Any suggestions ???
Any suggestions ???
I installed a Peachtree slider in my old house and loved it. Smooth and solid even after 3 years.
I used a PELLA Designer Series sliding patio door for the new house. Chose a contemporary style frame along with a between the glass shade, muntins and a self closing screen. PELLA has some of the nicest ones I've seen. Their basic PROLINE series door is a very good one too.
DFB
Another good on is the Atrium sliding door mfd. by the Atrium Door Company. Sold at Home Depots.
Argee [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
AT least in my part of the country, Pella, ANderson and Marvin are the big three...I talked to a lot of people before I purchased 3 french doors, builders and salespeople and pretty much the consensus was that you can't go all that far wrong with any of them, but I personally think I would rate them Marvin, anderson and pella in that order, but again not a lot of difference in quality, and all very good windows (as long as you compare similae lines within each brand, they all have higher and lesser quality windows).
I liked the Marvin the top-of-the-line marvin doors the best, but ended up going with the anderson because they were substantially less expensive, and only a tiny bit less desireable to me (but about $1500 less PER DOOR). I paid around $2200 per french door anderson, the equivalent marvin I was quote was around $3700 per door...too rich for my blood. Even the andersons stretched the budget way more than I wanted. [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img]
I
I replaced 2 old sliding doors with French doors just a bit ago. I didn't pay more than $500 for each one, but I wasn't going first class either. HD special. But, they seem to be ok, I know the R value was less than what I would have wanted them to be.
The slider in the kitchen is an Anderson wood slider. Man is that is one nice door.
Jerry
About a year ago I put in a Marvin french door and a Marvin sliding door. My only disappointment in the sliding doors are the small opening when the door is open. I replaced an older sliding door (34 years old) that was a 6' that would open to almost a full 30". The Marvin has wide stiles and will only provide a 26" opening. Had I known (my fault for not being up to date on changes) I would have put in an 8' slider. As it turned out, I changed the door handle and picked up a couple more inches and it will have to do.
As far as quality, they are great. Very tight and no infiltration air. The french door is very good too. It is a 5'.
Now as to which is best, hard to say, but there are top three as have already been mentioned.
My suggestion would be to go with French doors and forego the sliders. I've always understood that the French style door with one fixed and one swing open side is far more energy efficient than an equal quality slider would be.
Thanks for the info,my local Lowes carrys the Pella brands,no Home Depots here.I need to get a total of 4 doors.
Thanks for the advice.
I don't know your location but I will share what I have done in a few applications in windy areas of Western NY. We first installed slides with storm doors on them but the storm unit never held up and we had to find a better way.
I was able to have custom slides built that were actually doubled. That is there were two complete units so in the winter with the wind pounding them, there were four layers of glass, double the weather stripping and a two inch dead space between the units. The difference was amazing. One house was on a lake and the wind would drive the cold into the room and the owners had installed electric aux. heat to the room. We installed the double unit and the comfort level was greatly improved and the extra electric unit was removed.
In summer most people left the inner door open and just closed the outside door to make it easier to pass through. the cost surprisingly was only about 40% more for each unit but it paid it back in comfort and savings on heat.