Milgard Aluminum Doors Review

Patios are areas to relax and entertain. The doors you chose for this section of your home have an important job. Whether these doors lead to our backyard or a private balcony, most of us want them to offer: ease of use, beauty, and of course, some level of protection.

Brennan carries over eight lines of doors for North Texans to choose from. With our selection of brands, finding the perfect patio door doesn’t need to be a chore. Brennan's partnership with Milgard gives Metroplex homeowners access to some of the best doors in the United States. In this article, we're highlighting Milgard’s Aluminum Series patio doors - assembled right here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Milgard presents a line of sliding patio doors which maximize style and performance. Narrow sightlines increase light flow into your home. Muted hues promote compatibility across tastes. A wide selection of glass options means energy efficiency customization. Better yet? Thermally Improved Aluminum provides an opportunity for serious energy savings. Each of these features makes for an asset that you can enjoy indoors or outdoors.

Aluminum sliding patio doors installed by Brennan provide generous views and natural light.

Interested in an upgrade for your patio? Our team can help. Contact us today at 817-860-9767 to learn more about rejuvenating your home.

Why Milgard Aluminum?

Forcing open a heavy door is less than ideal when carrying a tray of drinks or entertaining family. As a building material, aluminum is lightweight, durable, and requires little maintenance. This makes it ideal for patio doors. Durability, low maintenance, and corrosion resistance mean you’ll enjoy these doors for years to come.

Aluminum is a water-resistant element, although salt water can cause corrosion. In North Texas, it’s a given that it will sometimes rain -- and this freshwater is safe for aluminum. For cleaning, a hosing down will suffice to keep the doors looking good.

We should note: wet weather (or washing) can cause water to accumulate in the sill or outside track of patio doors. This water may not produce rust and corrosion, but what about flooding and seepage? Milgard aluminum patio doors feature a weep drainage system (pictured below). This enables water to drain to the outside as it accumulates. This will help keep your entryway drier.

Maintenance for the drainage system is simple. You can test the weep drain’s function by pouring a small cup of water into the interior door sill. To remove any blockage, insert a small wire into the hole. Keeping the track clear of debris reduces the opportunity for drainage issues.

Weep drain on patio doors and windows relieve flooding and standing water from rain and washing.

In its purest form, aluminum is a good conductor of heat and cold. This means that it can be less effective in neutralizing temperature fluctuations. Traditional aluminum door and window frames are generally best suited for milder regions. Milgard created their own take on thermal breaking: Thermally Improved Aluminum. This technology strengthens the material’s insulation properties in any climate.

What’s a thermal break? It’s a channel cut through the aluminum to create a barrier between the inside and outside of the frame. The wider the channel, the better the insulation capabilities. An array of insulation components can fill this groove. Milgard uses polyurethane.

Thermally Improved Aluminum is available in select regions. Contact Brennan to discuss this option for Texas homes.

Thermally broken Milgard aluminum door and window frames feature a deep grove filled with polyurethane.

^{Cross-view of the Thermally Improved Aluminum frame with a polyurethane core.}

Glass

If you were baking a cake, you would want to use the highest quality ingredients and a well-tested recipe. This would inspire confidence that the dessert is delicious. To make a great door, the concept is no different. You must have great components and great construction.

Milgard’s continuous improvement means premium hardware technology for their products. Milgard’s Full Lifetime Warranty covers your patio doors for as long as you own your home. How’s that for assurance?

So, let’s take a look at one of the most important components of Milgard’s patio doors– glass.

You have the choice of two, three, or four-panel doors. Given the amount of glass required for a patio door, you’ll want to select the best glaze for your climate and home. Along with Thermally Improved Aluminum frame, the glass can be another insulating asset. You have a variety of glazing options to suit your home’s unique requirements. No matter your design quandary.

Interior view of Brennan installed three module black aluminum patio doors with grids.

Need more sun protection? You'll probably want to consider it if you live in Texas like us.

Let's talk about solar heat gain for a moment. This is heat created in your home by the sun's rays. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures this heat on a scale of 0 to 1. The lower the SHGC the better the insulation. For greatest insulation, you may consider SunCoatMAX® Low-E3 glass. This option limits solar heat gain better than Milgard’s standard two-coat Low-E glass. SunCoatMAX® Low-E3 has an SHGC of 0.27 vs Low-E’s SHGC average of 0.39.

We know that too much sun exposure can be harmful to our skin. So, we wear our sunscreen every time we go out (hopefully!). But do remember that UV rays can be harmful to any organic compound, not just our skin. Wood, leather, and fabric can experience permanent aging or fading due to sun exposure. Luckily, Milgard offers glass tinting that also provides ultraviolet light blockage. This feature will keep your home cooler in the summer while blocking damaging UV-A and UV-B rays. Perfect for a west-facing patio door subjected to hours of direct sun in the afternoon. Why not go with Solar Bronze glass tinting to extend the life of those wood floors? The below tint options are available from Milgard:

Brennan-offered Milgard tinted glass helps energy efficiency by reducing heat gain.

We enjoy the abundant views patio doors provide. Whether they’re looking out over the backyard, or they’re providing a cityscape panorama. But, some of us prefer to see more than we show, and of course, artificial lighting drives up your energy costs.

Privacy or natural light.

Why not have both?

Milgard offers mirror-effect coatings on the exterior-facing glass. The metal oxide coating helps to reduce solar heat gain, UV damage and adds daytime privacy. Various reflective glazings are available including Solar Cool Bronze and Solar Cool Gray.

Brennan installed Milgard patio doors with mirror glaze for privacy.

Hardware and Colors

The handles for these doors feature a modern, minimal aesthetic.

Brennan-installed Milgard aluminum patio door handle in black.

^{Interior handle in Black}

Exterior of Brennan-installed Milgard Aluminum patio door handles.

^{Exterior handle in Black}

Three neutral colors are available: Clear Anodized, Bronze Anodized, and White. Thermally Improved Aluminum is not available in White.

Milgard aluminum patio door neutral colors

Brennan-installed Milgard aluminum sliding patio doors in black.

^{Door exterior in Bronze Anodized}

Brennan is a proud supplier of Milgard products. 50 years of home improvement experience has given them the experience to know a great door. And we at Brennan would know, as we’ve got several decades of remodeling under our belt as well. Milgard's aluminum patio doors start with great components and finish with architectural elegance. This series provides functional and sophisticated doors with no sacrifice to affordability.

In need of new patio doors? Get started with a personalized quote from Brennan. Need guidance on another prospective project? Give us a call at 817-860-9767 to speak with a consultant today. We look forward to hearing from you!