When most homeowners think of designing their dream home, they think of a beautiful kitchen and the perfect master bedroom. But, the exterior details are just as important to think about as the interior design, especially if you have a big backyard or a patio space.
Think of these areas as a blank canvas. Your backyard can become the ultimate play area for your kids or the most beautiful, lush garden you’ve ever seen. Maybe you prefer to set up a grilling area out back and leave the landscaping for another time.
Either way, your patio doors serve as the bridge between the outside and inside of the home. They should look lovely while you’re sitting on the couch or standing outside.
To get this part of your outdoor design just right, check out the patio door ideas below.
The Most Popular Patio Door Ideas
Patio doors come in all kinds of shapes and structures. But, there are some that stand out from the rest. Close your eyes and picture what it would be like to open the space to your back patio with sliding doors, folding doors, or French doors.
Not sure what one of these would really look like? The following is a closer look at each of these patio door options to help you get an idea of how they would fit.
Sliding Patio Doors
Sliding patio doors are just what they sound like. They open by sliding in one direction. Something homeowners don’t always realize, though, is you can slide patio doors all the way open from one wall to the other.
This is done by connecting all the panels together and mobilizing them. Traditionally, sliding glass doors come in two panels, and one is slid on top of the other. This is convenient, but it creates a barrier to entry when the other panel can’t move.
Mobilizing both of them, though, allows you to open the sliding patio doors as wide as the gap between the adjoining walls is. It basically doubles the opening sliding doors ideas allow.
Folding Doors
Folding doors are kind of like sliding doors, but these panels bunch up like an accordion. They typically have more than two panels, and every other panel will go inwards or outwards to create the folding look.
The fun thing about folding patio door ideas is that you can choose to open the space as narrow or as wide as you’d like. Fold one or two panels open for a small entryway or fold all of them back to create an open, welcoming space.
French Doors
Many people think French doors are the most beautiful patio door options of all. These look timeless and sophisticated in any home.
The basic way to describe French doors is a set of double doors. They open out or in with handles like a normal door would, but do so in a pretty stunning way. You can detail French doors to be even more lovely than they already are, which is usually where the wow factor comes in as you combine all your outdoor design details.
Frame and Glass Ideas for Patio Door Designs
Speaking of design details, while you’re going to have to make furniture and outdoor lighting decisions to tie everything together, there are still more things to focus on in terms of the patio door ideas.
Once you know the kind of patio doors you want, you have to choose among the various frame materials available and the window treatments you’d like to have, too.
The Frame Materials
Patio doors can be made of vinyl, wood, aluminum, steel, or fiberglass. The materials range in terms of strength and aesthetic. Keep your interior design style in mind as you choose what you want for the outdoors.
Here’s a break down of each material one by one.
Vinyl is a strong, long-lasting patio door material. It can stand against high heats and low, cold temperatures, and comes in many finishes. There are even fake wood designs that give you all the beauty of wood doors with the strength of vinyl.
Why are wood doors weaker? Because they can crack or rot in certain conditions, like in areas of high rain, snow, or intense summer heats. Still, with the right maintenance, real wood doors are absolutely beautiful.
The next patio door ideas to choose from are aluminum and steel. Although different materials, these two are pretty similar. They are stronger than wood but not as energy-efficient as vinyl, and the most cost-effective option of all frames.
While aluminum and steel are the cheapest options, fiberglass is the most expensive. But, it does come with a high value to match the price. Fiberglass is comparable to vinyl in strength yet much more beautiful in aesthetic.
The Glass Fittings
Last but not least, consider how you’d like to set up the inner part of your patio doors. When you’re sitting on the couch or cooking in the kitchen, do you want to look over and see blinds or curtains covering the doors? Also, what kind of insulation does your home need?
These are the final details of putting your patio door designs together. They are just as important as the kind of doors you buy and the materials used to make them. Without the right glass fittings and window treatments, you’ll end up doing more maintenance (and spending more on energy) than necessary.
Patio Doors, Pool Decks, and More
There is so much you can do with your home’s outdoor space.
From the perfect patio door ideas to transition in and out of the house to the ultimate grilling set up and the most comfortable lounge chairs ever, all the details matter.
Use the guide above to get your doors just right, and click here for more home design ideas!
