If you have a less than perfect sliding door that opens onto a deck or patio, consider replacing it with a hinged French door instead.
A French door with paneled window glass, also called a garden door, opens to the outside, creating an attractive entrance and enchancing the appearance of the room.
One popular option is to replace a four-panel sliding door with a quad door that includes two opening doors flanked by two stationary side panels. You’ll find a good selection of these doors in various sizes and configurations at home centers, lumberyards (many of which also offer installation service) and window replacement companies.
A window replacement company we contacted will remove an old 6-foot-wide four-panel sliding door and replace it with a French door for about $1,140. It charges more if repair work or if additional carpentry is required.
If you have extensive carpentry experience and tools, you can remove the old slider, buy the new door for about $800 and do the installation yourself, saving approximately 30 percent. However, if you have any doubts, call in a pro.
Because replacing a sliding door will open the house to the outside, try to schedule the job, no matter who does the work, during a period of mild weather.
