Patio Doors

Stumped about Patio Doors: Read On

If you are reading this article, you are either building a new house, replacing old patio doors, or remodeling and adding patio doors.  If any of these describe you, then read on. In all of the situations above, you may be trying to decide whether you want to fill a hole in your wall with a window, a door, or a patio door. This is a dilemma, but it is not unsolvable.

Why do I need a patio door?

When thinking about your answer to this question, you might weigh the pros and cons of your various options and put a checkmark in the box beside any that describe how you feel or what you want.

Do you want or need another way to get out of your house?
Do you want direct access to your deck or patio?
Do you like the look of a patio door rather than a traditional door?
Do you want to bring the outdoors in with the open feel of a patio door?

What Are Different Patio Door Options?

Patio doors come in two styles - sliding and swinging.  Sliding patio doors are also called gliding or bypass doors.  They are the best for letting in the sunlight and giving you the best view.  They are made of two or more individual panels of glass with one of the panels on rollers so it can slide back and forth.

Patio doors that slide offer the convenience of not having a door swing open into your living space or onto the patio or deck.   Sliding door panels slide parallel to the wall so you don’t have to worry about furniture location.

A hinged patio door operates like a standard entry door.  It is fully glazed glass and usually two of them are hung.  You can choose to have a center hung door which means the hinge is in the middle of the two panes of glass and the doors open like a butterfly or you can choose French doors which are hinged at the side jambs and the doors meet when they are closed.  When you open French doors, the whole area between the doors is open.

What is the Price Range for Patio Doors?
The following shows the prices you can expect to find when shopping for patio doors

Under $175
$175 - $400
$400 - $1,100
$1,100 - $3,000
Over $3,000

Things to Consider When Choosing a Patio Door -
When you go shopping for patio doors, your decision is usually determined by whether you want energy efficiency or aesthetics. Sliding glass doors are less energy efficient than swinging doors but the individual glass panels are usually narrower and the view is blocked.  A sliding glass door, though, is more space efficient because it does not swing out into the room or patio/deck. Swinging glass doors have more glass and thus are less energy efficient.