French doors and sliding doors have different hardware.
Sliding door vs french door.
French patio doors are mostly made of glass and look similar to windows.
Without a doubt french doors are safer that sliding doors.
A classic model has two side by side panels that swing in or out from hinges on the sides of the frame.
If your doors will be connecting two spaces that have furniture in them it is best to use a sliding door.
Sliding doors on the other hand because they are often entirely transparent can be mistaken for being open.
The actual sliding door is a moveable rectangular framed sheet of glass that is mounted on sliding rollers which slide along a fixed track parallel to the fixed neighboring glass partition.
The wood frame surrounding a number of window panes when closed cannot be mistaken for being open.
The sliding track deters many people from this option.
Also often one has to step over the track to prevent stubbing the foot or tripping.
Sliding doors open by sliding either one over the other or sliding out from the centre over fixed panels.
Here is an example.
The track can be unattractive in appearance.
Traditional sliding glass doors have two panels with one that slides along rollers to cover the other.
A considerable difference between french doors vs sliding doors is the track involved with sliding doors.
A french door consists of a frame around one or more transparent panels that may be installed in matching pairs or in a series.
A sliding glass door frame is typically narrower than a french patio door frame which means it will allow more natural light into your home.
This can severely impact the usability of a room.
With french doors you re going to have the swing of the doors competing for space where furniture will be or should be.
French doors have a wider door frame.
However the wider frame on a french patio door is a more traditional style which many homeowners desire.
Sometimes called gliding patio doors aluminium sliding doors differ from french doors in that they are made of larger panes of glass and slide open and closed.