French Doors vs. Sliding Doors: What Are the Advantages of Each Style?

Photos: Dariusz Jarzabek / Adobe Stock, Casa imágenes / Adobe Stock

The major differences between a French door versus a sliding door are the way they open and shut and look. French doors are typically double doors that swing in or out without a wooden stile, while sliding doors glide open and shut on a track. French doors have smaller glass panes, while sliding doors have a single glass pane.

On This Page:

1. What Are French Doors?
2. What Are Sliding Doors?
3. Appearance
4. Cost
5. Upkeep
6. Durability
7. Installation
8. Life Span
9. Resale Value
10. Security
11. Are French Doors or Sliding Doors Better for Your Home?
12. French Doors and Sliding Doors vs. Other Options

What Are French Doors?

There are several types of French doors, but the traditional ones are double doors that swing in or out without a wooden stile. The doors typically have paned glass windows with lever-style handles and are used as interior and exterior doors.

What Are Sliding Doors?

Sliding doors are typically single-pane doors that slide open and shut on a track. These are often used for patio doors but also work as interior doors. They help you save space and brighten up dark spaces.

Appearance

French doors have grids of window panes and wider frames than sliding doors. These are associated with a classic style of architecture. On the other hand, most sliding doors have single panes and offer an unobstructed view of the outdoors.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
Classic look with impact	Sleek, modern look
Grids of panes	Single pane

French Doors

Classic French doors are white double doors with grids of glass panes. However, there are lots of other styles and designs to suit your needs. They’re available in a variety of paint colors and materials, including wood and fiberglass.

You can customize the number, arrangement, and shape of your glass panes. The standard options are rectangular or square grids, but there are also unique options like diamond-shaped grids. And while French doors are considered a more classic choice, you can get a modern aesthetic with single-paned French doors. Consider getting frosted glass if you want privacy.

It’s also possible to get French doors in different arrangements. For one, you can install double doors with fixed floor-to-ceiling windows on either side. You can also get single French doors and double doors with center hinges.

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors are usually single-paned glass with two or more wide panels that slide open and shut. This offers you an unobstructed view of the outside, creating the illusion of a bigger indoor space. It’s a common option for patio doors in modern homes.

These doors are also used for interior doors. You might opt for a single-paned or even a multiple-paned glass door for a sophisticated look. On the other hand, windowless options like barn-style wooden doors offer a farmhouse aesthetic.

And if you can’t decide after considering the advantages of sliding doors versus French doors, there’s some good news: You can enjoy the best of both worlds, which is possible with French door-style sliding doors.

Cost

The cost of an exterior door will always vary by size, material, hardware, glass, and finish. A typical range is from $400 to $5,000, with sliding doors costing less than French doors on average. The price for both types increases as you add custom features.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
$500 – $4,000+	$400 – $2,500+
Higher cost for different materials and options	Can cost up to $6,500 for 6-panel doors

French Doors

The cost of exterior French doors is around $1,000 to $4,000, while interior doors are about $500 to $800 before the cost of interior door installation. You can expect to pay more for doors with additional features, like certain hardwoods—including mahogany or cedar—or frames reinforced with an aluminum shell.

The price generally goes up the bigger the door is. Doors are typically 6 to 10 feet high and 3 to 8 feet wide, depending on if it’s a single or double door.

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors cost around $400 to $2,500 before the cost of door installation. Doors in the $400 range are usually 4 feet wide, while doors that cost $2,500 are 16 feet wide.

Additional features like hurricane-impact, soundproof, double-pane, and six-panel sliding doors can increase costs. These features range between $2,000 and $3,500, while a six-panel door can reach as much as $6,500. You can also get automatic doors that open with a button, which cost around $1,000 to $3,500.

Upkeep

When it comes to upkeep, French doors versus sliding doors have their pros and cons. They both require a small amount of upkeep and maintenance. But in general, sliding doors require more cleaning.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
Hinges may need adjustments	No hinges
Widows may become foggy	Weeping holes can get clogged
No tracks	Tracks need to be kept clean

French Doors

As the house settles, you may notice that your French doors aren’t closing properly. In these cases, you usually need to adjust the hinges.

Also, over time, your French door glass can become foggy. Or, a small accident might lead to a crack in the glass. Either way, hire a window glass repair pro near you to replace the glass.

Sliding Doors

Sliding door tracks can get dirt and grime buildup, especially in the wet months. You’ll need to keep up a cleaning schedule by vacuuming and using a wet cloth to keep the track working properly. 

Open your door completely and clean your weep holes with a pipe cleaner twice a month. These are small holes in the door frame that drain water from your track. The weep holes can easily become clogged with debris, which in turn will cause water leaks into your home. Additionally, you may need to lubricate the track if the door starts to drag and to re-caulk the door frame if the caulk begins to crack.

Durability

Depending on where you live, you may need to install extra-durable French or sliding doors. Both door types carry water damage risks unless installed and maintained properly.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
Install impact-resistant doors in hurricane-prone areas	Install impact-resistant doors in hurricane-prone areas
Doors can leak in high wind and heavy rain	Water leaks can happen from improper maintenance or installation

French Doors

French doors are susceptible to wind damage because they’re mostly made of glass. If you live in an area with severe weather conditions, building codes may require special, impact-resistant hurricane doors. These are made with extra-strong door frames and impact-resistant glass.

Moreover, French doors can be susceptible to water leaks, especially when they swing inward. During heavy wind and rain, the water can seep through the bottom of the doors. You might fix this with a screen or storm door. If you don’t want to obstruct your view, try installing an awning or fence. Or, you can plant shrubs and trees to prevent the winds from hitting the door directly.

Sliding Doors

Sliding doors are similar to French doors because they have lots of glass. You may need to get hurricane-impact doors depending on where you live. High-impact sliding doors have special features, including metal reinforcement, weather stripping, multichamber design, interlocking center rails, and multiple track options for wider doors.

Additionally, keep an eye on other water issues like leaks around the doors that can happen after poor installation.

Installation

Both French and sliding doors typically require professional knowledge and skill to install properly. Besides ensuring the doors fit perfectly in the frame, proper sealing is crucial for a leak-free door. Here are some considerations for DIY-ers, including the cost of installing patio doors.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
$140 – $600 for professional installation	$300 – $800 for professional installation
Consider the door radius when installing	No door radius to worry about
Not a job for the casual DIY-er	Not a job for the casual DIY-er

French Doors

The cost to install French doors is approximately $140 to $600. You can expect to pay $640 to $4,600 for both the door and labor. It’s important to plan accordingly when installing French doors and to account for the swing radius as they open and shut. You want to avoid cramping a small space or having the doors swing into furniture.

If you decide to go the DIY route, expect to dedicate at least two to five hours to the project, but likely more since that’s the time it takes pros to get the job done. It’s not a beginner DIY job because it takes a lot of precision and skill to get the installation done right. If you make any mistakes, even if they seem minor at the outset, you can end up with serious problems down the road. These include water leaks that can lead to water damage in your home, the doors not shutting properly, and poor insulation that leads to high electric bills.

To make your DIY job easier on yourself, get pre-hung doors that are already in the frame. That way, you only need to install the frame and seal it properly. Otherwise, you must work precisely to ensure your door installs perfectly flush into the frame and onto the home.

Sliding Doors

You can expect to pay $300 to $800 to install sliding doors, which brings your total to around $700 to $3,300 for materials and labor. Like French doors, properly installing sliding doors is very important to ensure they last. With sliding doors, improper installation can mean potential water leaks and inadequate insulation. Unless you have prior experience installing these types of doors, it’s best to leave it to the pros.

You also need to be very careful when doing a DIY installation because an accidental slip can lead to breaking glass, which could be very costly to replace. To avoid these potential issues, many people find hiring someone and paying the cost of installing an exterior door is well worth the price.

Unlike French doors, you don’t have to worry about the placement of the door and how it’ll impact the space around it since there’s no swing radius to worry about. For this reason, sliding doors are great for saving space in small areas.

Life Span

Although there are many differences between a French door versus sliding glass door, they do have the life span in common. You can expect both types to last around 30 years. You can increase the longevity of your doors by closing them softly and keeping up a regular maintenance schedule.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
30 years	30 years

French Doors

Exterior French doors last around 30 years, while interior wooden French doors can last 40 to 70. Toward the end of your door’s life span, you may notice condensation on your glass panes or water leaking into your home.

Sliding Doors

You can expect your exterior sliding glass door to last about 30 years with basic cleaning and maintenance. If your door has difficulty opening or closing or isn’t locking properly, your frame may have warped over time. These are indications that you need a replacement.

Resale Value

Although doors don’t typically have a huge return on investment (ROI), they add to your home’s overall look and feel. Depending on what kind of door you have right now, installing French or sliding doors can increase the resale value of your home.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
Visually impactful in a classic way	Adds to the modern appeal of your home
Can increase the value of your home with an increase in the aesthetics	Can increase the value of your home with added curb appeal

French Doors

French doors offer a visually impactful addition to classically styled homes. They offer a Renaissance-era type of elegance that elevates the aesthetics of a space. Plus, the door can add a lot of light in an otherwise dim area. Generally speaking, French doors add to the resale value of your home, so they have a good ROI.

Sliding Doors

Installing sliding doors on your home can increase the curb appeal, which can increase your home’s resale value. Plus, depending on your area, a beautiful patio area may be a big priority for potential buyers. In this case, investing in a nice sliding door is a good idea.

Security

When installing all-glass or mostly glass doors, you want to ensure you have the right security precautions. While it’s great to enjoy expansive views from the inside, the windows can also mean that people can easily see into your home.

French Doors	Sliding Doors
Shatterproof coating provides added security	Shatterproof coating provides added security
Multipoint lock system keeps the door secure	Multipoint lock system keeps the door secure
Install sturdier hinges and hinge bolts	Anti-lift devices and lockable drop bolts provide additional protection

French Doors

French doors that are impact-resistant, reinforced, hurricane-rated, or laminated all have a shatterproof material coating. That means if someone tries to break in, the glass will break, but it’ll stay in a sheet thanks to the coating. The intruder would get seriously hurt if they tried to enter. If you don’t have this coating, you can install add-on glass security film to your glass doors.

Additionally, you should install a multipoint locking system. You can also replace the hinges that came on the door from the factory with sturdier ones. Installing hinge bolts will also prevent intruders from entering through the French doors.

Sliding Doors

Like with French doors, opt for glass with shatterproof film or install it onto your door. A multipoint locking system will keep the door secure, and although it can be unsightly, you can use anti-lift devices and lockable drop bolts on the sliding leaf.

Are French Doors or Sliding Doors Better for Your Home?

French doors or sliding doors: Which is better for your home? The answer will depend greatly on what you’re looking for and why you need the door. For example, consider the aesthetics of your house and whether a French door would fit in or if a sliding door is a better fit for your modern space.

Factors	French Doors	Sliding Doors
Appearance	Classical look	Modern look
Cost	$640 – $4,600, including labor and materials	$700 – $3,300, including labor and materials
Upkeep	May require more long-term maintenance	Requires more regular cleaning
Durability	Water leaks possible from middle door seam	Water leaks possible from frame bottom
Installation	Pro installation recommended	Pro installation recommended
Security	Upgrade security with hinge bolts	Upgrade security with drop bolts

French Doors and Sliding Doors vs. Other Options

There are many types of doors to choose from, and you may even consider the costs of converting a window into a door. After delving into all the differences between sliding versus French patio doors, here are a few more door types that might be a good fit for your next home project.

Vs. Accordion Doors

Accordion doors, also called folding doors, are ideal for spaces you want to open fully during the warm months. Multiple panels of glass fold against one another and can even wrap around corners. These maximize stunning views of the outdoors and make the inside feel expansive. 

Vs. Atrium Doors

Atrium doors are a type of garden door that are center-hinged. One side is fixed, and the other swings inward or outward from a center hinge. Compared to double doors, this saves wall and living space, offers better potential for energy efficiency, and can cost less.

Vs. Garden doors

A garden patio door, also known as a hinged or swinging door, is a term for a double patio door with swinging capabilities. French is just one style of garden model. There are also ones with side hinges, both panels inswing or outswing; side hinges, one panel inswing or outswing; and center hinges, one panel inswing or outswing. These offer options about where to install the hinges.

No Comments Yet