Deciding whether you want to install a hinged door for your deck or a sliding door for your patio often comes down to how much space you have. Sliding replacement patio doors don’t require any floor space to open and close, so you don’t have to worry about furniture placement indoors or out. French-style swing replacement patio doors on the other hand may limit your options, but they do offer some stylistic differences that some homeowners prefer – like a sill instead of the sliding door track that could pose a tripping hazard for guests and family members. To help you decide which patio door is best for your Long Island home, our Renewal by Andersen of Long Island design team came up with a few pros and cons of each style.
Hinged, side-by-side doors swing open at the center. You have several options. For example, if you love the elegant appearance of both doors standing open, but don’t want to reduce usable space on the deck, you could choose to have the doors swing-in, providing you have sufficient indoor space to accommodate the doors when you want to usher in a full breeze or host a party on the patio, but want to allow guest to pass from interior to exterior spaces without opening and closing the door each time. Another way to manage limited space is to configure only one door to open. You get the look and feel of a double-door configuration, but you reduce your required “swing-space” by half.
If your floor space is limited on both sides of the door – in the house and on the deck – you don’t have to give up the idea of adding a French door appearance. With Renewal by Andersen Frenchwood patio doors, you get the appearance of hinged doors with the low profile and space saving features of a sliding door. You can even add the same details you would when designing Swingout hinged doors, including removable grilles, beautiful hardware and traditional color choices.
While Both hinged and non-hinged doors allow plenty of light to stream through the glass, sliding patio doors expand the viewing area because they generally have narrower frames. Homeowners who have very little extra space will benefit from adding sliding doors. Of course, you don’t have to sacrifice beauty for simplicity with exclusive handle finishes and grille patterns. Plus, you have the same Energy-Star certified glass options that help you manage heating and air conditioning bills more efficiently.
French-style hinged doors offer a traditional look and feel that complements almost any architectural style. Renewal by Andersen hinged patio doors have some advantages that appeal to many homeowners, including:
Sliding patio doors also offer some advantages. They are very easy to open and close. If you have the room, you can configure your sliding patio doors to increase ventilation comparable to hinged door styles by building your door with two operable panels flanking a center panel. And, sliding patio doors never disrupt traffic patterns or furniture placement. Sliding doors also eliminate the potential for moisture to drip on the inside floor when you open them after a heavy rain or snowfall.
Whether you choose a Renewal by Andersen of Long Island hinged style, a Frenchwood sliding patio door, or a more contemporary sliding patio door, you have a full palette of colors, exclusive hardware options, between-the-glass and removable grilles and many other options to customize your new doors to perfectly compliment your home and your lifestyle. If anyone in your home uses a walker or wheelchair, be sure to ask your Renewal by Andersen representative about special configurations and design features that make entering and exiting safer and easier. Do you have more questions about the pros and cons of different styles? Just fill in the short form on this page or call us at (866) 609-5033.
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