French doors and sliding doors have different hardware.
French doors or sliders.
They consist of two doors that open from the center.
Milgard french sliding doors combine space saving convenience with the elegance of a french patio door.
Design differences between french patio doors and sliding patio doors.
For a multiple pane look choose from a variety of grid options available to create the look of individual lites.
They are unique in that you can open them inwardly or outwardly.
A classic model has two side by side panels that swing in or out from hinges on the sides of the frame.
Sliding doors overlap which is a more efficient design and creates a tighter seal where as french doors come together with no overlap and an increased chance for air infiltration.
French patio doors can be considered a little more energy efficient as the central glass panels can be smaller by being set into wider frames whereas sliding doors are almost exclusively created from glazed panels.
Traditional sliding glass doors have two panels with one that slides along rollers to cover the other.
French patio doors are mostly made of glass and look similar to windows.
French patio doors are typically found in more traditional home styles due to their historical place in home design.
French patio doors are also known as hinged patio doors or swinging patio doors.
Because sliding doors and french doors operate.
Also as winds blows against a french door it tends to bow thus causing additional air leakage.