What are french sliding glass doors?
Surely, the term French Doors brings to mind a double door with decorative glass inserts. Then, is it possible to make french sliding glass doors? A french sliding glass door is composed of four panels of sliding glass that opens in the middle for one large opening.
How to create a French sliding glass door.
This can be achieved in two different ways. With Simonton’s brand, 2 panel sliding glass door will be put together with another 2 panel sliding door. The door can be rather wide, however, you will still have a bar separating the two gliding glass doors. Simonton doesn’t offer a 4 panel impact sliding glass door like PGT does.
PGT offers a 4 panel sliding glass door. The best thing about PGT is that all the panels can move, or just the two middle panels can open leaving an unobstructed large middle opening. Just like a french door.
Should the door swing or slide?
Considering a French door for the back porch that swings instead of slides? Remember when it comes to swinging doors both inswing and outswing, French doors will take up at least a 3×6 space out of your sitting area. This space is needed for the door to swing freely without hitting furniture.
When renovating a home, isn’t the main objective to make your space brighter, larger and beautiful? French sliding glass doors will enhance the beauty and natural light of the space. French sliding glass doors allow you the freedom to put your furniture where you want to without restrictions. Sliding patio doors save space and look more beautiful than glass swinging doors.
French Sliding Glass Door Prices
For people who love the concept but not the price tag, going for a 2 panel mulled together with another 2 panel is the less expensive option. The smallest 6’8” tall sliding patio door is 50” inches wide. If you double that you need at least 100 inches in the rough opening. These sliders start at $5600, so two would start at $11,200.
The largest two panel option is 100 inches wide for one slider. To make this a French sliding glass door, you would need at least a 200 inch in the rough opening. The starting price of sliding glass doors is $12,300 so $23,600 for two of them will create the look of French elegance.
Unobstructed View
For the people that want an unobstructed panoramic view that the 4 panel sliding glass door produces, PGT is the company that offers their product. The special thing about PGT is they can put each panel on a separate track which allows all 4 panels to move. To make the french style sliding glass door, the only panels that will move are the two middle panels. One panel glides left. One panel glides right. No bars in between the panels. The smallest 4 panel door is 100 inches wide. These sliders start at $10,500 each.
Extra Large FrenchSliding Glass Doors
On the other hand, the largest is 160 inches which starts at $15,000. There is the option of mulling two 4 panel sliding glass doors together for an even larger panoramic view but you would need at least 26 feet of open space in your wall to accommodate that size.
French sliding glass doors are great for large families.
Ever try to squeeze a few spirited kids running to the pool through a swinging door at the same time? They get stuck or the door can get damaged. Think about a sliding glass door that is wide open. A whole family could go through it holding hands without getting into a single line.
Let the sunshine in!
While some people LOVE the Florida sunshine, some homeowners are hesitant because of the sunlight exposure to their homes. Buying a French sliding glass door will let maximum sunlight into your home. Some people feel this will heat their home and cause the air conditioning to run harder. This simply is not the case. All impact glass units, whether they are in sliding glass doors or windows, are carefully crafted with a LowE coating, laminated glass and argon gas filled. These maximize the energy efficiency of the glass. It prevents the transfer of heat and harmful UV rays from the sun into the home.
Why get sliding patio doors from Karoly Windows & Doors?
Karoly Windows & Doors has been replacing sliding glass doors since 2001. All of our installers have been trained by Karoly himself. Our reputation for being the best of the best is what sets us apart from other companies. See for yourself and talk to Brandon, our Vice President. You’ll have a great conversation with an owner of our company and get the best deal possible without haggling the price! We offer price matching for anyone who finds our products less expensive with a reputable competitor.
Our door is always open.
Our project consultants are standing by to take your calls. We also have a showroom in Clearwater you can visit during normal business hours.
