Help settle a disagreement about...

[LotusPalm]

what to do with our existing in-line sliding doors!

We are just about to start a kitchen extension which will end with 7 feet of hardwood sliding, folding doors which is almost the full width if the room.

Next door to the new extension is our living room, which has in-line sliding doors that need replacing as they are rotten and hideously ugly to boot. These are on the same wall as the new sliding doors, but the new extension finishes about 1.5 meters further back. This us the wall you look onto from the garden, and is the side of our house.

The extension will create a room that is about 26sq meters, and I envisage it as the main hub of the house. We have 2 kids under 3, and access to the garden will be from the bifold.

The question is, what do we do with the existing patio doors? Do we replace them with other doors (these would have to be a French door set that opens 180 degrees back on the wall as the fold of another bifold would be too obtrusive to the garden gate) or part brick up the opening (proper knocked in brickwork) and put a large fixed pane picture window the full width if the opening (6feet or 1.8m). This would be the same height (1.2m) as the existing 3 traditional horizontal bar casement windows in the room. It would look out into the garden and beds as these are raised anyway.

I favour the latter option as I think 2 sets of patio doors fairly close together will look odd, and our garden isn't particularly big (propably about 5/6 meters wide). I also don't think we'd use the French doors in the living room as doors. The living room is about 3x4m and has 3 existing windows. Room is northfacing though, and doors are west...

Sorry for the long post, and if you've got this far then thank you! What will it be - French doors or picture window?

Anybody? Please!

We need to make a decision tomorrow as lead times for the doors is 4 weeks, and our damp course is exposed!

I'd say if your not going to use the other set then you should brick up and have a window put in. Good luck!

Window

Another vote for window here, thanks for asking as DH and I are having very similar discussions! will show him this

Window

Window - I agree 2 lots of doors will look odd. And window gives you more options with furniture layout.

Thanks all.

Anyone else? Apparently 5 responses isn't a compelling enough argument!

the opinion of somebody who isn't going to live there is never compelling.

I like french windows.

Ah, but pigletjohn, he agrees that we will never open the doors, but thinks other people (fictional future buyers) would rather have this dual access into the garden.

I don't

Hence why I am canvassing as many other people as possible - some of whom could possibly, maybe be one of those fictional future purchasers!

I'd brick it up and put in a window too.

We've got a smiliar decision to make. We have French doors from the kitchen at the back of our new house, and then an old, crappy set of sliding doors in the reception room next to it. There are only stairs at the French doors (it's only 2 steps, not a long way though) so I assume no one has used those doors in a while. I think we should brick it up and put in a window. This has the added advantage of giving us more wall space in the reception room, and allowing us to relocate the radiator to underneath the window where it'll 1) be more effective and 2) not have to go behind a sofa.

Window.

I'd think it would look a bit odd with so many doors, unless they were south-facing onto a huge garden.

I'd also think it would be hard to heat and would like a cosier living room in winter.

I still like french windows even if you don't open them. I think they look stylish and they give more light than an ugly picture window.

I also like French doors, and agree with all you say with the exception of not opening them - why have doors if they aren't opened? Furniture is a problem, and it makes the room a corridor.

Out of interest, why is a picture window ugly?

eye of the beholder

At least I didn't say hideously ugly

You'll have long curtains for winter nights.

Putting a radiator under a window increases heat loss and warms the garden.

Window(s)

I don't want to put a radiator under it, I want to put a table there!

Pigletjohn Putting a radiator under a window increases heat loss and warms the garden ? If you have long curtains - yes, or do you mean in every instance?

And in-line sliding doors with dark brown stain and rotten framework are hideously ugly.

Really, truly.

Anymore for any more? Theres still an hour till he's home!

Definitely the window

Window - currently buying and prefer rooms which have more flexibility in layout.

I like to be able to see the garden when sitting down in my lounge, so much prefer sliding patio doors. Bi folds have too many bars breaking up the view. But without seeing your room we cannot really judge. I think its what it looks like form the inside that is more important.

French doors.

Much more light than a window, less ugly, nice to see the garden.

We have similar sounding set up with French doors that we only occasionally use but I would hate to swap for a window.