When it comes to of patio doors, one is automatically reminded of elegant homes in old-fashioned Hollywood movies.  In fact, such doors have always been portrayed as an endemic element of the ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous’.  However, that is not the case anymore since an increasing number people are now installing the same in their homes so as to acquire that distinctive touch of both elegance and class.

· Pivot Doors

This is the most common type of patio doors around. It is also colloquially referred to as a ‘pivot door.’ The name actually describes its central property.  I.e. it pivots back and forth. In terms of functionality, it is roughly analogous to the ‘hinged’ type of door since it too, is a ‘swinger’ rather than a slider.   However, unlike a hinged door the pivot door does not have any hinges located on the walls but a pivot box mechanism on which the door moves back and forth.  Actually, the full weight of the door is located directly on the pivot which in turn is located in the ground directly below the center of the door.   In this way, even very large doors can be opened and shut with the simple push of the hand.  However, it is difficult to incorporate a separate screen door with the main pivot door.

· Sliding Patio Doors

A typical sliding patio door usually has two separate panels. One is locked into place while the other slides back and forth on either oiled rails or cantilevers. It is a handy set up for cramped spaces since it does not require extra space for swinging either in or out.  Moreover, they will not break or bang even if they are left opened and unattended unlike their swinging counterparts.

· Hinged Patio Doors

These kinds of Patio doors are different from pivot doors though like the later they too are essentially swinging doors. They are mounted on walls though a set of hinges capable of swinging the door back and forth as the case may be. These doors are composed of two or more panes that are connected to hinges, which are in turn placed inside the walls next to the doors.

· French Doors

French doors are considerably more common in larger homes than in smaller ones.  They are designed to swing inwards in the room itself rather than out wards. This is why they are not suitable for a room that has a lot of furniture, since they require plenty of room to be opened and closed. Most French doors are equipped with multiple glass panes and tend to be bigger than many other types of patio doors out there.

· Bi-Fold Patio Doors

These types of patio doors are in a class of their very own. A bi-fold patio door is roughly analogous to an accordion and the panels can slide into a tight roll when it is closed.   As such it does not require a lot of space and is the least intrusive type of patio door around.

There was a time when large and elegant glass patio doors were available only as part of the ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous’. But that was a long time back, while today, thanks to modern ‘state of the art’ manufacturing techniques, such doors can be installed relatively easily in almost all types of homes.

Pivot Doors

The ‘pivot door’ as the term applies, pivots back and forth on its pivots. In operation it is somewhat similar to a hinged door since it too, is capable of swinging in and/or out. But this is where the similarity ends, because the pivot door is based on the pivot mechanism enclosed in their own pivot boxes.  It is a pretty ingenious contraption really, because it allows the whole weight of the door to be focused all over the center of the door rather than its edges.  Thanks to its pivoting structure, the door can be built really big, even with a single pane of glass, since the stress of the structure is evenly distributed.

However, unlike its sliding and inward opening counterparts, it is difficult to be used in spaces where screening is necessary.

Sliding Patio Doors

Almost all sliding patio doors have two panels with one being stationary while the other traverses on rollers or tracks. The advantages of this set up are that there is no fear of doors that have not been secured and therefore such doors are not susceptible to banging and shattering and neither do they get in the way.  Since they have small frame to glass ratios, such doors are perfect if you want a panoramic view of the great outdoors.

Swinging Patio Doors

Unlike pivot doors, swinging patio doors function by virtue of the swing mechanism present in the hinges.   A typical ‘swing patio door’ consists of two panes that are suspended on hinges in the center of the pane, effectively allowing the door to swing backwards and forwards as and when required.

French Doors

The ubiquitous French door is generally engineered to swing inwards and as such occupies a lot of free space. On the positive side though, it’s the most elegant patio door design out there.   French doors usually have multiple square panes embedded in the main frame.  In size they range from 4.5 to 6 feet since overly large doors are not only bulky but also difficult to open and close.

Bi-Fold Patio Doors

This is a unique class of patio door, separate and distinct from all the other types available. A Bi-fold patio door operates like a musical accordion and its ‘manifold’ (pun intended) panes neatly fold away for full opening and closing without any worry about unnecessary occupation of space.  Such doors are perfect for cluttered spaces where furnishings and carpets do not allow easy operation of in-swinging doors.