WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATIO DOORS AND FRENCH DOORS?
Posted on 22nd September 2021 at 23:27
When you decide to make changes and upgrades to your home, one of your biggest considerations is whether you choose French doors or patio doors or even external French doors. Patio doors have also been known as sliding doors, and they do differ to the French doors that you would see on a home. It’s so important to know the differences between the two before you push your money into an upgrade, as they are a much larger investment than say, replacing the lightbulbs. So, what ARE the differences?
WHAT ARE FRENCH DOORS?
Traditionally, French doors are double doors which are hinged and open either outward or inward to the home, depending on your tastes. French doors fold open to give you access to opening where they are installed. You need to be able to open doors fully when you need to access the outside of the home, but the maximum opening of French doors is usually 80mm (900mm per door). So, if you’re looking to open out a bigger space, French doors may not be the option for you.
WHAT ARE PATIO DOORS?
Patio doors do encompass the French style doors that are explained above, but the expression ‘patio doors’ usually invokes the image of the sliding doors. This door type allows you the chance to have bigger, more open space and the widths of up to 4200mm can be reached and opened out.
When your space is restricted, sliding doors are perfect to open out the exit/entrance of the garden much more than would have been possible with French doors. As the doors don’t open towards any walls, you get far more room to move and enjoy the space. The only real downside to sliding doors is that only half the opening is available at any time.
Patio doors often also include bifolding doors, which have the benefits of the way French doors open up, as well as the larger available opening of sliding doors.
WHICH TO BUY?
There are a lot of things that you should consider before you go ahead with your door choices.
Opening Size. You should judge whether you have a restricted space to build on or not. A restricted space would mean sliding or bifold patio doors make more sense for you, whereas a lot of space will look great with double hinged French doors.
Cost. The cost of the doors will vary depending on the material and size of the doors that you want to order. Sliding doors are usually considered to be a little more cost-effective than French doors.
Security. Both types of doors come with varying security features that should be considered from a safety point of view. Both have differing features, and any doors that open to the exterior of your home should be as secure as possible to protect your home.
When you want to get a quote on the best doors for your home, contact Creative View. We have two showrooms based in Clacton and Colchester. Our friendly team will be happy to help!
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