First, all of Andersen’s patio door models are made of tempered glass, which is four times stronger than regular glass.

But it’s Andersen’s five-point locking system that really seals the deal. Just as it sounds, this door locks five ways. Here’s how it works:

When you throw the deadbolt, which by the way is longer than the average deadbolt, you are in fact locking two other locks at the same time, one at the top that hooks downward and one at the bottom that hooks upward. These two hooks grab and literally capture the other door frame, holding it firmly in place. This means that the door cannot be jimmied, kicked in or even buffetted by high winds.

Now, there’s a locking system on the other panel, so when the handle on that door is closed to lock up, it drives a pin over an inch long upward into the header of the door
and another pin of the same length downward into the threshold of the door, firmly and securely holding that door into its frame. Again, no chance of the door being raised or lowered, jimmied or kicked in.

Five points of security!

Finally, let’s not forget that Andersen French patio doors are solidly constructed too, with solid wood on the interior and reinforced composite material on the exterior. As with all Andersen products, these doors are built to last—and endure.

Definitely, you and your family will sleep soundly if you have an Andersen French patio door. Here’s an interesting video that demonstrates this fantastic five-point locking system in action.

Myself and my wife just bought our first house. The living room has two sliding doors (patio doors). They’re pretty beat up and we want to replace them. We’re thinking about using French doors instead, but we’re not sure of the pros and cons. Stuff like energy efficiency, maintenance, security etc.

Thanks.

Answer:
Congratulations on the new house. I remember buying my first house; it was exciting…and scary all at once.

On to your question. When it comes to performance, maintenance, and security, there’s not a big difference between a French door and a sliding door. If you get a good patio door and solid installation, a French door will perform just as well as a sliding door. You can get quality locks for both types—auxiliary foot locks for sliding doors and multi-point locks for French doors.

Maintenance depends on what kind of material you get. Wood will need to be scraped and repainted to stop rot. Vinyl or vinyl-clad won’t. I would just stay away from aluminum—it will kill your energy bills.

Here are the three differences you and your wife should consider:

1)    Looks: French doors look more classic, while sliding doors are more modern.
2)    Space: Sliding doors are going to take up less space than French doors because the panels don’t swing out. I don’t know what your living room is like, but an inswing French door in a small living room could be a problem.
3)    Function: A big benefit of a French door is that you can open both panels. The extra wide opening is great when you need to haul in furniture. Sliding doors will always have one panel that stays put.

Most people make their decision based on number 1 alone. There’s nothing wrong with that. A lot of homeowners choose French doors purely for looks. Of course, now you can get a sliding door that looks like a French door! Check out the Frenchwood  sliding patio door on this page.  Just make sure you get a good door and a good installation.