Welcome to Patio Doors.

See the wide range of types of patio door available , and the advantages and disadvantages, the types of material available.

Here are some of the issues to consider:

Space -  Conventional patio doors need space  in which to open ,  folding patio doors reduce this, and sliding patio doors take up little room at all.

Opening  Size – There is a limit to the width of opening a conventional hinged  patio door can cover. Beyond this, folding doors allow a massive opening.

Security – Security is a big issue.  The design of patio doors really matters. It is important to consider that NOTHING can keep a determined burglar out,  but some designs allow more access to a crowbar than others. Make it difficult and you hope the burglar will go somewhere else!

Material – UPVC patio doors have been the door of choice, but certainly hardwood patio doors look better, and metal – sometimes aluminium doors can be more in keeping with a design.  The material determines whether and how the look will deteriorate with age.

Strength – Strength of patio doors is not just about security. It is also about whether the doors will survive frequent opening and closing, and clearly frequently operated doors need to be more robust. So it is not just the materials but also the construction of  patio doors matters too.

Design – Design is at least partly in the eye of the beholder. Patio Doors need to be chosen to give the right balance between privacy, look, light airy spacing, and compatibility with the period design of the building.

Read on – and we will explain how these factors apply to the different kinds of patio door, from UPVC doors, to folding doors, sliding doors, bifold doors, hardwood doors, the list goes on. We will also look at different types of manufacture.

And speaking from first hand experience, it can also allow other pets to visit when you are out. We once went on holiday with a cat door, in this case, set on input only, to find a strange cat had been in the house for two weeks unable to get out!

The solution to patio dog doors, will depend to some extent upon the type selected – patio bifold door, patio sliding door, patio hinged door, and so on.

Notwithstanding that, a patio panel pet door is generally the best solution, that is a narrow vertical panel, the upper part glazed, the lower panel is replaced to make a pet or dog door.

It is not generally necessary to modify your sliding glass door framing to replace a lower panel.

Select an appropriate track height and size for the patio pet door, also allowing for gymnastic ability – one door installer put a cat flap in my upvc door at the best part of a metre of the ground, because he thought in the “center panel” it looked best!

To avoid pet intruders you can get motorized or magnetic patio pet doors to keep others out, and also to select in only when you want to capture you own cat or dog.

A significant  issue to remember when buying UPVC Patio Door.

It can be confusing to see the number of companies involved – there can be several – each providing gurarantees, so who is ultimately responsible?

A UPVC door sale can involve the following three companies:

1/ The UPVC section maker:  that is not what they are called, but it is a description! -

Take Eurocell by way of example. The company that manufacturers the Raw PVC is not generally the company that supplies it. The manufacturer produces a material in a variety of sections. A lot of the properties, such as UV resistance come from the material, where the structural strength comes from the section.   One guarantee often given is a long 10 year guarantee – but dont be misled. The guarantee only covers the materials, not the door operation!

2/ The UPVC patio door maker.

The door product is often branded by the door maker. The door maker takes sections from the raw material manufacturer, then either buys in or builds the mechanisms, creates catalogues for the products, and so turns glass and UPVC section into useable doors in a range of sizes , qualities and designs.

3/ The UPVC door retailer

Patio  doors are sold both by direct marketing  and from retail outlets. And here it can get even more confusing: some of the products are sold as “white label” where you never know who the door maker was. Many products sold by a white van man are of this type - others are branded products carring the name of the patio door maker.

4/ The UPVC patio door Installer

The company or tradesmen that installs the door may not be the retailer, it may be just a subcontractor or self employed tradesmen. His work may or may not be covered by one of the master builder type associations, who take responsibility for the product.

Where it all comes home to roost..

The problem is that there can be so many organisations involved it is hard to know who if anyone guarantees the work! – If the installer disappears – who is responsible?

Our advice

1/ Make sure that commercial responsibility is taken by a substantial company that has been trading for a long time

2/ Choose a company backed by an association guarantee.

3/ Choose a section that has a long manufacturers guarantee.

4/ Pay with your credit card – so if push comes to shove, you can get your money back!

Don’t take the risk of shoddy work by a self installed tradesmen without a long track record, who dissapears with your cash.

Make sure you know who guarantees your new UPVC patio doors

Folding doors tend to be used where opening of a conventional door would be restricted at one or more of the ends, because of space constraints.

In its simples form folding patio doors have two doors, which are known as a bifold door.

Beyond this, it is possible to use either a single long door which folds up as four or more panels, locking at one end: or as folding sliding doors sliding in on the same track on both sides, joining at the centre of the doors.

Unlike sliding doors the door can fold completely flat on closure making it less easy to attack the weakness from outside when two sliding doors run on different tracks so exposing a weakness at the center.

The choice is often one of design: french patio doors, tend to give a more conservative and historic feel, where folding doors, with mutliple panels generally look more modernistic. Used in the home it is important to choose a folding patio door that does not make the house look too much like an office partition.

The emphasis on allowing light and views to penetrate a room with as much of the room end made glass as possible. The window frame is often designed without central mullions in order to give easy access and entry.

French doors are often glazed with multiple panes – both in order to give the structure some strength, but also as stylising detail. The frame of a french a weather strip at floor level and where the casements meet to prevent water ingress.

The head and foot of french patio doors typically uses espagnolette bolts to allow the top and bottom casements to be secured in one movement. There is generall very thin window joinery to reduce the visual impact of the doorway structure when viewed from outside.

A French door can add style to any home.

It is worth considering privacy before buying french doors because their purpose is primarily decorative and in bringing in natural light, they also allow those outside to see in. So the situation of french doors needs considering carefully, and natural screens on the plot of land such as hedges or trees that prevent passers by seeing in.

Traditional French doors are typically made from hardwood, although UPVC is clearly attractive because of assumed wearing properties. Note that UV light does degrade all UPVC over time.

Exterior French doors tend to be double glazed to provide improved insulation – and noise reduction.

These doors often have stylizing detail such as grilles.

The main reason to consider French patio doors is to draw attention to a beautiful garden or landscaping and to give a very light look – particularly when french doors are used in the interior.

French patio doors are slightly more expensive than other types of doors – but they can also add value. Please finally note that because of the expanse of glass they are more vulnerable to severe storm damage and shutters may be advisable.

Sliding Doors have the advantage that they do not require room either insider or outside to allow them to be opened as hinged patio doors do.

There is however a problem , and you need to check on the doors that you buy for security. If the doors are simply on two sliding rails, then at the center is a potential weak spot where they can be levered apart.

For that reason tilt and slide doors are a more complicated patio door, where the inner door slides across then a mechanism drops it outwards and level with the other door – although the tilt and slide patio doors seem to be less common, since they are certainly more expensive, and there is more to go wrong with them.

There are Sliding Screen Doors of all sizes, weights, colors and materials, so they are available in wood, PVC and aluminium.

Aluminium sliding doors may be weaker than UPVC, since aluminium is not a strong material unless reinforced.

Wood screen doors look more natural.

There are a variety of manufacturers and Retailers in the Internet – so here are sites where you can find  Sliding Screen Doors

Sliding Door Co. – Website has both Wall Slide Doors and Swing Doors

Other sites and resources are:

ScreensDepot.com – Offers Screen Kits for Sliding Patio Doors

Wizard Industries -  Has  Retractable Screen Doors

As with all patio doors, check out how the manufacturer has tackled  the security issues with sliding screen doors.  Several risks are – first that the entire frame is pulled out, next that the two doors are levered apart.  Finally that the glass can be either broken or removed.