One of the considerations you’re going to have to face when you get a patio door is the amount of space you have available around an entryway as that will determine what option will be best for you. Having space constraints does narrow down your choices but, fortunately, both gliding and French patio doors are still viable options, depending on your situation.
If you have little extra space around an entryway
French patio doors operate like your usual doors, requiring clearance for a door panel to swing open, so they are unsuitable where little space is available around an entryway. If this is the case for you, you will be better off with gliding patio doors as they don’t need clearance to be used and call for no more than the space needed to accommodate the actual door itself. They also free you to position furniture and other items near the patio door in ways you couldn’t with a French door.
If you have some space available
If you have a bit more space, your options expand to cover both gliding and French patio doors. But don’t French doors require clearance? Yes, they do, but they also come in out-swing and in-swing models, meaning you can choose a variant depending on which side of your entryway has more space for you to use. For instance, if you have a tight living area indoors but have more room outside on your patio, you can opt for an out-swing French patio door to take advantage of the space on your patio.
Creating an Illusion of Space
Gliding and French patio doors also address space constraints by helping create an illusion of space. They are able to do this because they feature a lot of glass, which lets in a lot of natural light to illuminate the room they are connected to. It is also for this reason that gliding and French patio doors can contribute to daylighting efforts in a home.
Need more convincing to get a patio door? Head on over to Part 3 of this blog series to learn more about patio door advantages.