French Doors or Sliding Glass Doors?

In most homes, either French doors or sliding glass doors separate the inside of the home from the backyard patio, or deck. If neither option seems like a clear choice for you, simply weight their pros and cons. Consider factors like cost, safety, aesthetics and space – and that should give you a better idea of what you might want.

The “Look”

French doors – When deciding which door-type works best aesthetically in your home, you ought to take into account the overall design of the rest of your decor – as well as the architectural style of your home, in general. Although not overly fancy, french doors tend to fit well into more ornate or traditional design situations, and they can easily be stained or painted. They can be installed with complex window designs, and come with many different window pane layouts.

Sliding glass doors – For the most part, if you’re looking for a sleeker, more modern look in your home, sliding glass doors might be right for you. They create the illusion of “less door,” and that’s really what modern style is all about “less is more.” For homes that want a more open layout, sliding doors create the illusion of less door. You should also take into account a screen. Usually, sliding glass doors have a screen behind the glass so that you can slide the door open during nice weather, and feel the breeze while stopping insects from getting in the house. French doors don’t usually have this feature.

Pricing

French doors – Although both types of doors vary widely when it comes to cost, the price of French doors depends a lot on the kind of wood they’re made of. Usually they come in oak, pine and mahogany, the last being the most expensive. So, as obvious as it might seem, the higher the quality of French door, the more expensive it will be. Single slab, vintage French doors can be $700 and up. It’s not unlikely to pay over $1000 for a well-made set of French doors.

Sliding glass doors - Generally speaking, sliding glass doors will be a little bit cheaper than their counterpart. A quality sliding door set with screen and vinyl frame will cost around $350, and one with an aluminum frame can cost as much as $600. They typically come pre-assembled but require installation. Depending on where you buy, installation could be included in the price.

Space Issues

French doors – The amount of livable space a door occupies all depends on how it opens. French doors usually open inward and require the freedom to do so, which means that furniture placement must accommodate the doors.

Sliding glass doors – Sliding doors take up less space because it slides horizontally into a fixed section that does not take up any livable space. You do not need to adjust any furniture for these doors.

Safety Features

French doors - In terms of weather and flying debris, the safer door really all depends on how strong the glass is – and you can purchase extremely strong glass for both types of doors. However, it is often said that the wood frame surrounding the window panes on a French door, makes it so the door cannot be mistaken for being open, and cause a child to run into it.

Sliding glass doors - Before the days of tempered glass, people were sometimes injured accidentally walking through a sliding glass door. With safety glass that beads up though, that does not happen a whole lot today.

If you’re thinking about door replacement or installation, get in touch with Weather Tite Windows, your top-notch windows and doors company!

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