Patio doors allow access to any outdoor space, such as your patio or backyard, while keeping your home secure from rain, snow, or wind debris along with pests and break-in attempts. Fortunately, these doors are available in many sizes, types, colors, and materials. This means you can customize the doors to fit your preferences.
The best patio doors protect your house against inclement weather and keep away insects and mice from infiltrating your home. Depending on your needs, you'll have to choose the features and type of glass carefully. For example, energy-efficient materials will insulate your home and bring down the costs of utility bills.
Things to Consider for the Best Patio Door
There are many factors to consider when you're deciding on the patio door for your home. This includes the installation requirements, type of door, and size of the doorway. These factors will affect the installation procedure, energy efficiency, and security of the patio door.
Type
The two most common glass patio doors are french doors and sliding doors. In addition, there are also bi-fold and multi-side doors. These patios differ in their design, the size of the opening, and how they open and close.
French doors usually consist of two hanging doors secured to opposite ends of a large doorway and close together in the middle. However, the center doesn't require support. Thus, french doors can fully open. Most other doors typically have an opening door and a fixed door, limiting how wide the space opens. The door is supported by two or three hinges, which connect to the doorframe. French doors allow more natural light into the room and are made of vinyl, wood, or fiberglass frames.
Sliding patio doors sit on a full frame with two sets of tracks located on the top and bottom of the frame. The pane slides on the track to open and close. Generally, one glass pane slides in the track, and the other stays in place. Sliding patio doors are typically made of aluminum, steel, wood, or vinyl frames.
Multi-side doors are commonly found in public venues such as hotels. Manufacturers install one or more doors to the standard sliding patio door design. In essence, there is one single fixed pane, and all of the other panes can slide open. These doors are typically used in commercial buildings because they are too large for residential homes.
Bifold patio doors, like other sliding door types, sit in a track. However, both bifold doors turn to the side and fold on top of each other to provide a large doorway opening than standard sliding doors. These doors aren't commonly used and can be expensive to install.
Material
Patio doors use glass panes; however, customers can choose the materials used for the surrounding frame. These frames can be made from different materials such as aluminum, wood, fiberglass, steel, and vinyl.
Aluminum is a lightweight material that requires little maintenance. Additionally, it's resistant to corrosion, so that it will have a clean and sleek appearance for a long time. However, the problem with aluminum doors is that they aren't the best insulation material. Aluminum is known to have a low energy rating, meaning it can allow air from the outdoors to enter your home. As a result, this can increase your heating and cooling bills.
Wood is generally quite durable, visually attractive, and low-maintenance. However, the problem is that it can be tampered with by outdoor elements. Wood is prone to water damage and may swell over time from temperature changes and high precipitation and humidity levels.
Fiberglass is a lightweight high-energy efficient material that is perfect for maximizing insulation. It doesn't fade or warp in harsh weather or extreme temperature fluctuations. However, unfortunately, it doesn't have the durability that steel, aluminum, or wood has.
Steel is like aluminum in that they are both metal materials that offer low energy efficiency. However, steel is the most durable material for patio doors. It can easily withstand fluctuating temperature changes and harsh inclement weather. Although, users will need to repaint the door frames and doors to resist rusting.
Vinyl is a lightweight material with high energy efficiency and is highly resistant to frequent weather changes. These doors aren't as durable as fiberglass, steel, aluminum, and wood, but they are also much less expensive.
Energy Efficiency
Patio doors should be able to seal away outdoor temperatures and withstand harsh weather conditions. Energy efficiency refers to its ability to prevent the transfer of temperature around the door, through the frame, or the material. Highly energy-efficient doors prevent heat or cold transfer, thus allowing homes to remain cool during the summertime and warm during winter. A door with low efficiency will only cause greater system to your HVAC system and increase energy bills. Ideally, you'll want to look for brands that only create Energy Star products, which indicate high energy efficiency.
Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping means the patio door has strips along the edges of the frame to seal and block outdoor elements such as airflow, pests, dirt, dust, and moisture. For sliding doors, weatherstripping works differently. Thin pieces of weatherstripping are used inside of the frame. When the sliding door closes, the glass pane will slide perfectly between the two thin pieces of weatherstripping to provide a tight seal.
Security
All patio doors should have a standard lock to protect your home from burglars. Shatterproof film and blocking bars are excellent options for patio doors since they prevent someone from breaking the glass and entering your home. You can also add monitored alarm systems so that you're notified immediately of break-in attempts.
The key is to look for patio doors with a built-in locking system. Sliding doors usually have a standard lock connected to the frame. Some doors may have a track lock that stops the track from sliding to prevent it from accidentally opening. In contrast, french doors use a lock to prevent the handle from turning. Sometimes deadbolts are used to add extra security.
Glass Options
Glass is an essential element to any patio door. Users can choose between an array of glass options decorative glass, low-E glass, grids between the glass, and built-in blinds between the glass.
Decorative glass: Some patio doors, especially French doors, have the option to use decorative glass. They can give a nice bold look to your patio door while also providing privacy. Depending on the manufacturer, the glass can come in many colors and designs. For example, the decorative glass could be colored, textured, or frosted to give you the right aesthetic appeal to fit your home.
Low-E glass: This glass type is a microscopically thin coating applied to the side of the glass to improve energy efficiency and insulation. The coating is constructed from metallic oxide materials sprayed onto the glass. It's designed to reflect heat away from the door, so you retain the temperature and air within your home.
Built-in blinds between the glass: Some patio doors have blinds between the glass panes. This means you won't have to clean the blinds because they are positioned in the glass of the patio door. Also, since the blinds are out of the way, you can clean the glass without removing the blinds. Furthermore, blinds give you privacy without needing the taint the glass, which inhibits the view.
Grids between the glass: Grid windows are when the surface is divided into strips of metal, vinyl, or wood into a grid-like arrangement. The pattern can range between regular square shapes, diamond shapes, or other varying sizes of rectangles. When the grids are between the glass, the strips are placed between the panes. Like the built-in blinds, it makes it easier to clean since you won't have to clean around the grids.
Frame and Fit
Before you purchase a patio door, make sure to measure the height and width of the door. Also, measure the door frame as well. It's important to note that measurements are rounded up. The common patio door sizes you'll find are:
- 60 by 80 inches
- 72 by 80 inches
- 72 by 96 inches
- 96 by 81 inches
Best Door Overall: Milgard Tuscany Patio Door
Milgard’s Tuscany series sliding patio door features stainless steel frames with tracks where there is one sliding door and one fixed door. Each door is made with two glass panes, which creases insulated air pockets in between the panes. Overall, it features a slim profile, adding a contemporary look to your home. What separates Milgard doors from others is their unique cladding system offering low maintenance inside and out. These doors have a low-E tempered glass to fully insulate your home, keeping the outdoor climate at bay from reaching inside. As a result, it'll help reduce energy bills. The glass can also be cleaned without needing to remove the blinds.
Additionally, it comes with convenient privacy blinds that are dust-proof and won't become tangled. These blinds operate using the slider mechanism located on each door. This sliding patio door offers both right-hand and left-hand options. The measurements are 70.5 inches by 79.5 inches, and it includes a standard door latch lock to secure the door and prevent outside elements from coming into your home.
Best Door for Value: Milgard Aluminum Patio Door
The Milgard Aluminum series patio doors run on the low end of the spectrum regarding price. These doors are made of durable steel to ensure that they will hold up for years to come. It features a weather strip to create a tight seal and remove annoying drafts that would otherwise enter your home.
This is a french-style swinging door that opens from either the right or left side. It's pre-hung in a frame and predrilled double borehole for easy installation. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a lock, so you'll need to purchase elsewhere. Although steel frames don't offer the best insulation, the Jed-Wen doors do utilize low-E energy-efficient glass to keep your place warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot outside.
Best Sliding Door: Milgard Trinsic Patio Door
A patio sliding door should be durable and keep outdoor elements from entering your home. The Milgard Trinsic Series features a full composite door system that resists rusting, denting, delaminating, warping, rotting, and splitting. Not to mention, it's waterproof, which prevents staining or water damage. The door uses adjustable rollers that allow the door to glide seamlessly on the track to open and close.
Unlike the other options mentioned, the Milgard Series sliding door includes a sleek satin-nickel handle with an auxiliary flush bolt and keyed lock to keep the door shut. Included with the doors are tilt mini blinds between the glass to offer privacy.
Best French Door: Milgard Ultra Series Outwing Hinged French Door
French doors can add a majestic and elegant appearance to your home. The Milgard Ultra Series fiberglass french door is built with full-composite high-density frames and edging. Fiberglass helps withstand harsh weather and won't rust as metal doors would. Both panels swing outward to review a wide opening with no center posts to obstruct your view.
The door is loaded with energy-efficient features. For instance, it's designed with a double astragal system to generate a weather-tight seal keeping cold drafts out of your home. Both panels are operable, and the passive panel includes two flush bolt locks to secure the frames when closed.
Whether you decide to go with sliding or french doors will depend on your needs. Always choose the highest quality products and weigh the costs. But don't forget to evaluate the manufacturers you decide to go with. Consider the available warranties they offer and the materials used on their products. Make sure that the patio door you choose matches your home layout and architecture style so that it complements your home seamlessly.
Fortunately, at US Window & Door, we can take care of your sliding glass patio door needs. If you're having trouble deciding, we can evaluate your home and give you the best options to choose from. Every installation project is unique, and we offer custom solutions so that you end up with doors that can enhance your living style. Contact US Window & Door today to receive a free in-home estimate for your patio doors in San Diego.
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