Patio doors are a great addition to any home. They provide ample natural lighting—which helps brighten the mood inside and make your interior feel more spacious—as well as scenic views of your backyard. Patio doors also come in different styles, the most popular of which are contemporary sliding doors, traditional hinged French doors and sliding French doors. Which is the best option for your home?
To help you decide, here’s an overview of each option’s pros and cons:
Contemporary sliding patio doors would be a smart choice if you’re looking to maximize indoor natural lighting. Thanks to their wide glass panes and simple design, they provide the greatest amount of natural lighting of the three options. And since they slide instead of swinging open, they help save space. As for their design, contemporary sliding patio doors’ sleek, narrow frames and minimal ornamentation makes them suited to minimalist homes, but they can be used in a wide variety of contemporary architectural styles as well.
Here’s a tip: If you’re considering installing contemporary sliding doors, it’d be a good idea to look for replacement doors with glass coatings that can prevent heat transfer and ultraviolet (UV) damage. After all, natural lighting can be too much of a good thing. Your home can become uncomfortably warm if too much heat builds up inside. Not to mention the UV rays from the sun can cause fading in your carpeting and furniture.
Renewal by Andersen® offers a wide range of energy-efficient glass options. Our most energy-efficient option is the High-Performance™ Low-E4® SmartSun™ Glass, which can block up to 95% of the sun’s UV rays and 70% and 49% more energy-efficient in summer and winter compared to conventional dual-pane glass.
When in doubt, it’s best to stick to classic options such as hinged French patio doors. They originated during the French Renaissance, during which symmetry, proportion and geometry were prized in homes. Design-wise, hinged French patio doors—which have larger bottom rails and window grilles—are best suited to traditional homes.
Renewal by Andersen’s hinged French patio doors come in stainable oak, maple, pine and prefinished white interiors. However, if you want to customize your replacement doors to match your home’s exterior design, we also offer a variety of grille options. As part of our Signature Service, we customize each window according to our customers’ needs and preferences, ensuring your windows will always be a great fit for your home.
Having trouble deciding between the two? You can install sliding French patio doors as a compromise. They combine the old-world charm of hinged French patio doors with the space-saving features of contemporary sliding patio doors, creating a modern classic that combines the best qualities of the aforementioned two.
Some homeowners are worried unwanted guests will be able to easily pry sliding doors open while others are concerned about sliding doors’ maintenance needs and how easily their rollers get stuck. To address these issues, Renewal by Andersen added security and maintenance features to our sliding doors.
Want to learn more about your window and door options?
Renewal by Andersen of Knoxville offers a wide variety of premium windows and doors. To schedule a free consultation, call us at (866) 609-5033 or fill out this form. We also offer free virtual consultations as part of our COVID safety measures. Talk to us today! We serve homeowners in Maryville, TN, as well as the surrounding communities in Tennessee.
