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Choosing the right patio doors can transform your home, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces while flooding rooms with natural light. With innovations in design, materials, and energy efficiency, 2025 offers more options than ever for Irish homeowners. This guide explores the different types of patio doors available—their styles, functionality, and key benefits—to help you make an informed decision for your home.
Popular Patio Door Styles
French Doors
French doors remain a classic choice, featuring a pair of doors hinged at the sides that open from the center, swinging either inward or outward. They’re particularly popular with builders of new homes due to their relatively affordable cost and straightforward installation. French doors provide an alternative evacuation route and help meet fire safety requirements, making them especially suitable for elderly or disabled residents.
While French doors offer excellent ventilation and traditional charm, they typically provide a maximum opening width of around 2 meters, which may be limiting for larger apertures.
Sliding Patio Doors
Sliding doors became widely popular in the mid-20th century and earned the “patio door” name that many still use today. These doors feature two or three glass panels that glide along tracks, offering easy access to outdoor spaces without requiring clearance for door swing. Modern sliding doors have evolved significantly from older single-glazed versions, now featuring double glazing, smooth roller systems, and improved thermal performance.
Sliding doors work exceptionally well in spaces with limited room for door clearance and can provide opening widths up to approximately 3 meters. They’re space-efficient since they don’t project outward like bifold doors, making them ideal for smaller patios or balconies.
Bi-Folding Doors
Introduced around the turn of the century, bi-folding doors have surged in popularity for their ability to create expansive openings. These doors comprise multiple panels connected by hinges that fold back in a concertina-style arrangement, typically accommodating between two and seven panels. They run along tracks installed on the floor, ceiling, or both.
The standout advantage of bi-fold doors is their ability to fold completely back, opening up an entire wall to maximize the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. A master door can be positioned at either end or in the center, operating as a standard pivot door while allowing other panels to slide and fold to the side. Bi-fold doors can span openings up to approximately 7 meters wide and offer versatile configurations to suit different spaces.
Slide-and-Pivot Doors
Representing the latest innovation in patio door design, slide-and-pivot doors (also called slide-and-turn or slide-and-swing) combine the best features of sliding and bi-folding systems. Developed in 2007-2008, these doors feature individual glazed panels that fit snugly together when closed. Each panel can slide along top and bottom guides and pivot open independently, creating flexible opening configurations.
Because slide-and-pivot doors don’t require hinges, they eliminate the need for bulky side frames, resulting in minimal visual interruption and maximum views. These systems have been tested for spans up to approximately 8 meters. Their frameless design makes them suitable for both contemporary homes and period properties seeking a discreet, modern upgrade.
Frame Materials and Construction
Timber Frames
Timber frames offer traditional aesthetics and natural beauty, with hardwoods like oak providing superior durability compared to softwoods like pine. However, timber requires regular maintenance—varnishing or painting annually—to protect against weather damage, particularly from strong sunlight. Wood frames can swell and shrink with moisture changes, potentially causing operational difficulties and drafts in colder temperatures.
Aluminium Frames
Aluminium frames deliver strength in a compact profile with slim sightlines typically ranging from 135mm to 160mm when two frames meet. Modern aluminium frames feature thermal breaks—internal separators that prevent heat transfer between interior and exterior surfaces—to improve insulation. These frames are powder-coated in over 100 standard colors, including white finishes that resemble uPVC.
uPVC Frames
uPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride) frames offer varying quality levels depending on price point. Higher-quality uPVC frames are internally reinforced with steel for added strength, while cheaper options may experience sticking, twisting, splitting, or warping within a short timeframe. Most commonly available in white, some manufacturers offer limited color options or wood-effect finishes. Cheaper uPVC frames can have sightlines exceeding 200mm, which significantly reduces the glass-to-frame ratio.
Composite Frames
Composite patio door frames combine multiple materials—potentially including timber, metal, uPVC, and glass-reinforced polymer—to create stronger, more durable products than standard uPVC. Each manufacturer offers different compositions and finishes, providing varied performance characteristics and aesthetic options.
Frameless Designs
Frameless doors eliminate vertical side frames entirely, achieving the best sightlines of any door type—typically under 40mm. While frameless doors still require top and bottom mechanisms (usually aluminum) for sliding operation, the absence of visible side frames maximizes glass area and minimizes visual interruption. This design is modern yet subtle enough for period properties.
Energy Efficiency and Glazing Options
Building Regulation Standards
In Ireland, building regulations require doors to meet specific thermal performance standards. Current regulations stipulate a maximum U-value of 1.6 W/m²K for doors, though high-performance products achieve much lower values. The U-value measures how well a door prevents heat loss—the lower the number, the better the insulation.
All patio doors must feature double glazing, and the visible Kitemark on glass units provides assurance that they’ve been manufactured to British standards. Many manufacturers now offer A-rated energy ratings, delivering excellent thermal performance that can reduce heating costs by €100 to €400 annually.
Glass Options and Features
Modern patio doors offer numerous glazing enhancements beyond standard double glazing. Optional features include tinted glass, anti-solar coatings, laminated safety glass, obscured glass for privacy, and argon-filled units for improved insulation. Traditional design elements like Georgian bars or leaded-light patterns in rectangular or diamond styles help match period property aesthetics.
An innovative option is switchable privacy glass, which allows molecules within the double-glazing to become transparent or opaque at the push of a button, though this typically doubles the cost. A more practical alternative is integral blinds—horizontal blinds factory-sealed within the double-glazing cavity that can be raised, lowered, and angled using a magnetic or electronic system. These sealed blinds are maintenance-free, requiring no dusting or cleaning, and are protected from damage since they’re encapsulated between glass panes.
Security and Hardware Considerations
Locking Systems
Security quality varies significantly among patio door systems. Bi-fold doors often feature multiple locking points for enhanced security, whereas traditional sliding doors typically offer only one locking point. French doors purchased “off the shelf” usually allow access from both sides, while custom bi-folding doors can be specified with locks on the inside only for added security. Some multi-panel systems include key-locks for each pair of doors.
Rolling Mechanisms and Thresholds
French doors and bi-folds require robust hinges to support the door weight. Sliding doors can be either top-hung or floor-supported, with top-hung systems typically offering smoother operation and facilitating low-threshold installations.
Thresholds can be raised or nearly flush with the floor. Flush thresholds improve accessibility for wheelchair users, young children, elderly residents, and those with mobility or vision impairments who may be prone to tripping. Raised thresholds are usually more affordable and may be more suitable for certain environments.
Choosing the Right Patio Door
Maximum Opening Widths
Different door types offer varying maximum opening widths. French doors typically max out around 2 meters, while sliding doors provide approximately 3 meters of opening width. Bi-folding and slide-and-pivot systems are fully retractable, maximizing potential access width.
Bi-fold door spans are governed by hinge stress, with six connected doors considered the practical maximum for a single run, though theoretically, two sets could create a 12-meter span if the overhead beam is structurally sound. Slide-and-pivot doors, being lighter and operating independently without hinges, are limited only by overhead beam length and have been tested to approximately 8 meters.
Supply and Installation
French doors and smaller sliding door units can typically be purchased “off the shelf” in standard sizes. Custom-made systems—including wider sliding doors, bi-folds, and slide-and-pivot doors—are manufactured to order.
When comparing prices, factor in the door system cost, delivery charges, installation labor (or DIY tool and material costs if self-installing), and site cleanup expenses. Professional installation teams from experienced suppliers typically complete installations in one day, allowing homeowners to enjoy their new patio doors immediately.
Commercial Applications
While patio doors are primarily installed in residential properties, they’re also popular in restaurants, canteens, reception areas, sports halls, swimming pools, and communal spaces. Where double-glazing isn’t required—such as enclosed terraces, cloisters, shopping mall storefronts, or conference room partitions—single-glazed frameless slide-and-pivot doors may be preferred.
Transform Your Home with Expert Windows
Ready to upgrade your patio doors? Expert Windows offers a comprehensive range of high-quality patio doors designed for Irish homes, including French doors, sliding systems, and bi-fold options. With over 15 years of experience, their team provides expert consultation, professional installation, and energy-efficient solutions that meet all Irish building regulations.
