Outdoor living remains one of the hottest trends in the residential sector. For homes of all sizes, a well-appointed exterior with dedicated seating and cooking space beyond a freestanding grill becomes another room, an extension of the square footage ideal for entertaining and relaxing.
Essential to and in step with that goal is the blurring of lines between indoors and out, and that has helped drive increasing interest for larger expanses of glass and for multi-panel patio doors that slide or accordion open to reveal uninterrupted views and access. Today’s options range from 10 feet up to as much as 32 feet wide and can combine fixed and movable windows and doors to meet the design’s needs.
“In the past three to five years, we’ve really seen a definitive increase in demand for large glass walls,” says Sean G. Smith, director of product marketing for JELD-WEN.
And it’s a trend that’s no longer reserved for high-end custom homes. Thanks to the proliferation of materials and the option for slightly smaller sizes, multi-panel doors and windows are now available in a range of price points, keeping them within reach of even production homebuyers. For example, JELD-WEN recently introduced its first vinyl multi-panel unit, available with up to six panels and 24 feet wide.
In fact, multi-unit patio doors are an ideal upgrade option for production builders and, within that, there are multiple tiers a buyer can choose from depending on their budget. As such, homeowners can get the space they desire while differentiating their homes from others on the street.
Even start-up homes can benefit from such systems: Larger expanses of glass can make a smaller footprint feel more open, while flooding interiors with light and fresh air. And, as a common feature on TV shows and across Pinterest and Houzz, they lend an on-trend, high-end feel even if they’re keeping within a tight budget.
Builders need to keep in mind, however, that it’s a product category that requires visibility, so be sure to incorporate those opening glass wall upgrades into models, rather than just referencing the option in literature or videos, Smith advises. “If you can see it and touch it and feel it, it virtually it sells itself.”
