Brighten Your Home with Sliding Glass Doors

Is your living room or kitchen a bit gloomy? Or do you have a beautiful backyard landscape that remains hidden from inside the house? These problems are probably due to the lack of windows in your home. Additional light in any room can make it look bigger, more open, and bright. Plus, you are then able to have a better view of your backyard, garden, or patio. Though creating a window space in a wall is certainly possible, another more affordable option is to replace you entryways and exits with sliding glass doors. These doors not only provide windows, they also make for easy entrances onto decks, porches, or patios.

Different Designs
Sliding glass doors have come a long way in the past few years. They no longer use clunky plastic panes and trim. Today, these units come in many different design options. Maybe you want multiple doors joined together; or maybe you want them small and subtle. Would you like them to come in aluminum, vinyl, woods, metal, or fiberglass? Do you want them top-hung from your entryway in order to avoid any dirt, leaves, or debris in the glide track? As you can see, the options are limitless in terms of style and design, so the difficult part about investing in sliding glass doors is actually choosing the best fit due to their wide selection.

Protection
Just because these doors are made of glass doesn't mean they are fragile. In fact, they offer quite a bit of protection to you and your home. If you live in an area with a lot of insects you may want to select a door with screens that open and shut so you can let in fresh air yet still create a barrier from unwanted pests. You can also install double pane doors in order to soundproof your home from outdoor disturbances.

If you choose to layer your doors (installing two doors with a small gap of air between them) for additional security, you can also create a natural form of insulation, thereby driving down your utility bills. Though people often think that these doors leak heat in the winter and increase the temperature during summer months, if you buy appropriate weather stripping and insulated glass, you can in fact generate more efficiency in your energy costs, especially if you invest in glazed glass with a low-E coating.

Accessory Options
There used to be limitations to these doors, but now with modern-day innovations, they can serve the same functions as any other doorway. You can still install pet-doors with specialized systems. And if you're afraid that they are too convenient in that there is too much easy access, there are now even security options for parents who want to apply setting restrictions for kids. These systems only allow the door to slide open to a certain degree, making them exceptionally childproof.

Plus, if you don't want your home exposed to nosy neighbors all the time but don't want to cover up with curtains and shades either, there several alternatives: etched glass, stained glass, and even adhesive-free vinyl film designs that stick right to the door are ways to let the light in but keep wandering eyes out.

If you have the opposite problem in that you wish more light could enter the room, then folding doors are maybe your best option: doors which can open up the entire wall to a sunroom, an enclosed porch, or a patio, yet can also close at your convenience. And as always, there a many traditional window treatments to choose from: horizontal and vertical blinds, sashes and curtains, or maybe decorative screens that can cover the window whenever desired.

Sliding glass doors have been re-invented to fit any need in your home. Imagine yourself in your kitchen or living room on a winter morning, feeling the sun's rays on your face yet avoiding frostbite from the outdoor air. These innovations allow you to have the best of both worlds while still remaining efficiently within your budget.