If you love the timeless look of French doors, Andersen’s Frenchwood® patio doors deliver it in both swinging (hinged) and sliding (gliding) styles. Here’s how Andersen French patio doors work, which series offer them, and how to choose.
What Are Andersen Frenchwood Patio Doors?
“Frenchwood” is Andersen’s 400 Series premium patio door line, styled to look like classic French doors — wide stiles and rails, elegant glass, and a warm wood interior with a low-maintenance exterior. You can get that French-door look two ways:
- Hinged (swinging) French doors — panels swing open for a grand, traditional entry.
- Gliding French doors — the same French-door styling on a space-saving sliding track.
The construction is the same wood-core, Perma-Shield® vinyl-clad exterior approach Andersen uses across the 400 Series windows, so a patio door and the windows around it can share finishes and grille patterns for a consistent look on the wall.
Hinged vs Gliding French Doors
| Hinged French Doors | Gliding French Doors | |
|---|---|---|
| Operation | Swing in or out | Slide along a track |
| Space needed | Needs clearance to swing | Space-saving |
| Look | Most traditional French style | French look, modern function |
| Opening width | Both panels open fully | One panel slides; half the opening |
| Screen | Hinged or retractable screen | Gliding screen panel |
| Weather sealing | Compression seal when latched | Sliding weatherstrip |
| Best for | Wide, welcoming entries | Tighter spaces & decks |
How to Decide Between Them
Start with the floor plan. A hinged pair needs roughly the width of one panel in clear swing space — inside if the doors swing in, outside if they swing out. On a deck with furniture close to the house, or in a room where the door lands against a dining table, that clearance simply is not there, and gliding is the answer.
If the space exists, hinged doors give you something gliding cannot: the entire opening. Both panels swing wide for moving furniture, hosting, or connecting a room to a patio in summer. On a gliding door only one panel moves, so you get about half the width.
Weather sealing slightly favors hinged doors, since a latched swinging door compresses against its weatherstrip while a sliding panel relies on brushes and seals along a track. Both perform well; the difference matters most on very exposed elevations.
Which Andersen Series Offers French Doors?
- Andersen 400 Series hinged (Frenchwood) patio doors — the premium French-door line with the widest range of sizes, colors, grilles, and hardware.
- Andersen 400 Series gliding patio doors — French styling on a smooth sliding track.
- Andersen 200 Series hinged patio doors — a more budget-friendly hinged patio door option.
- Andersen 200 Series gliding patio doors — the value sliding option in the same family.
Comparing the lines? See our full guide to Andersen 200 vs 400 Series patio doors.
Design Options
Andersen French patio doors come in a range of exterior colors, interior wood species and finishes, grille (grid) patterns for that divided-light look, and hardware styles — so you can match your home’s character inside and out.
Grille Patterns
Grilles are what make a French door read as a French door. Andersen offers several approaches: grilles permanently applied to both glass surfaces for the most authentic look, grilles sealed between the panes for easy cleaning, and removable interior grilles. Common patterns include colonial, prairie, and modified variations — the pattern you choose should generally echo the windows on the same elevation.
Hardware
Handle sets range from simple contemporary levers to substantial traditional sets, in finishes including satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, brass, white, and black. Hinged Frenchwood doors are available with multipoint locking, which engages the frame at several points along the height of the door for better security and a tighter seal than a single deadbolt.
Energy Efficiency
Patio doors are the largest single glass opening in most homes, so the glass package has real consequences for comfort. Andersen’s Low-E4® insulating glass is standard, with upgraded options available for openings that get heavy sun.
For a south- or west-facing patio door in Philadelphia, upgraded glass is usually money well spent — it is the difference between a room that is usable on an August afternoon and one that is not. On a shaded or north-facing wall, standard glass is generally sufficient.
Installation Considerations
French patio doors are heavy, and hinged units in particular are unforgiving of a sill that is not dead level. A door installed slightly out of plumb will drag, fail to latch cleanly, or show an uneven reveal between the panels — problems that are obvious every single day.
The sill detail matters too. Patio door thresholds sit at the transition between inside and outside, often at deck or patio level, which makes flashing and drainage at that point critical. Replacing an old slider with a hinged pair may also require framing changes if the rough opening dimensions differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are French doors less secure than sliding doors?
Not when specified properly. A hinged Frenchwood door with multipoint locking engages the frame at several points and is very secure. Older single-latch doors of any type are the weak point, not the style itself.
Should French doors swing in or out?
Inswing is more common in our climate because the threshold detail sheds water better and the door is not exposed to wind loading when open. Outswing saves interior floor space and is worth considering when the room is tight.
Can I replace a sliding patio door with French doors?
Usually yes. If the existing rough opening matches a standard hinged size the swap is straightforward; if not, the opening is reframed. This is assessed during the measurement visit.
Do Andersen French doors come with screens?
Yes. Gliding doors use a sliding screen panel; hinged doors are available with hinged or retractable screens that stay out of sight until needed.
What is the widest Andersen French door available?
The 400 Series covers a broad range of widths, including three- and four-panel configurations for wide openings. Available sizes depend on configuration, so confirm during your estimate.
Andersen French Patio Door Installation in PA & NJ
ProView Construction is a certified Andersen installer serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Explore all of our patio & sliding doors, review what drives Andersen patio door cost, then request a free quote or call 215-259-8886.
