Patio doors are your gateway to barbecues, the family swimming pool and other outdoor activities. They traditionally let in a shower of light, and help visually bridge the space between inside your home and out. Home renovation ideas always involve considering the upside and downside, and we’ve gathered some information that can help you decide.
Sliding glass doors and French doors are neither good nor bad, so it’s more about your preferences and what you want for your home. Here are some pros and cons of both options to help you decide which one to put in your house.
Benefits of Using Sliding Patio Doors
Sliders, also called sliding patio doors have the appearance of two very large plate-glass windows. An unencumbered view is one feature that draws many home owners to this choice. The most common styles are primarily glass, with a narrow metal frame, but some sliders are designed to look like French doors. That’s the best of both worlds.
With sliders, you get simple, easy-to-operate access to the patio or deck. They offer a larger-than-usual opening for carrying through large items such as a tray of burgers for the grill. The slider glides along a top and bottom track, coming to a stop immediately in front of the opposite door. This means you don’t need room for a door to swing open.
With most sliders, there is a sliding side and a stationary side. The stationary side is fixed, and cannot open, but some manufacturers design sliders that allow both doors to slide, giving you more options. If you order a slider with a fixed panel, make sure you are very clear about which side is fixed as my handyman often had to reinstall (and sometimes re-order) sliders when homeowners purchased their sliding patio door.
Benefits of Using French Patio Doors
French doors are known for their beauty. They have a heftier appearance than sliding patio doors, because they are traditional, hinged doors, often with wood construction.
Double doors are sometimes called French doors, but that’s a misnomer. A French door is actually a single, hinged door with glass inserts, called lights. There may be several lights, or a single light that’s a large panel. Two doors hung together in the same opening, and that open out from the center, are a pair of French doors.
With French doors, you might not have as much light infiltration, but that’s not true with all models. You also have French doors that offer a more decorative feature, with panels and glass lights in either the top half of the doors, or top to bottom.
Some home owners believe French doors offer more privacy and security, although sliders are manufactured to be secure, as well.
Researching Home Renovation Ideas
When researching home renovation ideas, we tend to focus on the benefits without giving much thought to the cost to maintain new home features. Yes you want to weigh initial cost (materials and labor to install) but you also want to look at ongoing maintenance (cleaning, maintenance and repairs) and some features will affect utility costs which for patio doors, could include additional heating and cooling.
French doors are more costly so when you choose French patio doors over sliders, you generally need a bigger budget. And while you’re looking at your budget, you also want to factor in the added cost of a screen for your French door (slider or retractable), as they don’t normally come with screens the way they do with sliding patio doors.
Patio sliders collect a lot of grime in the tracks. You can usually vacuum out the grime, and you’ll want to do this on a regular basis to avoid problems and costly repairs. While the weight of the sliding glass door won’t be affected by small amounts of dirt, the screen door is much lighter. The screen door rollers come off the track when there are problems, and it’s one of the top 20 projects we had with my handyman business.
Patio sliders are most often added with a new deck or patio, where you want easy access from the kitchen or family room. The biggest installation challenge is re-routing any heating, plumbing or electrical hidden in the walls when you go to add patio doors, even if you’re replacing some windows.
Security is another consideration for new patio doors. You want easy access to your outdoor living space, but remember it also provides easy access for unwanted visitors looking to break into your home. That’s why you’ll usually find in addition to patio door locks, that homeowners have placed extra security rods on their doors. With sliders, this is usually done with a single rod at the bottom while French doors often have rods that slide into the door jam on top and bottom of the door.
Privacy and Window Treatments for Patio Doors
You have many different window treatment options for patio doors, and it will take you some time to decide which one best meets your requirements for privacy, controlling sunlight and room decor.
- Traditional drapes, although these can get tricky with a French door(s) that swing in.
- Vertical blinds are another option because they’re stored on just one side of the door.
- Roll down shades like the rattan shades shown here.
- Or what not check out the new “top down, bottom up” shades that are installed at the top of the window, but allow you to raise and lower them from the top or bottom of the window (learn more with this video on top down / bottom up shades, although I couldn’t find information to confirm they work with patio doors).
Both sliders and French doors offer attractive choices when you’re looking at home renovation ideas to gain more sunlight, and access to outdoor living space. Some older homes, such as a Craftsman with lots of wood details, might be more suited to French doors. They complement the architectural style, where sliders might look too modern and out of place. Conversely, a mid-century modern home might look unusual with anything except sliders.
Whatever your choice, go with a well-known manufacturer that has a solid warranty. Look for low-maintenance materials and options such as low-e glass, which helps conserve energy, and sturdy construction.
Are you considering patio doors for your home? We would love to hear any ideas you have!
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