What’s the Best Kind of Patio Door?

During the summer, our gardens are in use far more than during the winter. By extension, we use our back doors a lot more, whether we have them swung wide open to let the air in or we just like to look out of them at the cool morning air and the sunrise that is bouncing off the colours of the lovely flowers we have in bloom. We’re in the height of summer now, so you’ve probably found yourself interacting with your patio door more often than you have for the rest of the year. When you’re doing so, it might be time to ask yourself, is this installation as good as it could be? Maybe you moved into your current home recently, and this is the first time you’ve really spent a lot of time noticing the condition of your patio door. Maybe you’ve had the same patio door for years and are noticing that it’s time for an upgrade. Whatever the reason, you’ve never had more choices available for the perfect back door! 

With plenty of options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide how to customise your patio doors.  Luckily, here at Dempsey Dyer, we supply a patio door that is bespoke to your customers’ needs. To find out more, read on. 

Sliding Doors

An all-time classic and probably the most common variety of patio doors, the sliding door exploded in popularity due to its ability to provide exceptional, uninterrupted views of the garden. Doubling up as large windows and doors, these installations provide a fantastic way of connecting the outdoors with the inside of your home. Our sliding doors come in three materials: timber, uPVC and aluminium. These doors offer fantastic views for end users, letting them enjoy the outside world more. 

Bifold Doors

If you’re looking for the absolute maximum opening potential, then the modern bifold door is an exceptional choice. Bifold doors fold into each other through individual panels and are opened either from the centre or the side. Through this folding mechanism, otherwise known as concertina, these doors provide:

• Thermally efficient, so warm air can be retained. 
• Removing a selection of the wall opens your home to the outside world.
• Letting natural light in your customers’ homes saves money on your energy bills.

Your patio and interior will become one when these doors are fully open. When you don’t want to have them open, one panel will be designed to operate independently of the others, allowing you to use a regular door for your patio entranceway, saving you the hassle of unfolding doors when you want to enter and exit quickly and easily. 

A disadvantage of the bifold door is that it only works when combined with large wall space to get the concertina design’s full effect. Furthermore, the panels are individually separated and thus, do not provide the uninterrupted views that one can achieve with sliding doors. As a result, the bifold door is perfect for homeowners looking to open up their homes during the summer to the outside.

French Doors

If you’re an end user who doesn’t have space for a bifold door then the French door is an ideal option. The patio door and the French door offer a similar style. Many homeowners often confuse patio doors with French doors, and understandably so! The French door is the simplest option of the three, but that is in no way a bad thing. The French door gives the home a great and easy-to-use exit that provides good views into the back garden and can be placed in a small space along a wall, allowing for maximum heat retention in the winter. The French door can also be opened like a bifold door, allowing for huge airflow throughout the home. 

The French door requires the least amount of maintenance among the three options due to its small size in comparison. The French door is perfect for the homeowner looking for a simple option or for the homeowner that wants to maximise their wall space and isn’t particularly interested in all-encompassing views of their garden.

Patio Doors from Dempsey Dyer

We hope that this article has helped you understand the difference between sliding doors and patio doors. Both doors offer popular choices for the customer as they come in slim sightlines, allowing for  beautiful views of the outside. Our friendly and professional team have decades of experience installing doors, so we are on hand to help you. 

Whatever you choose you’ll get the absolute best in modern performance when you choose Dempsey Dyer for your home improvements! Get a free quote by using our online pricing tool!