How to Replace Garage Door with French Doors and Sidelites

Want to replace your traditional garage door with a double French door, possibly with sidelites to add more light to your garage space? This post is for you. I’ll break down the entire process of replacing my garage door with French doors, the cost, and tips on how to choose the right doors for you.

Why replace garage doors with French doors?

Garage doors are an essential part of any home, but sometimes they can be quite limiting, especially if you want to use your garage for more than just parking your car.

I live in a 1940s house with a small single garage, which is, in fact, not large enough for me to drive in my SUV. Funny enough, none of my neighbors are using their garage for cars due to the size constraints. Instead, we use it for storage, office space, or a workshop.

As a result, I use my tiny garage for woodworking and making pottery (a big hobby of mine and my husband’s). Overtime, it is getting more annoying to raise my garage door with a control, hearing the loud noise and just how inflexible it is.

In addition, a standard garage door comes with a track and a motor on the ceiling. So if you can’t replace them with normal doors, you’re also losing the space above your head. You can see in this photo how much space it takes on a 7ft tall ceiling.

So as we are finishing our garage, I decided it is time to change the sectional garage door to double doors on hinges. That way, it is more lightweight, easy to open and close, plus it feels more like a studio. Plus, we are also adding 2 sidelights on each side to bring more light in.

This is the before

How to choose French doors and sidelites for your garage

Replacing your garage door with French doors is a great way to add a touch of elegance to your home and create more usable space. It is also a great opportunity to add more light to the otherwise dark space.

Depending on the width of your garage door and your preference, there are a few options for you and your new garage door. Here are two popular options:

Option 1. Replace Garage Door to Double French Door

This option is perfect if your garage opening is narrow (less than 90”), or you’re looking for a simple yet elegant look. You can choose from a variety of styles and materials, including wood, fiberglass, or steel.

I chose fiberglass because of how weather-resistant this material is; it is recommended by my contractor. You can certainly choose steel or wood, and they can be water-resistant too if you choose exterior grade. However, the price is higher compared to fiberglass.

Option 2. Replace Garage Door to Double French Door with Sidelite Windows (what we did)

If your garage door is larger than 90 inches, you might consider adding sidelights. This is because most stores don’t make doors wider than 42 inches. The wider a single pane of the door is, the more likely it will sink and tilt a little bit because of the its heavy weight. 

So you can either close your wall to make the garage door opening narrower, or you can add sidelites on the side to fill in additional space.

Adding sidelites to your French doors is a great way to bring in even more natural light and make your garage feel more like a part of your home. 

Typically there are two sizes available for sidelites, 12 inches and 14 inches. You may also want to choose doors with glass panes that match other windows in your home for a cohesive look. And of course it is highly recommended to buy doors and sidelights together so they match when installed together in front of your garage.

Calculate the size for French door and sidelites to replace garage door

My single door garage opening is 96 inches wide and 80 inches tall. So I chose 2 x 34” doors and 2 x 12” sidelites.

You might be wondering why not choosing 36” French doors, that would make 96” in total right? That’s because these sidelites and doors come with a frame, which makes them wider and taller than the size listed. For example, each 12” sidelite is actually 13.5” wide.

If your garage door is wider than mine, you can consider sizing up the French door to 36” or even up to 42” (the maximum width will depend on the door company you order from). If there are still gaps, you can choose a wider sidelite such as the 14” wide option.

How much does it cost to replace a garage door with normal double doors and where to order them?

For my garage door replacement project, I did a bit of research and visited some local shops.

The  conclusion is, you can order double doors from a local millwork store or hardware store such as Home Depot. Most likely, it will be a custom order.

I ended up going with Home Depot because it’s the most affordable option. Also keep in mind you cannot find these double door options on their website, and have to go to the store to place your order.

Here’s the quote I got from Home Depot for fiberglass French doors to replace my standard garage door.

Masonite

Masonite’s fiber glass door is the most affordable option from my local store. Here’s the cost:

• 2 pairs of 32” doors & 2 x 12” sidelites. Total cost is around $2500. You’ll order sidelites and doors separately, which come in 3 frames, and assemble them on the job site. (what we did)
• 1 pair of 36” doors. Total cost is around $1700. You can go up to 42” for the door width.

Other door brands

Other door brands in my local Home Depot also offer double French doors and sidelights that can replace the garage door. These options will be more expensive than Masonite but more custom.

For 2 pairs of 32” doors & 2 pairs of 12” sidelites, they will come in one single frame. The total cost is about $3400.

This is one of the cheapest options I can find. If you choose another brand or style, the price will go up.

Another thing to consider is the timeline. From us ordering the garage door to receiving it by delivery, it took us about eight weeks. So make sure to plan ahead.

Replacing garage door to French door and sidelites step-by-step process

Here is the step-by-step process of replacing an existing garage door with a pair of French doors with windows on the side. You should certainly follow the instructions provided by where you order your replacement doors but I want to share a more generalized process to give you a rough idea of the steps.

I hired my builders to do the garage door conversion because I didn’t feel I had enough knowledge to do it myself. I’m a huge fan of DIY, and I have built cabinets and install doors before. However, installing large exterior doors is a different story, so I thought I decided to hire professionals.

Step 1: Measure the opening and choose the right size doors

Before you start, you’ll need to measure the opening for your garage door opening. Measure the width and height of the opening, and make sure to allow for any necessary clearance. 

Once you have your measurements, you can start looking for the right size doors and order them from a local shop as I shared earlier in this post.

Step 2: Remove the garage door and tracks

Removing the old garage door is a two-person job. You’ll need to disconnect the door from the opener and remove the tracks. To remove part of the middle garage door track, my builders had to cut the metal in pieces to remove them. After the garage door and tracks are removed, the space looks so open!

Step 3: Install the French doors and sidelites

Follow the factory instruction to Install the double French doors and sidelite windows. In general, you need to carefully lift the doors and sidelites into place and secure them to the opening with screws. Make sure that the doors are level and plumb by placing shims.

Once everything is installed and secure, take some time to test the doors and sidelites to ensure that they are functioning properly. Open and close them a few times to make sure that they move smoothly and that there are no issues with the hardware.

Step 5: Add finishing touches

Once the doors are installed, you can add any finishing touches, such as trim or weatherstripping. This will help to seal the doors and prevent drafts. 

My builders added door trims around the garage door opening both inside and outside. This will seal any frames and gaps and make the whole door setup look finished. Just like what you do with interior doors.

Finally, you’ll need to install any remaining hardware, such as locks and handles. When you order the door, they will ask you whether you want the lock to be on the left or right. I chose to have the lock on the right door, with a passage knob on the left, so that it is still easy to grab and open.

Enjoy your new double door garage!

With your new French doors and sidelites properly installed, you can now enjoy the added beauty and functionality they provide to your garage space. Not only will they enhance the overall aesthetic of your home, but they will also provide increased natural light and ventilation, making your garage a more pleasant and usable space.

I’m so happy with this garage door conversion, and I hope this post provides you with some valuable information, if you’re thinking about doing something similar. When I was planning this project, I couldn’t find much information online, which is why I decided to write a post.

Replacing a garage door is a process, from researching, ordering, and installation. There will be some waiting time. So plan ahead and be patient. 

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