Option 1: French Doors

If there is enough room on either side of the porch for you to have the french doors open 180* (flush against the wall), I would recommend french doors. The look is classic and timeless with the lowest maintenance and expense.

Option 2: Sliding Doors

There are sliding doors that have the same window lites (window pane dividers) that look like french doors for a very reasonable cost. Of course, your concerns about the quality is valid. Low-quality sliding doors have the tendency to run off the tracks, so you will want to make sure you choose a high quality company.

Option 3: Sliding Bifold French Doors

A third option is to do a bifold french door, which combines the other two options. The doors look like french doors, but open like bifolds, therefore protruding less into the room. There are many configurations, so you can really pick what is right for you.

A few companies to look into:

Nanawall has a top-of-the-line product (but is a bit pricey). However, you get what you pay for!

Euro Wall and LaCantina Doors are a great alternative to Nanawall and considerably less expensive.

Standard 180* French Doors

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French Sliding Doors

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Nana Wall - bifold french doors

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La Cantina Doors

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Happy Hunting!

Wow, down sizing??? 3900 sq ft is still more than 2x my cape style home. I just replaces an old slider with a French door style slider by Andersen it is beautiful