Energy and Style
Top Priorities for Vinyl Patio Doors
Manufacturers and extruders suggest some movement toward larger openings too
By John Swanson
Homeowners want energy efficiency. They want designer options. Priorities in the vinyl patio door market are not too different than they are in the
vinyl windows, manuafcturers and suppliers agree. There
are a few trends unique to vinyl doors, however, including
some movement toward larger openings.
“We’re seeing that energy efficiency is very high on
the list for both windows and doors,” reports Sid Spear,
VP of sales and marketing for Simonton Windows. When
it comes to doors, “style is perhaps higher in a decision
making process—for example, do I want a hinged door or
a sliding door?” he continues. “However, once that decision is made, next up is energy efficiency. Homeowners
especially have been educated repeatedly now that open
spaces need to be filled with energy efficient products.”
Energy efficiency is just as important in choosing sliding glass doors as it is with windows, agrees Mark Gallant,
VP of marketing at Atrium Windows & Doors. “Perhaps
even more so for solar heat gain considerations, since a
sliding door unit carries so much glass area where heat
gain control becomes more of a home comfort factor to
consider,” he adds.
Offering the same high energy performance numbers
for its vinyl patio doors as it does for its windows has en-
abled his company to increase its patio door business 30
percent, reports Greg Irving, VP of marketing at Soft-Lite
LLC. “It enables our dealers to do a better job getting the
whole house.”
Extruders offer a similar perspective. “The most com-
mon and major trend currently visible within the window
and door industry is
all about energy ef-
ficiency,” says David
DeFelice, business de-
velopment manager at
the RoyalPlast Division
of Royal Window and
Door Profiles. “Fabri-
cators try to sell their
product offering as a
complete package deal
with energy efficiency
as the main marketing
avenue.”
“Because of the
strong interest in en-
ergy savings, we’ve had
OEM interest request-
ing more efficient vinyl
patio door designs
and materials,” reports
Rich Anton, market-
ing director, Mikron
Industries. “During
