Patio doors provide a seamless connection between your indoor and outdoor living spaces, offering plenty of natural light and more accessibility in your home. They’re not just design features, they are functional additions that can dramatically improve your living experience and boost your property’s value.
With many styles, materials and options available, choosing the right patio doors can feel overwhelming. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the key factors to consider when selecting patio doors for your home.
The Impact of Patio Doors on Your Home
Before diving into the specifics, let’s consider the broader impact of patio doors and what they can offer your home:
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- Enhanced Natural Light: Patio doors with large glass panels flood your interior with sunlight, creating a brighter, more inviting atmosphere.
- Improved Views: They offer unobstructed views of your garden or outdoor space, helping to bring nature inside.
- Increased Property Value: Patio doors can significantly boost your home’s appeal and market value.
- Energy Efficiency: Modern patio doors can improve your home’s thermal performance, potentially lowering heating bills.
- Flexible Living Space: They allow you to seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor areas with low thresholds for easier movement.
Types of Patio Doors
Sliding Patio Doors
Sliding glass doors are a popular and space-saving option. They consist of two or more panels that slide horizontally along a track. Key benefits include:
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- Maximum views and natural light with large glass panels
- Take up minimal floor space when open
- Easy operation with a smooth gliding action
- Great for a modern look and for contemporary homes
- Ideal for areas with limited space
Our Slider24 patio door offers superior energy efficiency with an A+ DSER rating and excellent weather performance. Sliding patio doors from Poole Joinery are available in a wide range of colours to match your home’s style.
Bifold Patio Doors
Bifold door systems feature multiple panels that fold in an accordion style to create a wide opening. Benefits include:
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- Opening a large area to connect indoor/outdoor spaces
- Impressive visual impact when fully opened
- Flexible configurations with 2-7 panels
- Create a stunning focal point in your home
Our aluminium bifold doors offer ultra-slim sightlines for maximum glass area and views. Our uPVC options are also available for a more budget-friendly choice.
French Patio Doors
French doors are a classic choice featuring two door panels that swing open from the centre. Key advantages:
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- Traditional, elegant aesthetic
- Easy access with double door opening
- Can be opened partially for ventilation
- Suit both modern and traditional homes
External French doors provide excellent thermal insulation and security features like multi-point locking.
Choosing Between uPVC and Aluminium
When selecting patio doors, the choice of material is crucial. The two options are uPVC and aluminium, each with its own characteristics and benefits. Let’s delve deeper into each option to help you make an informed decision.
uPVC Patio Doors
uPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride) has become increasingly popular for patio doors due to its versatility and cost-effectiveness.
Affordability
One of the primary advantages of uPVC patio doors is their affordability. They offer excellent value for money, making them an attractive option for homeowners working within a budget. The lower initial cost doesn’t mean compromising quality, as our modern uPVC doors are built to last.
Thermal Efficiency
uPVC is an excellent insulator, making it highly energy efficient. The material has low thermal conductivity, so it doesn’t easily transfer heat. When combined with double or triple glazing, uPVC patio doors can significantly reduce heat loss, helping to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer. This thermal efficiency can lead to lower energy bills (offsetting some of the initial investment) and a reduced carbon footprint.
Low Maintenance and Durable
One of the most appealing aspects of uPVC patio doors is their low maintenance requirements. Unlike wood, uPVC doesn’t rot, warp, or fade, and there’s no need for painting or staining, saving you time and money over the years. The colour is integrated into the material, so it won’t peel or flake like painted surfaces might. With proper care, uPVC patio doors can last for decades.
Versatile Aesthetics
Gone are the days when uPVC offered limited, utilitarian design options. Modern uPVC patio doors come in a variety of styles, colours and finishes, including convincing wood-effect textures. Whether you’re looking for classic white, contemporary anthracite grey, or a traditional woodgrain finish, there’s an option to suit your home’s style. At Poole Joinery, we offer 26 colourways to ensure you find the perfect match for your property.
Sound Insulation
uPVC frames, combined with quality double or triple glazing, offer excellent sound insulation properties. This can be particularly beneficial if you live near a busy road or in an urban area, helping to create a quieter, more peaceful home environment.
Aluminium Patio Doors
Aluminium patio doors offer a sleek, modern aesthetic with exceptional strength and durability. Let’s explore the benefits of choosing aluminium for your patio doors.
Slim Profiles and Maximum Glass Area
One of the standout features of aluminium patio doors is their slim frame profiles. The strength of aluminium allows for narrower frames compared to uPVC, maximising the glass area. This results in more natural light for your home and provides less obstructed views of your outdoor space. For homeowners looking to create a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor areas, aluminium doors offer an almost invisible barrier when closed.
Strength and Durability
Aluminium is renowned for its strength-to-weight ratio. This means aluminium patio doors can support larger glass panels without compromising stability or security. The inherent strength of aluminium also makes these doors highly resistant to warping, flexing, or bowing, ensuring smooth operation year after year and giving you peace of mind about your investment.
Contemporary Aesthetic
Aluminium patio doors provide a modern aesthetic particularly suited to contemporary homes. The clean lines and minimalist appearance of aluminium frames can create a striking feature in modern homes. At Poole Joinery, our aluminium doors can be powder-coated in any RAL colour, allowing for genuinely bespoke design options to complement your home’s exterior.
Longevity
The durability of aluminium translates to impressive longevity. With proper care, aluminium patio doors can last for several decades. This long lifespan, combined with minimal maintenance requirements, makes them a cost-effective choice in the long run despite a higher initial investment compared to uPVC.
Thermal Performance
While aluminium is naturally conductive, modern aluminium patio doors incorporate thermal break technology to enhance their insulation properties. A thermal break is a barrier between the inner and outer parts of the frame that significantly reduces heat transfer. Aluminium doors can achieve excellent thermal efficiency ratings, especially when combined with high-performance double or triple glazing.
Environmentally Friendly
Aluminium is 100% recyclable and can be recycled indefinitely without losing its properties. This makes it an environmentally friendly choice for eco-conscious homeowners. The recycling process for aluminium uses only a fraction of the energy required to produce new aluminium, further reducing its environmental impact.
Large Openings and Configurations
The strength of aluminium allows for larger openings and more extensive configurations. This makes aluminium ideal for wide openings, oversized sliding doors, or multi-panel bifold systems. If you want to create a dramatic indoor-outdoor living space, aluminium doors can offer the expansive solution you need.
Low Maintenance
Like uPVC, aluminium patio doors are low maintenance. The powder-coated finish is highly resistant to scratching and fading, maintaining its appearance with minimal effort. Regular cleaning is usually all that’s required to keep aluminium doors looking their best.
Both Materials from Poole Joinery
By offering uPVC and aluminium options at Poole Joinery, we ensure that every homeowner can find the perfect patio door solution to match their style, budget, and performance requirements. Whether you prioritise cost-effectiveness and versatility with uPVC or seek the contemporary aesthetics and strength of aluminium, we have the expertise to guide you towards the ideal choice for your home.
Ready for New Patio Doors?
New patio doors can dramatically enhance your living space, and with over 25 years of experience, Poole Joinery can help you choose the best patio doors for your home at affordable prices.
Contact us today via email at office@poolejoinery.com or via phone at 01202 661299 for expert advice and a free, no-obligation quote. Let us bring your vision to life with beautiful, high-performance patio doors tailored to your home. You can also use our online contact form to reach us.
If you’d like to see and use these products first-hand, we’d love to invite you into our beautiful Poole showroom, open Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm or on the weekend via appointment.