Replacing old patio doors with steel-look

Got a dated set of patio doors? At Newlite Home Improvements, replacing old patio doors with steel-look products is our speciality. All over Kent, Surrey, Sussex and South London our luxurious steel-look glazing products, deliver today’s on-trend Heritage and Art-Deco styling.

With many homeowners adding space and new rooms to their homes with a new extension, steel-look doors are desirable, distinctive and timeless. What do you do if you’ve got an old set of French doors, sliding doors in a hardwood subframe and want to change these? We give you some tips and advice for these doors in an existing opening.

Your choices when replacing old patio doors with steel-look

The significant difference when replacing an old set of patio doors with a heritage steel-look is you’re working with an existing door aperture. This, of course, is different to building a new extension when you can choose the size of your door opening at the planning stage.

The choice of product you have in steel-look systems comes down to three product types.

• French doors with or without side or top framing
• Sliding Doors
• Bifolding Doors

Any reputable installer has no issues with taking out an existing set of doors and replacing these with a new product. The good new is modern aluminium systems come with frame sizes deep enough making a replacement easy. Some products mean minimal disruption to your existing plaster lines. Other products may result in you having to do some internal re-decoration. Good examples are where you’re replacing an old set of hinged patio doors with a double or triple track sliding door. Because the frame on the new set is deeper than the outgoing doors, it’s inevitable some cutting back of your existing plaster is necessary.

Another example is replacing old patio doors such as aluminium sliders set within the hardwood subframe. This installation was incredibly popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Usually, the hardwood subframe comes out at the same time as the doors. The new door set fits straight to the brickwork aperture.

Consider the functionality when replacing old patio doors with steel-look

Many homes of course, only have one door leading out to the patio area or garden. Therefore, you’ll already be familiar with access leading out to your garden from your existing doors.

There are several situations where replacing an old sliding door with a set of steel-look French doors actually gives you a wider clear opening. Consider that many two or three panel dated doors only gave you 50% of the available opening. The reason being, the sliding panel needs somewhere to slide to and rest.

Therefore, whilst the benefit of a sliding door is not taking up any space inside or out when open, a hinged set of doors could actually give you a bigger opening with the doors both open

Can you still get a low or flush threshold with an existing opening?

Naturally working with an existing opening also means dealing with the existing step-over out to the garden where one exists.

Many people choose the less disruptive route, leaving their existing threshold arrangement as is. Others would like the benefit of a more flush threshold. We can discuss your options with you, but it is possible to remove a course or bricks and create doors set lower in relation to your flooring, decking or slabs.

Replacing old patio doors with steel-look, what’s the best product?

The steel-look French door, with or without sidelights remains the most popular product. It’s also worth bearing in mind, this product group is specifically designed as a steel-look door. You’ll find the right details such as consistent sightlines, the thicker lock backplate familiar from the original steel product and stepped sashes just like old steel doors.

Bifolding and sliding doors are available in the steel-look. Do bear in mind that these essentially are standard bifolding doors with the applied bars giving the grid-like appearance. That said, they’re still very credible in look and feel. Our steel-look bifolding doors come with a heritage sash option but you won’t get the backplate feature. Sliding doors are even more ‘standard’ in appearance with larger more modern handles. We’ve lots more information about the products available in steel-look.

Replacing old patio doors with steel-look and matching slim windows

Black steel-look Double doors and matching slim windows

This 2022 installation shows two differently designed door sets. The main doors comprise double doors with side panels as well as smaller opening fanlights above for ventilation. To the side a smaller set of double doors also with two opening fanlights above.

Above the patio doors are also matching steel-look windows and there is all manner of ways to design these for your home.

Patio doors with flag windows

A different installation showing how, when replacing old patio doors with steel-look, there’s the same design flexibility as all our other aluminium door and window products.

Here is a set of double doors with a side panel, connected to a large flag window. All the upper-level horizontal bars run through and the entire installation is in the same black matt colour finish. Doors and windows both sit on a matching cill. A slim black trickle vent above the doors meets the requirements of Building Regulations for ventilation.

The best products for replacing old patio doors with steel-look by Newlite

Every one of our steel-look doors, windows or screens comes from the best manufacturers promising you a transformed new room. And if you’re replacing very old patio doors, you’ll also benefit from the latest in security, weather performance and energy efficiency.

At Newlite Home Improvements, supplying and installing Heritage, Art-Deco, Industrial or Steel-look systems is our speciality. Contact us today to discuss your requirements and arrange a free quotation.