Choosing a terrace door: single, double, inswing, outswing or tilt-and-turn

Check the size range first

The two systems overlap, but the 88PH+ Pro goes wider and taller. These are Innotech’s published limits; the exact maximum also depends on the glass and configuration.

For the 76TS, Innotech gives an optimal width of 39–43 in, and notes that a 41.82 in heel width gives a 33.5 in clear opening. If a clear walkway width matters, ask for it in writing for your exact door. See the 76TS terrace door size limits. See the 88PH+ Pro terrace door size limits.

Choose the swing and the sill

Both systems come as inswing or outswing doors. The 76TS can also be ordered with tilt-and-turn hardware, so the door can tilt in at the top for air, the way a tilt-and-turn window does. Innotech’s 88PH+ Pro rating summary also lists a tilt-and-turn door. See Innotech’s terrace swing doors.

An inswing door needs clear floor space inside for the sash to open. An outswing door needs room on the deck or terrace, clear of railings, furniture and snow. Mark the swing on the plan before you order.

The 76TS offers three sill types in two heights, and the 88PH+ Pro also comes with a choice of sill. A lower sill is easier to step over, but not every sill suits every door: neither system offers double doors with the sill Innotech calls ADA. Choose the sill with the door’s size and swing in mind, and treat the name as a product label, not a statement about accessibility code compliance.

Pick how the door locks

Innotech lists five hardware operations for its terrace swing doors:

• an interior handle with an exterior pull tab;
• a thumb lock with an exterior handle;
• a thumb lock with a keyed exterior handle;
• quick-latch entry hardware;
• tilt-and-turn door hardware.

A door you only use from inside needs different hardware from one you come in through. Decide which doors need a key from outside, then choose the handle style and finish from Innotech’s collections.

Read each rating for its tested door

NAFS performance grades change with the swing, sill, size, any transom, and whether the door is single or double. One system doesn’t have one grade. These are a few rows from Innotech’s summaries:

Read the 76TS door NAFS summary. Read the 88PH+ and 88TS door NAFS summary.

Heat loss. Innotech’s NFRC sheet for the 88PH+ Pro terrace door gives a U-factor of 0.14–0.15 (0.78–0.85 W/m²K) with 46 mm triple glazing, at a tested size of 37.79 × 82.28 in. See the 88PH+ Pro terrace door NFRC values. Its 76TS terrace door sheet, dated 2022-09-19, gives 0.23–0.27 with double glazing and 0.18–0.19 with triple glazing, at 38 × 82.25 in. See the 76TS terrace door NFRC values. Innotech’s product page lists slightly wider ranges, so ask for the figure that applies to your configuration.

Passive House. The 88PH+ Pro terrace door is certified by the Passive House Institute for the cool-temperate climate zone, at Uw 0.79 W/m²K with Ug 0.70 glazing, up to 1.31 × 2.60 m with the certified reinforcement. The certificate is valid until 31 December 2026. It isn’t a cold-climate certificate, and it doesn’t cover the 76TS. Read the PHI certificate.

Before you order

• Opening size, the door size and, if it matters, the clear walkway width.
• Swing direction, marked on the plan from inside.
• Sill type, checked against the door size and single or double.
• Hardware operation, handle style and finish, and which doors need a key.
• The NAFS row and NFRC value that match the ordered door.

Haven’s doors page compares the two systems, and the technical library holds the drawings. For questions about locks and opening control, see security.