Patio Sliding Doors or French Doors? What’s Right for Your Home?
3 min readContemplating some renovations to enhance the beauty of your home? One modest change that can yield big results is replacing a back door to give your home more style and a better view. If you’re considering opening up your outdoor living space to your indoor living space, you’re probably trying to decide between sliding glass doors and French doors, which operate on hinges.
What’s the best choice? It really comes down to the particulars of your home’s layout, its age, and your preferences.
One of the main differences between a patio sliding glass door and French doors is that French doors create nearly twice as large an opening as sliding glass, with two panels that open out from an unobstructed center on a traditional French door, compared to a single panel with sliding glass. This space can be a lifesaver when it comes to moving large objects in or out of the house, and can create a casual, easy entranceway to the out of doors when you entertain guests.
Consider the room where the new doors will be situated, as well. In a smaller space, it will be important to take into account the radius of a hinged door’s swing. This doesn’t rule out French doors, however. By positioning the doors to swing outward, you can still accommodate hinged doors in a space where an inward swing would be interrupted.
Of course, sliding glass doors can also be a great fit in a smaller space, allowing plenty of light into a room and great views of the outside, without impeding floorspace on the inside.
When you want to highlight an inviting outdoor space, it can be hard to beat sliding glass doors. Some designs allow for even larger panes of glass than the standard size, which can make your interior look larger and add a highly desirable view. One drawback is that people living in older homes often find that a sliding glass door lacks the character of the rest of the home’s architecture. If this is you, then French doors may be the best choice to match the existing feel and flow of the home.
Of course, there’s one significant consideration still to mull over: weather. If your area has harsh winters with plenty of snowfall, an outward-swinging French door may not operate well, or at all.
In a strong wind, hinged doors of any type may be slammed shut, which can damage the glass. On the other hand, a sliding glass door will typically operate in inclement weather and won’t be impacted by strong wind gusts.
The best way to start the process of replacing your old doors with a pair of French doors or a patio sliding door is to talk to an expert. An experienced local door installation company will understand the unique considerations related to climate and weather in your area, as well as be able to explain clearly the pros and cons of given door styles in your space. And, when you work with specialists, you can rest assured knowing that parts and labor are fully covered by a warranty. Talk about an easy way to make your home a place of beauty and comfort.
Cincinnati Door & Window
7588 Central Parke Blvd
Suite 123
Mason Ohio 45040
(513) 229-0859
http://www.cincinnatidoorandwindow.com/
