Hinged Doors or Sliding Doors? Which Is Better for Your Patio?
Your patio is your outdoor oasis. It’s where you go when you want to relax or entertain guests. If you’ve decided to make some improvements to your patio, your patio doors might be one area to work on. But with so many patio door styles to choose from, you’re probably wondering what will work best for you and your home.
The two most common types of patio door are hinged doors and sliding doors. Both door styles possess unique attributes that can benefit your space. But which style of door is right for you, hinged or sliding?
Before you choose, consider the advantages of each door style. Then, ask yourself if those advantages meet your particular needs.
Sliding glass doors
A sliding glass patio door slides from side to side, with one glass panel stationary and one able to move. As far as benefits go, you’ll gain:
- Space: Space is a good attribute to have when you regularly entertain guests. If your furniture is near your doors, French doors that open inwards will limit your space. Because sliding doors move to the side, they give you more space to work with.
- Light: Sliding doors come in two glass panels. This allows natural light to stream into your home during the day. If, like 78 per cent of Aussies, you feel uplifted in a bright and light environment, then this benefit might appeal to you.
- Safety: Is wind a factor in your yard? Then a sliding door will provide safety in that it won’t swing shut in strong winds. Nor will a young child or dog inadvertently slam it shut.
- Views: Even when you aren’t outside, you can enjoy the beauty of your patio and garden with sliding doors. Their large glass panes give you a seamless view that is slightly better than that of a pair of French doors.
- Screening: You can add screens to sliding doors. This will help keep the bugs out in summer. Screens also allow you to keep pets in while you are entertaining guests outside.
Sliding glass doors offer an elegant and versatile touch to your patio design in addition to the previously mentioned benefits and should be worth considering if you’re improving your patio.
Hinged doors and French doors
French doors also work great with patios because they come with one or more glass panels. This is an important feature for a patio door, as a solid door would block your view. A hinged or French door will give you the following beneficial features:
- Handles: Hinged or French doors give you more freedom when it comes to selecting door handles. If you like to match the handles throughout your home then, hinged doors would be a better fit.
- Hooks: With a hinged door, you can add hooks to hang coats and other clothing items. This is useful if you have a backyard swimming pool as you can hang towels on those hooks.
- Access: French doors open up fully on both sides to give you a large amount of access space. Sliding doors only open on one side. This advantage is ideal if someone in your family is wheelchair-bound. It’s also a great advantage for moving furniture to and from your patio during parties.
- Ventilation: The ability to open both doors means that French doors are great if you need—or want—more ventilation in your home.
- Design: French doors are more classical in appearance than sliding doors are. If your home is colonial in style, French doors will be a great addition to your patio.
Are you ready to choose a set of patio doors for your outdoor space? Call Abbey Aluminium today and we’ll help you to choose between sliding doors and hinged doors. For over 30 years, we have helped our customers choose and install windows and doors. Let us help you decide on a door style that will meet your particular needs.
Patio Doors | Abbey Aluminium