FRENCH & SLIDING EXTERIOR DOORS:

Many peopl e today want to add elegance and style to there exsistng door openings.  One way to do so is to convert you aluminum sliding door to a new swinginging or sliding, wood or fiberglass french style door. Depending on your budget, adding grids in various layouts can add distinction and class to an ordinary door.

SWING IN OR OUT?

The space in your room will determine the direction your doors should swing.  If you have a small interior space, many people prefer the door to swing out to maximize that  space and give a greater sense of openess to the room.
Swing out doors have limitations to them.  One limitation is that you can only have retractable screen doors on the inside of the room to keep insects out. Another requirement is there must be a large enough step or pad that a person can walk out onto when the door is opened from the inside.

Swing in doors allow you to have screen doors opening to the outside or retractable screen doors that are hidden when the doors are closed.  Swing in doors also keep you from getting wet when you open the door during inclimate weather

Sliding french doors offer the advantage of saving space.  They do not take up room from the interior or exterior and they normally come with a sliding screen door so protection from insects is simple. The biggest disadvantage to them is they do not allow a wide open space. Both doors do not open at the same time, which is one aspect many people enjoy with swinging french doors.

The most important thing is to get the door that best fits your home.  Knowing the pro’s and con’s will help you decide what door is right for you.