When it comes to patio doors, there’s plenty of choice. The main ones are sliding, bi-folding and french doors. While each type of door has pros and cons, there is one that is a clear winner for me — sliding doors. Of course it does depend to some extent on the amount of space you have but space permitting, sliding doors are the standout choice for me.
When I renovated my home I did a lot of research on the types of patio doors out there as well as the finishes. In the end I settled on sliding doors because they gave me the minimalist look I wanted and it’s a decision I’ve never regretted. I’d go further and say that whenever I renovate another home in the future, I will always opt for sliding doors. Here’s why I think sliding patio doors are best.
Why I chose sliding patio doors
If you’re wondering which kind of patio doors to go for, here’s why I opted for sliding doors in my kitchen over bi-folding or any other type of door.
- The biggest reason I chose sliding doors is because they look cleaner and more minimal which worked well for my minimalist kitchen.
- Sliding doors have far fewer sight lines than bi-fold doors so when they’re closed you have far fewer interruptions if you like.
- Since my doors are closed for 75-80% of the year (thanks British weather!), I much prefer having a few very large glass panels instead of lots of smaller panels with lots of lines in between. It feels like the back of my house is pretty much all glass.
- Even when closed, because of the large, uninterrupted panes of glass, the outside feels like an extension of my indoor space
- I have a large enough space (width) so that when the doors are open, it really brings the outside in. Not being able to open the last door doesn’t feel like a compromise at all.
- Lastly, they need the least space because they don’t open inwards or outwards like both bi-fold and french doors do. Instead sliding doors slide in to a wall or on to a track, taking up no extra space on your patio or your indoor space.
Are there any negatives for sliding patio doors?
The only negative is that they don’t open up the full width of your space like bi-folding doors do. But as mentioned above, I haven’t found this to be a negative as firstly the doors are closed for at least 9 months of the year. Also, whether opened or closed, the outside and inside feel very much like one space.
Anything else?
If your opening is very small — like the width of one or two standard sized doors — then french doors might make more sense as they will both open. The exception here is if you you can have one large sliding door that slides in to a wall.
If you live in a place with a mostly warm climate and are likely to have the doors open for most of the year, then you might want to consider bi-folding doors. That said, for a minimalist look, nothing beats sliding doors. They look cleaner and far neater in my opinion. You can now also get ultra slim frames — mine are a few years old so have thicker frames.
Here’s a short video of the patio doors:
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