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Sliding patio door or double door?

11 years ago

Hi All,

Looking to replace my rear patio door which is currently a double door. I was thinking about a sliding glass door to change things up a bit but I keep thinking they're cheap. This may be entirely unfounded since the door is well built and slides beautifully. Maybe my thoughts are stemming from the sliding glass door my parents had in the early 80's.

I'm curious what the general consensus is on sliding glass doors. Pro's and con's?

Thanks,

Joe

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Comments (3)

renovator8
11 years ago
They are generally used when there is no interior space available for in-swinging French doors.
handymac
11 years ago
The major drawbacks of sliders are misalignment and roller wear. The lower weight bearing rollers often wear out relatively fast---sometimes as soon as three or four years with more than average use---opening/closing 5+ times a day.

Adjustment is usually fairly simple, as long as the adjusting mechanism is not damaged/rusted/too dirty. And the adjusting mechanism and roller assembly is replaceable.

The other gotcha is the amount of light/heat/cold the large expanse of glass transfers. A curtain has to be wall mounted and is cumbersome to open/close to operate the door.

Double doors generally do not have any of those problems. The big gotcha with doubles are the room taken when open/operated.
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cruzmisl
Original Author
11 years ago
For clarity both doors (slider/french) will have blinds mounted inside the glass. Also both style of doors will have low E glass. Currently with the double doors I have no issues with space. Right now my gut says to go with the double doors.

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