Top tips for choosing patio doors

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Having spent the past few weeks researching patio doors to replace the ugly, badly fitted UPVC ones we’ve put up with ever since we bought our house, I’ve realised there are all sorts of things to wrap your head around. Should you choose bifold doors, sliding doors or French doors? Are aluminium or timber frames better? And how do you make sure that your doors will be thermally efficient and stand the test of time? It can all seem confusing and very overwhelming, so to help those in a similar situation I’ve teamed up with bespoke British glazing specialists Klöeber to cut through the jargon and explore the key things you need to consider. 

Type of door

The first thing to think about is what type of door will best suit your space, your lifestyle and the aesthetic of your home. 

Bifold doors consist of a series of panels that fold open like a concertina. There’s an array of possible configurations, with the panels stacking to the right, to the left or both. They’re ideal if you want to be able to open up a large section of wall for easy indoor-outdoor living, and most also incorporate a traffic door for popping in and out. Bifolds work particularly well when there’s a large area to cover as they can accommodate numerous panels, but they can be installed in smaller openings, too.

French doors might seem like a more traditional choice, but they’re becoming increasingly popular in contemporary homes as well as period properties. They can be hung to open inwards or outwards, and you can also opt for a heritage / industrial style with horizontal bars. 

Finally, sliding doors sit flush with the wall, with one pane of glass gliding behind another. They make an excellent option in tight spaces where there isn’t enough room for doors to swing or fold open, but they’re also suitable for anyone who wants a particularly minimalist look with little to break up the view. Extra panels can be added to accommodate large apertures, and Klöeber’s super-slim ‘ÜberSlide’ range (below) can hold panels up to 4.2m wide. 

Frame material

Timber is a highly sustainable choice as it has a low carbon footprint – just make sure you buy from a company which uses FSC-certified wood, ensuring it’s sourced from responsibly managed forests. Many people assume that it requires a lot of care, but Klöeber uses durable engineered timber finished with a multi-coat, microporous paint system, so you won’t need to pick up a brush to redo it every year. The main issue with timber is that it isn’t suitable for every type of door, as it doesn’t provide enough support for sliding designs that combine narrow frames with large swathes of glass. Unlike many manufacturers, however, Klöeber does offer slimline French doors made from timber.  

Aluminium is strong enough to be used for all kinds of door – and, as Klöeber’s powder-coated finish doesn’t peel, rust or discolour, it’s practically maintenance-free. There’s a perception that aluminium isn’t as thermally efficient as timber, but technological advancements mean that’s no longer the case. It’s also greener than you might assume, as it’s fully recyclable and doesn’t end up in landfill.

When it comes to aesthetics, aluminium is the ideal choice if you want a sleek, modern look, whereas timber has a slightly softer, warmer appearance. Both can be supplied in numerous colours and finishes, but it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s not advisable to repaint aluminium (something that’s not an issue with timber) if you fancy a change further down the line.

A third option to consider is alu-clad doors, which combine a timber frame with a powder-coated aluminium façade. This gives you a contemporary external aesthetic, with the warmth and softness of timber on the inside. 

Thermal performance

Up to 40% of heat loss in a home is through the doors and windows, so thermal performance is an important factor. The key thing to look out for is a door’s U-Value – a measurement used to assess the transference of heat through a structure. In short, the lower the U-Value, the more efficiently a door will retain heat. In the UK doors in new-build properties must by law have a U-Value of 2 or less, and a high-performing one should achieve 1.2 to 1.4. 

Thermal efficiency is not only decided by the frame material, but also by the glass used. All of Klöeber’s doors come with a choice between double or triple glazing and have a low thermal emissivity coating as standard. This means they keep radiant heat on the same side of the glass from which it originated, reflecting warmth from indoors back inside during winter and making sure heat from the sun is reflected away during summer. If you have a south-facing door that’s exposed to a lot of sun, it’s also worth installing solar-controlled glass to stop UV rays overheating the interior. Conversely, low-iron glass will let in more of the sun’s energy and can help warm up cold north-facing spaces. 

Details

The finishing touches can have a big impact on the overall look of your doors. 

All external doors have a threshold and a cill, which you’d normally have to step over to get in and out. For a neat, high-end look, it’s worth investigating whether you can make your indoor and outdoor floors line up, meaning this part of the door can be hidden beneath floor level. The top of the threshold will then be flush as in the example below, creating a seamless transition from inside to out. In some homes this may mean taking out a course of bricks under your existing aperture, but it’s well worth doing if you can. 

When it comes to hardware, high-quality companies such as Klöeber offer a range of options. The key thing is to decide whether you want the handles, locks and hinges to blend in with the doors, or whether you want to make a statement with a contrasting colour.  

Finally, it’s worth remembering that you can choose different colours for the inside and outside frames of your doors, and the handles on each side, allowing you to customise the look to suit all areas of your home. 

Visit Klöeber’s website to find out more about their range of doors and arrange a free quotation. They deliver the full package, from initial technical consultations through to manufacture and installation, and – a rarity in the glazing world – they promise no pressured sales tactics!

All images courtesy of Klöeber