As we move towards autumn the desire to extend our connection to the outdoors increases. Bringing the outdoors in can be simple with the right door choice for your patio or deck door. When deciding what style of door to choose, the choice often comes down to sliding glass doors, swinging doors or folding doors. But which one is better for you and your home? All can be great options, and it often comes down to personal preference. There are pros and cons to consider when choosing sliding vs swinging vs folding glass patio doors.
Sliding doors
Sliding doors are large glass doors that open horizontally by sliding along a track, which is usually parallel to a wall. They can be configured into a series of floor to ceiling glass panels. The doors open by sliding over a fixed glass panel or into a wall pocket. You may have one or more glass doors that open. The more doors that open the wider the track.
Swinging Doors
Swinging doors also known as French or hinged doors are side-by-side doors that are both operable and swing open from the center. You can have one or both doors be active. The doors can swing inwards or outwards.
Folding Doors
Folding doors are doors that slide open. They are made from a series of glass panels that fold and stack at a right angle to the wall. There can be anywhere from 2 to 6 or more panels. A popular configuration is three panel, with one panel containing a traffic door that swings open without sliding any of the panels. Traffic doors are available for all configurations.
Below is a table of Pros and Cons for each style of door
|
Door Style |
Pros |
Cons |
|
Swinging Doors |
Aesthetically pleasing |
Door swing encroaches on living space and furniture placement |
|
|
Doors open fully |
May be difficult to control size of opening without doorstop or other aids |
|
|
No track to step over |
Impacted the most by weather e.g. wind blowing door shut |
|
Sliding Doors |
Maximizes unobstructed views |
Blocks part of the aperture when open |
|
|
Does not encroach on your living spaces or furniture placement |
|
|
|
Easy to open a little or a lot |
|
|
Folding Doors |
Maximizes opening and views when doors are open |
Panel joins create obstructions to your view when doors are closed |
|
|
Easy to open a little or a lot |
Encroaches on your living space and furniture placement where doors stack when opened |
All doors come in a variety of styles and materials to match your own personal style and décor. Considering the pros and cons above if you want to be able to fully open the doors to create seamlessness between your interior and exterior spaces then French or folding doors are best. If you want to reduce the amount of frame and maximize the glass size to make the most of the view then sliding doors are best. Whatever your choice patio doors really do connect us to the outdoors by bringing in light and spaciousness.
Contact Dalzotto Homes at 905 335 8799 or info@dalzottohomes.com to discuss options for connecting with the outdoors in your new custom home in the Burlington, Oakville and surrounding communities.