Patio doors have done a lot to break down the barriers between indoors and outside, and boost the popularity of outdoor living, as have our recent hot summers – but what are the key patio door trends emerging this year?
What are Patio Doors?
Patio doors come in many different styles and colours, with the most popular type being sliding patio doors. Like French doors, sliding patio doors comprise two almost full-length glazed panels, but, unlike French doors, these typically slide across one another. They first became popular in the middle of the twentieth century.
Usually found at the back or side of a property, they give access to a garden, patio or the side of a home. Patio doors make it incredibly easy to stroll outside with your morning coffee and can be made with varied materials, including aluminium or uPVC, with composite patio doors also now available.
Replacing these doors is one of the UK’s top home improvement projects, and many householders are choosing to bring more natural light into their home environment by replacing windows with full-length and width patio doors, thus transforming their living space.
Different Patio Door Types: An Overview
Different patio door models will suit varied homes, depending on what you need and the style and age of the property, plus the available space.
Essentially, most patio doors fall into one of three broad categories:
French Patio Doors
These non-sliding units always look chic and elegant. It’s true that you have less space when these doors are fully open, but you can add full or partial-length glazed panels or windows on each side of the opening, so that more natural daylight floods into your home.
Sliding Patio Doors
These could be the ideal choice for your premises if you’re lucky enough to have plenty of space and a larger home, since they can be made to quite big sizes. Again, they’re great in terms of bringing in lots of natural light into a property.
Bi-folding Patio Doors
These units fold back on themselves with a smooth, simple push, concertina-style, to maximise space, light and fresh air, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors while remaining inside.
So What Are the Top Trends for Patio Doors We’re Likely to See in 2020?
Like anything else, patio door types and preferences are changing all the time. Here are some of the things we think we will be big as the year unfolds:
Darker or Pastel Frames
Darker shades suit a variety of properties and will always, quite literally, be the smart choice! We’ve already seen more web searches than ever for navy or black kitchen units over the past year, and that preference is bound to extend to external doors. Inside, heavier hues can drain the natural light from a room if you use them too much. But with modern, ultra-slim door frames, say in aluminium, that won’t be a problem.
As well as darker shades, pastel colours such as soft pinks and greys, especially on the outside of properties and in more rural areas, are increasingly popular. So the message is – add some colour!
Floating Corners
Also known as open corners, these are where sliding or bi-folding doors are added to a room’s corner. It’s essential an optical illusion meaning you can’t see anything holding the ceiling up over the open space. Two glazed panels meet to form a corner, but there’s no steel support holding the floor above, giving a seamless view of the outside world. We’re already seeing more of these structures, and reckon floating corners are set to be big news throughout 2020.
More Glass, Less Frame
Increasingly, people want to open up their homes to remove the distinction between outdoors and indoors to experience the changing of the seasons more closely. Having slimmer frames and larger glazed areas allows for that, and means maximum natural daylight can enter a property.
We’re confident we’ll also be seeing bigger glass sections and larger windows all year, in full height and width, with people having as many glazed panels for their doors as possible.
Energy Efficiency
This is clearly important to anyone wanting a comfortable, affordable home, increasingly so given the growing urgency to be environmentally friendly as energy costs rise. Modern patio doors don’t have to mean losing heat from your home because of the large glass areas. Instead, they offer high standards of thermal performance with seals to protect against draughts and a multi-chambered build to provide an effective thermal barrier. The most energy-efficient models with low U-values are set to be the most sought-after in 2020.
A Framed View that’s Picture-Perfect!
Cleverly positioned patio doors can frame the outside world to perfection to provide the ideal view of the great outdoors, like a picture window. We reckon this technique will grow in popularity this year.
How we can Help with Your Patio Doors
At Isis Windows, we’re here to help with an excellent range of patio doors as well as windows, to suit all needs and budgets, from aluminium-framed to bi-fold doors to French windows and doors as well as uPVC sliding doors. Browse our selection online today and get in touch to arrange a free consultation without obligation.