When a patio is adjacent to a house, a sliding glass door give some advantage to the outdoor paved area by providing easy access between the patio and the house. The sliding glass door gives open space between the patio and the house for convenience of people carrying food or supplies to the activities. The door provides a visual connection between the two areas so that the patio becomes an outdoor extension of the indoor environment. It has specific advantages over other doors. It does not swing open and require an arc of open space for door movement. The sliding glass door has a track that permits it to be moved and stored within the frame of the doorway. This takes less patio or indoor space than folding French doors or standard doors that require space for the physical door to remain open. The glass sliding door minimizes accidents because it lets people coming and going see activity in the immediate traffic area before the door is opened.
Standard exterior door are usually wood or metal. Even if the solid door has a glass window insert, this insert rarely extends to the floor level where children or pets may be out of sight on the other side of the door. A glass sliding door provides safety by allowing indoor supervision of outdoor activities. When children are playing in a patio wading pool or on equipment such as trampolines, the door provides visibility without physical intrusion in the recreational play area. The glass patio door also allows people on the patio to have quick access to the house for meals and bathroom facilities. The sliding glass door provides aesthetic patio benefit by allowing patio decorations such as greenery or statuary to be enjoyed from indoors during any weather. The glass sliding door brings outdoor light and seasonal beauty into the home. Sliding glass doors can be opened a few inches and locked in place so that entry cannot be forced though the occupants can see any dangers outside on the patio. Pet doors can be installed easily in glass sliding doors for pets to come and go. They can be removed leaving no damage to the entry. Patios that are also driveways benefit by having a glass sliding door. A vehicle can be parked next to the door so that passengers move quickly between house and vehicle in an emergency or bad weather.
