Tinted glass patio doors - dingy or practical?

[somethinganything]

Putting in big patio doors at the back of our loft extension. FIL thinks we should get tinted glass - I've no experience of it but it sounds to me like we might lose some light that way and I'm all for as much light as possible.

All the sites I've found seem to be in the US and talk about how much it saves on air-con in summer but frankly, in the UK, how much of a consideration is that ever going to be? Wouldn't we just be opening the patio doors on the one or two days of the year that it got that hot?

Or am I missing something? Anyone with experience of this?

Wich direction do they face?

Remember all heat rises so that room will be the hottest in the house anyway - do you have windows in other walls to get a through draft?

Thanks katymac

They are more or less south facing. There are two large velux windows on the North (non dorma) side.

I could maybe understand getting tinted glass to keep the temp down if they were south facing as attic rooms can get incredibly hot even without the addition of direct sun.

Our living room is East facing and has huge glass doors -the room can get very hot in the sun even on these wintery mornings (not today though as I can't even see the bottom of the garden as its so foggy )

However it doesn't sound as if direct sun will be an issue.

I would go for clear glass. Just close the curtains to keep the temp down on sunny days and to keep it warm in the winter

Doh!

Sorry, just realised that they are "more or less south facing" so direct sun might be a problem, but use curtains or blinds to keep it out of the room

Norbert that's what I thought, seems more practical to open doors and pull down blinds on v hot days than live with a slight 'cloudy' feel the rest of the time.

But from what you and katymac have said it sounds as if I might be underestimating the heat. Difficult to imagine on a frosty december day.