[onewhippedpuppy]

Another vote for a swinging door. We replaced our old sliding door with an Andersen patio door, huge difference. It should last longer, be cheaper, and will operate correctly long term. I can't see how you make that project last more than 8 hours, even if there is exterior siding and paint work.

My father in law is a contractor and has been installing Andersen for 20+ years, he's a huge fan because they are quality products that last, and they have excellent support. A spring inside our door latch just broke, causing the horizontal handle to droop at rest. They are mailing me a new latch mechanism, no questions asked.

Pay close attention to brands, there is a difference. Pretty sure I've heard good things about Marvin, but I believe Millguard is a big box type "contractor" grade product, i.e. crap. My first house was 40 years old with original Pella windows, they all operated smoothly and sealed well. My current house is 20 years old, every single one of the "contractor" grade windows were shot and have since been replaced by Andersen.