They are correct. Most SGD with internal blinds have neither soft-coat low-e or an argon fill. Some do come with hard coat low-e but the blinds tend to offer the client much of the shading control and therefore control the heat. That is probably the biggest complaint (minus just malfunctions and failure) we get around older patio doors - heat and bleaching the floor.

Enclosed would be a great idea. I know I've seen them on many houses I've worked on, they're magnetic. They're not sealed in the argon sense of the world, in essence they're triple glazing with the argon part to the outside. You'll just have to google or go to the big hardware stores and look and ask, I know I've seen them on french doors, so windows might be a custom order. It's actually a great idea for a kitchen window (as long as you don't want an opener I guess) much cleaner.

Thanks for the reply, Suezbell! Ok, I'll post a picture when I can. Style is casual, no frills, fairly contemporary. Since the doors are west-facing, we're not getting direct sunlight in the mornings through early afternoon, but it's still quite bright in the reflected Southern California sunshine. I'm not sure if an awning would block enough of that, though retractable awnings is something we've considered for a future project, when our budget recovers. Honestly, I personally would be able to sleep with just a little improvement in the light blocking in the morning, but my husband wants to be able to make it DARK in the middle of the day so he can nap, which is why I'd like to find a true blackout solution. I'm seeing some nice panel track blinds which perhaps could work... I do like the flat appearance of the panels. Nice contemporary look that is a change from standard verticals. Not sure if that will clutter up the look of things though, with too many unmatched elements.

Mie0782, what’s the advantage of a slider over an awning? Or were you thinking vinyl vs. fiberglass? We installed vinyl about 15 years ago and they have performed well, but now that we’re changing out windows with this remodel, I want to upgrade them. I’m also more concerned about environmal toxins today, so I’m trying to avoid vinyl if I can (creates toxins during manufacturing and also if the house catches on fire. i live in CA and though my town isn’t considered high risk, the last few years have seen unprecedented wildfires so you never know. Even if I’m not exposed to the chemicals personally, I’d rather avoid putting them into the environment if I can).