Doors
Sliding Patio Doors
Patio doors can be found in any wall of a home, but typically introduce the user to a private area of the home’s exterior. Their thresholds are higher than those of entry doors, and their weather-stripping is better engineered and much superior in execution. Not all window manufacturers make all patio door styles, but the gliding or sliding type is the most popular still today. Click the photo for more discussion of sliding patio doors.
Entry Doors
While entry doors and patio doors are exterior-grade appliances, and are found in the exterior walls, they differ in placement and construction. Entry doors are always found at the front entrance, garage entrance (where by building code a fire-rated assembly is required), and often at the rear of the building when a 5' or wider width is not available for a patio door. Click on the door photo at left to open a wider discussion of entry doors.
Hinged Patio Doors
Hinged patio doors, with the exception of commercial aluminum-framed units and elite residential applications, have French-style panels as opposed to the uniform and slender panel frames of sliding patio doors (see the description of each in the Sliding Patio Door section above). Click the photo at left for more about hinged patio doors.
