass to a balcony, terrace or garden. It covers styles, sizes and swing direction, the threshold detail that keeps monsoon rain out, and how we build them on AluK systems.
Request a Quote
Visit Our Showroom

THE SHORT ANSWER

Plan the swing and the threshold first, then the look

Good French windows design starts at the floor, not the frame. A French window is a full-height, side-hinged pair of glazed leaves that opens onto a balcony, deck or garden, so you can walk through it. Settle the swing direction, the threshold drainage and the glass first. The look comes after.
Verdict: an out-swing double-leaf pair with a drained, weather-barred threshold and safety glass is the sound default for a rain-facing balcony, and out-swing is also the default Studio Matrx gives for monsoon-facing walls. AluK does not sell a product called a French window. We build French-style casement pairs from AluK casement systems, and confirm the exact system, leaf size and configuration for each project. Our aluminium casement doors page shows the hinged systems we work with.

French window or French door: what the terms mean

Studio Matrx, an Indian guide site, defines French windows as full-height, side-hinged, double-leaf glazed windows that open onto a balcony, deck or garden; in its words, a window you can walk through. A home-design publication describes large windows, typically two panels opening from the centre and often floor to ceiling, that work almost like doors. It traces the style to 17th-century France.
Usage varies. Both sources treat the full-height hinged pair as the core idea, and the market sells smaller window-height units as well as door-height ones. In practice, use whichever name your architect uses, and specify the unit by its size, its leaf count and its swing direction. Those facts decide the hardware and the threshold, not the name on the drawing.

French windows design options: leaves, sidelights and grills

The double-leaf pair is the most common form. One leaf is the active leaf you open every day. The other, the passive leaf, is held by flush bolts at top and bottom and opened when you want the full width. For a narrower opening, Studio Matrx suggests a single leaf, often with a fixed glazed sidelight beside it, which keeps the proportions of a pair without the second hinge line.
The same publication lists floor-to-ceiling units, French windows with grills, sliding French variants and double-sash openable designs. It says grills can be built into the frame for security without spoiling the design, and recommends secure locks and safety grills in homes with children. A sliding variant is really a sliding door with a French look. If that suits your balcony better, our guide to balcony sliding doors covers tracks, drainage and glass.

SWING DIRECTION

Should French windows open inward or outward?

Swing direction affects rain, space and daily use more than any other decision on a French window. The table follows the Studio Matrx reasoning.
FactorOut-swingIn-swing
Floor spaceLeaves open over the balcony; no room space usedLeaves swing into the room; plan furniture and curtains
Driving rainWind pressure presses the leaves onto their sealsStorm gusts can push the leaves open
ThresholdDrained threshold with an outward fallStep-free versions need extra drainage work
Daily useNeeds clear balcony space for the leavesEasier to operate and clean from inside
Typical choiceMonsoon-facing walls (Studio Matrx default)Covered openings with room to swing inside

Source: Studio Matrx, French windows in India, published 22 June 2026. The in-swing 'typical choice' is our practical reading, not the source's.

How wide and how tall a French window should be

Studio Matrx gives typical openings of roughly 1.2 to 2.4 m wide, and suggests bi-fold doors instead once a wall reaches about 4 m. An Indian door-size guide from Interior Company lists French double doors at 6.5 to 7 ft high and 5 to 6 ft wide. For balcony and terrace doors, Studio Matrx’s door-size guide gives 900 to 1200 mm wide by 2100 mm high, sliding or French. Our standard window sizes guide covers sill heights and how openings are measured.
Ventilation is the second sizing test. Studio Matrx, citing the National Building Code 2016, gives a rule of thumb that the openable area in a habitable room should be at least 10 percent of the floor area, and notes that a double-leaf French unit can meet this on its own. Check the current clause with your architect.
The system sets the upper limit. AluK’s 67IW datasheet includes a 67ID door column listing sashes up to 1250 x 2450 mm and 160 kg, though AluK does not describe it as a French door. For walls of about 4 m or more, our aluminium folding doors use the BSF70 system, with 97 mm symmetrical sightlines and, on AluK India’s listing, up to six sashes of 1200 x 3000 mm.

Which material is best for French windows?

It depends on the span, the climate and how much upkeep you accept. Studio Matrx publishes indicative supply prices per square foot, which we show with its date so you can see the spread. They are market-wide figures covering many systems, not our prices. The home-design publication quoted above favours uPVC for most homes and describes aluminium as slim, strong and light enough for very large spans.
MaterialIndicative supply price per sq ftWhat the guide says
uPVCRs 250 to 800Good thermal and acoustic insulation; termite and rust proof; steel-reinforced for tall leaves
Aluminium, thermally brokenRs 350 to 3,000Slim sightlines; strong for tall leaves; insist on a thermal break
WoodRs 500 to 1,500 plusWarm heritage look; needs sealing against the monsoon; 2.5 to 4 times the cost of uPVC over 10 years

Source: Studio Matrx, French windows in India, published 22 June 2026; indicative supply prices, not Gruns Fenster prices. The same guide puts the fitting cost of specialty French units at roughly Rs 500 to 800 per sq ft, against about Rs 200 per sq ft for an ordinary window.

MONSOON

Weatherproofing the threshold

A French window’s threshold sits near floor level, so wind-driven rain can reach it without a high sill to stop it. Most of the design effort belongs here, and it has to be agreed with whoever lays the balcony floor. Studio Matrx recommends layering the defences rather than trusting one seal.
Step-free in-swing thresholds look clean but need extra drainage work, so decide on a level threshold early, before the floor finishes are fixed. Our guide to windows for heavy monsoon rain explains the drainage path. For glass, Studio Matrx recommends toughened or laminated panes, usually double glazed, with a Low-E coating and a low solar heat gain coefficient for Indian heat. Our glass options guide explains each. The threshold layers it recommends are:
  • A weather bar with a compressing gasket along the bottom of the leaves.
  • An outward fall on the external sill of about 8 to 10 degrees.
  • A drainage channel with weep holes to carry water back out.
  • A drip groove, so water falls clear instead of running back under the door.

How we build French-style pairs on AluK casement systems

AluK Home organises its Indian range as sliding doors, folding doors, and casement windows and doors, with no separate French category. A French-style pair is a configuration of a casement system, and we choose the system to suit the leaf size and the look you want.
The AluK Home Versatile range is side-hung, top-hung or tilt-and-turn, with single or multiple sashes, sash weights up to 130 kg, glazing from 5 to 40 mm, multi-point locking and dual colour, so the inside and outside faces can differ. AluK Home also mentions patio doors that can be matched to this range. For a slimmer look, AluK Infineo casement uses ultra-slim 65 mm profiles with a hidden sash and flush hardware, opening outward as a single or double panel. It is a non-insulated line.
The final system, leaf sizes and hardware are confirmed per project after we measure. If you want a window-height pair that can also tilt for air, our tilt and turn windows guide explains that option and its limits.

Rooms where French windows work well

Living room to balcony or patio

The classic use: a walk-out that links the room to a deck or garden. Pair it with an opening on an opposite or adjacent wall and, as Studio Matrx notes, you get cross-ventilation through the room. Leave clear space on the swing side so the leaves can open fully.

Master bedroom to a balcony

The home-design publication suggests French windows from the master bedroom to a balcony or garden. Here privacy matters as much as the view, so plan sheers or blinds that clear the leaves, and choose locks you are comfortable leaving on overnight.

Kitchen, dining or home office

The same publisher lists kitchens opening to a yard or patio, dining rooms, sunrooms and home offices. In a kitchen, check that an in-swing leaf will not hit the counter, and that an out-swing leaf will not block a service path outside.

Where a French window is the wrong choice

On a shallow balcony, an out-swing pair may not open fully, and an in-swing pair takes room inside. Our guide to window types for Indian homes compares the alternatives; where space is tight, a slider is usually the easier fit.

FAQ

French window and door questions

Short answers to what people ask before ordering.
A full-height, side-hinged pair of glazed leaves that opens onto a balcony, deck, terrace or garden, so you can walk through it. Studio Matrx calls it a window you can walk through. The double-leaf pair is the common form, and a single leaf with a fixed glass sidelight suits narrower openings. Smaller window-height versions are also sold.
Usage varies. The Indian guides we checked treat the full-height hinged pair as the same thing under either name, while the market also sells smaller window-height units. Rather than rely on the name, specify the opening size, the number of leaves and the swing direction. Those decide the system, the hardware and the threshold detail.
Studio Matrx gives typical openings of about 1.2 to 2.4 m wide, and suggests bi-fold doors for walls of 4 m or more. Interior Company lists French double doors at 6.5 to 7 ft high and 5 to 6 ft wide. The system you choose sets the maximum leaf size, so we confirm sizes after measuring.
Outward suits most rain-facing walls: the leaves do not use room space, and wind pressure presses them onto their seals. Inward is easier to operate and clean from inside, but uses floor space and can be pushed open by storm gusts. Studio Matrx defaults to out-swing on monsoon-facing walls.
It depends on span, climate and upkeep. Studio Matrx describes aluminium as slim and strong for tall leaves, provided it has a thermal break; uPVC as well insulated and lower in cost; and wood as warm-looking but needing sealing against the monsoon. Compare on those criteria and on the threshold detail each supplier offers.
Yes, as a walk-out, if the balcony has room for the leaves to swing and the threshold is properly weather-sealed. On a shallow apartment balcony a sliding door often fits better, because nothing swings. On a wide or covered balcony, a French pair opens the full width of its leaves.
AluK does not list a product called a French window or French door. Its casement systems can be configured as French-style pairs, single or double leaf, and the opening direction depends on the series. We confirm the exact system, leaf sizes and hardware for each project after measuring the opening.

Related

Request a quote

Share your project.
View →

Visit the showroom

See systems in Belagavi.
View →

AluK systems

System guides.
View →

All guides

Buying guides.
View →

Show us the opening and the balcony floor before you fix the design

Send the opening size, floor levels and a photo through our quote form, or call 089704 69999 to see full-size casement and folding systems at our Belagavi showroom.
Request a Quote
Visit Our Showroom