Store Offers Locks for Several French Windows
Question: I have been searching for window locks with keys for French windows. I am hoping to find a simple replacement for the standard lock shown in the enclosed sketch. I haven’t had any success so far. Do you know of anything on the market?
Answer: Since you live in Burbank, you might try A. A. Baker’s Hardware, 3925 San Fernando Road in neighboring Glendale.
Technical manager Gerry Phibbs said that Belwith makes a keyed lock that might fit your needs. It’s the Belwith No. 1101 keyed locking bolt for glass-paned windows and it retails for $4.39. There are several other types of locks that might work as well, he said. He suggests you stop in, perhaps with a close-up photo of the existing lock.
Q: I have two sets of sliding doors at the rear of my home. Installed in 1952, they are in need of replacing. One set is 12 feet wide and the other is 16 feet. I would like to change the appearance by substituting the French door look, but I don’t want to reduce the view from inside with lots of wide wooden frames. Are French doors available with steel frames?
A: When I get a question like this, I automatically think of Allen L. Lowith, the North Hollywood-based “window doctor” who has been mentioned on this page from time to time. Lowith specializes in difficult applications, including replacing doors and windows that aren’t available from normal sources. He runs Lowith Metal Window Co., 10905 Peach Grove Ave., North Hollywood.
When I discussed this problem with him, (Doc) Lowith said he probably installed the original doors in this Pacific Palisades home! The job is relatively routine, he said, with standard door sizes, but steel has been replaced by aluminum for residential applications. Sliding French doors are available in a variety of finishes, including baked white, bronze and clear aluminum.
Lowith doesn’t recommend wood-framed sliding French doors anyway, especially in an area as potentially damp as Pacific Palisades. I’ve seen metal-framed French doors at various trade shows--including the massive exhibitions staged every year by the National Assn. of Home Builders--and I like the look, especially in the baked-white and baked-black finishes.
