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If you are looking to connect your home to your garden, patio doors are one of the most practical ways to do it. But with a range of styles, materials, and systems on the market, knowing which option is actually best for your project takes a bit more thought than a quick search will give you.
This post focuses on sliding patio doors, what makes a good one, and what to consider before you buy.
Sliding patio doors move along a track rather than swinging open, which means they do not eat into your floor space or your patio area when you open them. For gardens where space is at a premium, this matters.
They also offer some of the largest uninterrupted glass panels of any door type. More glass means more light into the room and a better view of the garden when the doors are closed. On a wet Tuesday in November, that still counts for something…
What we find with most customers is that the decision to go sliding rather than bifold often comes down to one of two things: either the opening suits a sliding configuration better, or they simply prefer the cleaner aesthetic of a door that disappears into itself rather than folding to the side.
Aluminium is the strongest choice for a garden-facing patio door. The frames are slim, which maximises the glass area, and aluminium does not warp, rot, or discolour over time the way timber or uPVC can in exposed conditions.
Powder coated aluminium finishes are standard across quality systems, and they are resistant to corrosion regardless of what the British weather sends their way.
The glass in a patio door does most of the thermal and acoustic work. For a garden-facing installation, you want a glazing unit that performs well on energy efficiency without compromising on clarity.
Look for high performance double or triple glazed units from established manufacturers. Solar control glass is worth considering if the door faces south or west and the room gets hot in summer. Self-cleaning coatings are a useful option for doors that are harder to reach from outside.
All of our sliding patio doors are supplied with energy efficient glazing that meets current UK building regulations as standard.
The threshold is the point where the door meets the floor, and it is one of the details that tends to get overlooked until after installation.
A low threshold option makes the transition between inside and outside as seamless as possible, which is particularly useful if you want a flush or near-flush finish between internal flooring and an external patio. It also makes the doors more accessible for people with mobility considerations.
Multi-point locking is standard on any quality sliding patio door system. Beyond that, check that the frames are robust and that the glazing is toughened as a minimum. Laminated glass options are available if security is a higher priority.
The number of panels in a sliding patio door affects both the look of the door and how much of the opening becomes clear when the door is in use.
Our Visoglide sliding patio doors, available in both Origin and Smarts systems, come in 2, 3, 4 and 6 panel configurations. For most residential garden openings, a 2 or 3 panel set covers the majority of projects. Wider openings and larger extensions tend to suit 4 or 6 panel configurations.
With a two panel door, one panel is fixed and one slides. With larger configurations, the panels stack to one side to leave a wider clear opening.
We supply and install Visoglide sliding patio doors from both Origin and Smarts. Both systems share the same core qualities: slim aluminium frames, strong performance credentials, and a wide range of colour options including white, anthracite grey, and black as standard, with custom RAL colours available.
The differences between the two systems are subtle and tend to matter more at the specification level than the visual level. When customers visit our showroom in Cheltenham, seeing both side by side makes the decision straightforward.
Integral blinds are available on our sliding patio doors and are permanently sealed within the glazing unit. Because they sit inside the glass rather than on a track on the wall, they require no maintenance and cannot be damaged by children or pets.
HomePro Insurance Backed Guarantee comes as standard with all of our installations, giving you protection beyond the manufacturer warranty.
We also offer a supply and delivery only option for tradespeople and homeowners who have their own installer in place.
The best patio door for your garden is the one that suits your opening, your home, and how you actually use the space. That is not something a product page can fully answer. We offer free bespoke quotes based on your specific measurements, chosen configuration, colour, and glass specification. Every installation is priced individually because no two openings are the same. Use our online quote tool to get a figure based on your dimensions, or visit our showroom in Cheltenham to see working examples of our Visoglide range in person. You can also contact us should you have any questions using this page here, contact us. Or alternatively call a member of our customer service / sales team on 01242 395790.
