Hinged Patio Doors Vs. Exterior Sliding Doors

Renovating The Backyard Entrance

Homeowners have two major choices when installing a door to the backyard or patio: hinged or sliding. Hinged patio doors rest on hinges which let the doors swing either inward or outward, much like the front entryway to the house.

The sliding door does not swing open, but rather moves laterally, parallel to the wall, on a set of "tracks" guided by tiny wheels (also known as the "carriage"). There are advantages and disadvantages to both types which we discuss here.

Hinged Patio Doors

Requires Swing Space To Open

For doors installed in the patio area, hinged doors often studded with glass panes or lites (lights) to let more light into the house. The hinged aspect allows them to come closest to expressing a formal and conventional air. Because they need space to swing open, either the interior or exterior must be free of objects such as furniture or tall carpets.

Multi-Point Lock

The lock hardware is also most conventional, usually centered around a tumbler lock that is accessible from both sides, and anchored at the top or bottom with reinforcing latches. Having more than one point of locking increases security and forms the basis for what is known as a multi-point lock mechanism.

Costs

Cost-wise, a double hinged patio door will cost a bit more than a slider of equivalent width. But much of the price depends also on the quality of the door - as well as whether it is made of fiberglass, wood or even steel. See our articles on front doors for homes and front door designs for a better idea of what makes up the cost of such doors.

Exterior Sliding Doors

Made Of Glass And Slides Open

Sliding doors are popular for the patio area because they are easy to operate, and often made completely of glass so as to maximize the intake of sunlight. A double configuration may mean that only one is on tracks so that when it slides open it doubles-up over the stationary side. The stationary side does not have to move. Some double configurations allow both doors to slide on tracks.

Pocket Configuration Increases Opening Size

The disadvantage of a single slider is the size of the opening remains limited to about 32 to 36 inches. A double hinged door would open up all the way to about 60 inches. This is remedied by making them "pocket sliders" so the panels retract completely into the wall, making the opening extend up to the full width of 60 inches.

No Swinging Space And No Carpet Interference

A great advantage of the exterior sliding doors is that they do not need the swing space on either the interior or exterior side. Moreover, the sliding action means that tall, luxurious carpeting will not get in the way of the door operating.