If you're like many homeowners, your patio doors see a lot of traffic. In fact, while your front door is often the one most seen by visitors, chances are your patio doors get more use on a daily basis.

Here's what you need to know if you're in the market for a patio door replacement.

Two Kinds of Patio Doors
There are two primary kinds of replacement patio doors: sliding glass and French doors. Sliding glass patio doors are essentially giant picture windows made from large panes of glass that are mounted in a frame that slide to one side on rollers. French doors operate more like traditional doors with either left or right handed in-swing or out-swing panels that offer a larger entry way.

Sliding Patio Doors
Sliding patio doors are available in aluminum, wood, wood clad, and vinyl.

• If you want to save money, aluminum patio doors are not only easy to maintain, they are typically the most affordable patio door replacement option.
• Want all the benefits of a traditional wood door? While they are the most expensive, wood doors give you the warm, welcoming appearance you're looking for.
• Looking for lower energy bills and easy maintenance? Vinyl patio doors are easy to maintain and because they feature low-e glass and factory installed weather-stripping they are a very energy-efficient option.
• Wood clad patio doors are wood doors that have either a fiberglass or aluminum coating on their exterior. Wood clad patio replacement doors give doors durability on the outside and the look of real wood on the inside.

French Patio Doors
In addition to being manufactured in all of the same materials as sliding patio doors, French doors are also made in both steel and fiberglass. Fiberglass French patio doors are weather, scratch, and dent resistant. Steel French doors are an excellent choice if you live in an area that has extreme temperature changes because they resist shrinking, swelling, and warping and offer energy-efficient foam core insulation.

As you can see, whether you prefer the timeless elegance of wood French patio doors or the durability and energy-efficiency of vinyl sliding glass patio doors, you have a variety of options when it comes to patio door replacement.

Sources:
Choose An Exterior Door, Lowes