Went to a demo show on installing patio door by a local rep. I'd noticed the sliding panel was on the inside (of the house) and the stationary panel on the outside on the demonstration. I don't remember ever seen the slider on the inside so was the local rep. had it backwards or is this the new way of doing it?
on 10/17/2007 8:48 PM ** Frank ** said the following:
I had a sliding door that was removed after a sun room was built. I now have 2 sliding doors in the sun room. All 3 sliders were/are on the inside. Don't know if there is a rule about which goes on the inside, but I would rather slide the door into a clear track than into a snow filled track.
on 10/17/2007 9:00 PM willshak said the following:
Another thing I forgot. When the slider is on the inside, you can stick a piece of broom handle or a piece of wood as a wedge in the track and the door can not be pried open. Having the slider on the outside would not allow that.
Good point. Funny, sliders for the doors outside but inside for the windows for my house. I need to verify this for my other units.
Good point. And every sliding door in every house I've owned has presented me with the option of using the broom handle as an added security measure. FWIW, using standard PVC water pipe works great and is a lot cheaper.
Therefore, I would guess the slider on the inside is the standard convention.
Pella puts them on the outside. The theory being, if the wind is blowing against the door, the pressure help seal the door to keep air out as opposed to pushing it away from the gasket. Mine has been in for about 10+ years now and I like it a lot.
Yep, they sure do, and it's the poorest excuse for the dumbest design I've ever seen.
The sliding door on the outside means the screen's on the inside. Crack the door open to let the breeze blow in, then close the screen. By the end of the evening, your screen is full of bugs with no way to close the door without letting all of them in the house.
Stupid...
Pete D.
I agree- the doors here are on the outside, and I hate it. Tracks are always grunged up, and the one that gets used most has a problem with rollers jumping off the rail. I'm big enough to manhandle it back on, but a smaller person could not. (Yeah, I know, I keep meaning to buy a refurb kit and take it apart, but as long as it seals...)
Other thing I hate is, screen is on wrong side. You can't close weather door without opening the screen door all the way- not a trivial concern in mosquito season.
I probably won't have this place long enough to replace them, but would lean heavily toward big-window french doors instead. Downside to those, of course, is lost floor space inside for swing and standing room.
aem sends....
"** Frank **" wrote in news:DJCdnb8vnczUMIvanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
My Slider is on the inside. The screen slides on the outside. Been that way for at least 20 years.
Hmmmm, interesting logic. However, I don't think it should be necessary unless the doors are huge and/or excessively flexible.
I have two sets of large sliding doors. They're nothing special -- just what the builder put in when the house was built 17 years ago. Neither one had leaked, even a little bit. And the house is on a hill and both doors face onto a canyon, so they're pretty well exposed to the wind.
The fly screens are crap; I should get some replacements. But the doors look good, slide smoothly, and don't leak (air or water).
Standard for French doors is out swing . . . ..
Pella is outside but the screen lets in bugs to the closed section and bugs can come in because you need to open the screen to close the slider
We have triple panel glass with slider in center. Slider is on inside, and units are quite old - 35/40 years. I assume the slider is inside so that the track it slides on is protected from water and dirt.
Ok, I've check all the 8 doors in 4 different cities and all are on the outside with screen outside of everything. Its been like that since 1952 for the oldest house and the newest one is 1981. I like it on the outside like you indicated for positive wind pressure. Maintenance wise its better taking it outside and lay it on the patio rather than inside the house where the hardwood floor could be damaged or over spray from WD40, oil or grease on the carpet. I also think breaking into an outside door is more difficult since you have to go through two doors instead of one.
Not doubting your word, but the ones I've seen up here in snow country all open in. The only weather doors I see that swing out around here are on small sheds.
aem sends...
Code is to open in on standard doors, I don't see that French doors would be any different.
We have Andresson Sliding doors. The main track is on the inside for the glass door. The screen door for bugs has a slider on the outside. You can open the glass goors without having to touch the bug screen doors. That is quite nice.
Best, Mike.
on 10/17/2007 11:12 PM JimR said the following:
Probably for interior french doors, but the OP is asking about exterior french doors and they swing in. It would be very hard to open an outward swinging door with 3' of snow packed up against it.
IMHO any sliding door with the slider on the outside (and screen on the inside) was installed by someone who ordered the wrong door, didn't know better, or didn't care.
In the past I've installed tamper-proof screws for clients who had doors installed like this and were concerned about how easy it would be for someone to unscrew the track and take the slider out. Just another downside to having the slider on the outside, in addition to all the things that other posters have mentioned.
But the doors in all commercial establishments must open outward. Fire regs - a stampede toward the door would trap the people.
As an aside, I would think opening outward for residential doors is equally valid.
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