When designing for indoor-outdoor living, it is crucial to establish a connection that seamlessly transports guests from the home’s interior to an inviting outdoor living space. The first step is to select the proper patio door, threshold, and screen style that will complement your home’s architectural design and allow for optimal flow between indoors and out. Our Texas-based architects compiled the ultimate guide to selecting the right sliding patio doors, thresholds, and screens to easily compare all the options and complete your space.

Types of Sliding Glass Patio Doors

First, let’s choose the type of sliding glass patio door that will work best for your needs. These doors will frame the outside view and serve as the main transition from inside to out. This selection is crucial for creating indoor-outdoor living. Patio doors typically come in preset sizes, but custom sizing is also available for larger expanses of glass. Here are the six main types of sliding glass patio doors.

Fixed Panel Sliders

Fixed panel sliding glass doors are the classic option for sliding patio doors. One glass panel remains fixed and the other panel slides on a horizontal track to stack on top. This option is great for smaller door openings and limited spaces that can’t accommodate a pocket door. However, the fixed panel does cut off a fully open flow from inside to outside.

Double Sliders

Double sliding glass doors typically have four panels. Two are fixed at the ends and the other two open from the middle to slide horizontally and stack over each fixed panel. This is a great option for larger expanses and helps to create a more open feel. There is also the added sense of luxury when opening the doors from the center to create a framed and dramatic entrance to the outdoor living space.

Bend of the River double sliding doors, living room

Panoramic Doors

Panoramic doors have quickly become a sought after luxury feature. Unlike traditional sliding doors, panoramic doors are comprised of individual panels that all move independently of each other. This allows you to stack them and create a range of openings from a single open door to a complete breakaway wall for uninterrupted indoor-outdoor living. Panoramic doors are excellent options for large expanses and can be utilized to create a stunning feature for courtyards, terraces, and patios.

Stacking Doors

Stacking glass doors combine elements of the panoramic and sliding door styles. Stacking doors have one fixed panel at the end of the span that all the other glass panels can stack on top of neatly when opened. This allows for a large expanse, however, doesn’t give the full illusion of a breakaway wall.

Accordion Doors

Accordion glass patio doors are another great option for achieving an expansive, breakaway wall look. They open like an accordion and stack neatly on top of each other on one end to allow for a large, continuous opening. Unlike stacking doors that will still have a fixed panel at the end, accordion doors can open fully with limited view interruption.

Pocket Doors

Glass pocket doors are the only patio door option that can completely disappear from view and allow for a true indoor-outdoor experience with no barriers. Pocket doors slide on top of each other and store inside the wall, completely out of view. To achieve this, structural planning needs to be thought of ahead of time and there has to be enough wall space for the panels.

Types of Patio Door Thresholds

While it may seem like a small detail, the threshold of your patio door is an important element that not only affects style but also protects your home from water seepage and potential damage. There are two main styles of thresholds to consider.

Traditional Thresholds

The traditional threshold options are available in metal, metal-clad, and vinyl. With these options, you will see a visible threshold that will serve as a break from the interior to the exterior. These options are commonly used because they are efficient in preventing water seepage and cost-effective. A traditional style threshold also serves as a great visual break between different types of flooring.

Flush Thresholds

Flush thresholds blend seamlessly into the floor without creating a visual break or divide between the interior and the exterior. They also eliminate any step over, creating flow and ease of movement between the two spaces. Flush thresholds tend to be more expensive and require advanced planning due to additional weatherproofing and drainage requirements. When utilizing a flush threshold, we recommend continuing the same flooring from inside to outside to enhance the feeling of one connected space.

Types of Patio Door Screens

Patio doors are perfect to open up when the weather is nice. However, you don’t want to let bugs in, especially during the Texas mosquito season. Screens are a necessity when trying to get the most enjoyment out of your patio doors during the cooler seasons. There are three popular options when it comes to screen styles.

Sliding

Sliding screens are perfect for sliding doors. Screens can be added to the sliding track which will allow you to easily slide them closed for protection from bugs and open when you need to get on the patio. While sliding screens work well with traditional fixed panel sliders, they may be harder or impossible to utilize with panoramic or accordion style doors.

Retractable

Retractable screens work similarly, but they roll up into a housing on the edge of the doorframe to be stored away out of sight. This is a great option that allows for a more minimalist and clean look. While this option works well for most patio door options, it will be limited when it comes to larger expanses.

Screened Porch

Screened porches are the ultimate way to get the most out of your indoor-outdoor living space. This not only allows you to keep your patio doors open without interruption, but it also allows you to further utilize your outdoor space even during mosquito season. Screened porches are also a great option for homes with breakaway glass walls that are unable to be covered with a screen.

Do you need help selecting patio doors, thresholds, and screens to create the perfect indoor-outdoor connection for your home?

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Patio Doors: The Architect’s Guide to Selecting Sliding Patio Doors, Thresholds, and Screens