Looking for alternatives to sliding glass doors? We have some unique and contemporary alternatives which you may love to install in your patio or living space.
When thinking about your patio doors, you always have the image of sliding glass doors giving you a beautiful view of the outside.
Sliding doors also known as gliding patio doors. are a popular choice for home decor because they space-saving and give your patio a modern and smart look.
These doors are designed to glide horizontally with one operating sliding door and one stationary panel. They are most suitable when you want enough space so that the hinged door does not block your way.
But on the flip side sliding glass doors are more expensive than regular doors. Also, they are not that secured if you have an open outdoor garden. They do have locks but the glass makes it vulnerable.
Due to their fragility and high-maintenance people sometimes opt to consider more patio door alternatives glass doors for your house.
Consider these options available in the market today by checking out this list of sliding glass door alternatives that will make your living space more versatile and well lighted.
7 Unconventional to Sliding Glass Doors Alternatives for Your Patio
1. Center Swing Patio Doors
Center swing doors are similar to French doors in most aspects. There is one distinguishing aspect of these doors is it has two doors and one will stay closed (fixed) while the other is opened.
This door will give you an unobstructed and clear view which will give a nice aesthetic appeal to your patio and living room just like the French doors.
Allowing ample natural light and air, this door allows easy access to the outside, swinging patio doors are an elegant addition to your home.
If you want to buy a door that is appealing and comfortable and doesn’t cost a whole lot of money, then you should consider purchasing a center swing patio door.
Installation of this door is not much of a hassle and you’ll be able to enjoy many of the conveniences that sliding glass doors can offer you.
2. Shoji Sliding Doors
Shoji sliding door is a door is used in traditional Japanese architecture, consisting of translucent (or transparent) sheets onto a bamboo door framework.
This type of patio door is particularly useful as they act as a barrier between the interior and the exterior space. They keep out the hot sunlight and outside influences such as the swaying silhouettes of trees, or the chorus of frogs. They provide shade without the need of installing blinds or curtains in your room.
So if you want to stick to your original idea of a sliding door you can easily opt for these doors to install in your patio. Shoji sliding doors offer you a new look without having to adapt to new ways of operating the door.
3. French Doors
French doors are for many people the most preferred type of patio doors that people use in their homes
There is a simple, and very classic style innate in French doors that just looks great in nearly all settings and house designs making it the most popular choice for patio doors.
French doors are quite fancy and add a classic touch to your living room. A French door has two glass doors hinged next to each other inside one single frame that opens by swinging in or out from the middle.
These doors are often denoted by their appearance, which includes a wood frame with divided glass panes taking up the majority of the door, much like French windows.
French doors are very ornate and look quite fancy and great for insulation. These doors can create the impression of larger house space. Though they are easy to install but an expensive alternative that uplifts the aesthetic appeal of their living space. So try French doors instead of sliding doors if you are renovating your space.
4. Folding/Accordion Doors
Accordion doors or glass folding doors are a true design beauty and they have a unique advantage over (nearly) all other types of patio doors.
Folding doors are most suitable for large frontage opening out to the patio or your lawn, but you can also get medium, or smaller sizes of these doors which may be wooden or glass and might add a modern chic look to your home decor.
The plus side of these doors is that you can fold them and push them to the side, which creates enough space between your indoor and outdoor space. If you want a door that is going to be both practical and pretty, then this option is for you. Installing these doors might be as classy and budget-friendly alternative to sliding glass doors.
5. Pivoting Glass Door
Pivot glass doors are a sleek unique design statement to compliment your interior and creatively partition open areas from the interior space. This allows ample natural sunlight, air, and walking ease in your living room.
These doors are a contemporary alternative design idea to a more traditional door. It looks really interesting, though, and many people find these doors to be fantastic additions to their properties.
This isn’t a very common door option because it isn’t very easy to install. Making a door such as this one work in your home is going to require quite a bit of work.
6. Glass Roll-up Doors
Glass roll-up doors getting more popular for the people who are looking for innovative doors to merge your indoor and outdoor space perfectly giving your space a fancy makeover.
These glass doors are virtually removable wall, which you can roll up to enjoy your big space without any barrier. They have this uniqueness of rolling up horizontally and unlike folding gates vertically.
This creative twist will be a great addition to your living room where you can feel close to nature when you roll up the glass doors just like blinds.
So if you bored with the regular wooden doors, sliding glass doors then custom glass roll-up doors are the right option for you. It is best suited for homes with a big front where the gate will provide a great frontage to the outside view.
7. Dutch Doors
A Dutch door is a door divided in half horizontally. Over the years, this type of door has also been commonly referred to as a stable door, or a split door.
When closed this door will look like a normal door, but the advantage of this door is that the upper part is split and can be opened separately from the bottom.
These doors are especially well-suited for families with pets, and toddlers, that should be kept inside, and you don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to have open (half) doors leading to your patio.
Which glass sliding door alternative do you like best for your patio? And if you have a different one in your home, tell us all about it in the comments section below!