Sliding Patio Doors: Practical and space saving

A popular style of both external and internal door, sliding doors, or patio doors, have been a prevalent choice for decades and can be seen in homes of multiple eras, ages and styles. Their versatility and universal appeal allows them to suit a multitude of different periods, styles and tastes.

In this blog article, we will look at this style of external door further and explore the reasons behind their popularity that has stood the test of time. To clarify, in this article, we will not be covering traditional French doors, or bi-fold doors, in depth. Patio doors slide smoothly on a single track, are always fully glazed, and include one or more fixed glass panels that remain in place while the other glass panel(s) slide along the track.

Spacing saving design and operation

As mentioned above, patio doors operate on a track system, where the door leaf glides seamlessly and with ease along horizontally. This is the most compact and space saving style of door operation system you can get. French doors operate on traditional hinges, with the doors swinging and hanging out or inwards. They therefore need clearance space around them for the doors to function properly, and to meet any fire and safety compliance requirements if in a commercial building for example.

Bifold doors feature multiple door leaves that fold and stack onto one another and slide away to the side. While these do create a fully unobscured, large opening, the door leaves do require space at the side where they can stack together, and will mean that part of the room will need to be kept clear in order to achieve this.

With the sliding mechanism of patio doors, they leave the greatest amount of space in the room as the doors do not open beyond the sliding track. This efficient, tried and tested method is an excellent space saver. If you are looking for new doors, for a smaller room, or want a minimalist appearance, sliding patio doors may be the most suitable option for yourself. This also makes patio doors a popular internal door option, especially within office spaces and boardrooms due to this space efficient opening and operating mechanisms.

Sliding doors maximise natural light and views

As mentioned above, and in a separate blog post, which you can read here, with sliding doors, they are always fully glazed. Alternatively, bi-folds and French doors have the option of being partially glazed, partially panelled. The fully glazed option is incomparable when it comes to levels of natural light that will flood into the room, and if you are especially proud of your garden, or if your home is in an idyllic setting, no other style of door will give you the same level of unobstructed, maximised views. You can take full pleasure of the views of your garden and beyond with sliding doors.

This extends to doors installed on the first floor and above in homes as well, where they are used as a balcony door option. If you have a Juliette balcony, a set of sliding doors are again a highly practical solution, that will not obstruct the room and space they are installed in, while giving you maximum pleasure of the view that the room looks onto. It will of course depend on the look you are aiming to achieve, and the space you are working with, however, a set of sliding doors have shown to be a highly popular solution in these instances.

Ideal for large and small apertures

As discussed in a previous article, the style and choice of external door you choose will depend in large part, on the size of the aperture the doors will be going into. Bifold doors and patio doors are an especially suitable solution for larger apertures. French doors, beyond a certain width, will require sidelights in order to fit the aperture. However, sidelights can also only be a certain width, and so if the aperture is wider than these doors plus their sidelight counterparts, a traditional French door solution will not be viable. Bifold doors and patio doors can be manufactured to much wider apertures, incorporating more door leaves that fold or slide and stack onto one another, creating much larger, unobstructed openings.

This has been an increasingly popular, and more adopted solution in recent years, with the rise in popularity of the steel look of external doors at the rear of homes, and on extensions. Homes have been remodelled, or built to have very large apertures at the rear, with the view of having large sets of metal / aluminium doors with large glass areas, to maximise the views and natural light of these spaces.

The advantages of timber sliding doors

Patio doors are a flexible and timeless solution for your home, ideal for perfectly blending the space between home and garden, and ensuring natural light floods in and the views you enjoy are maximised.

As mentioned above, the rise in popularity of the metal and steel looks have given new life to this style of door, however, it is still possible to achieve a contemporary look with engineered timber, with the further benefit of a strong, naturally insulating material, and toughened, high performance double glazing. Our timber range of windows and doors are available in hundreds of shades and stain options. Shades of grey and black can help give a sleek, contemporary feel to your new doors, with the added reassurance of industry leading guarantees for complete peace of mind.

Their mechanism and operation system allows them to fit into smaller spaces as they do not open out or inward, and will simply slide along their track, as opposed to both French doors and bi-folding doors. However, there are benefits to every style of door, which we go into further here, and it is important that you choose the right solution for your home, preferences and living style. We highly recommend visiting one of our showrooms, speak to a local expert about your property, and view copies of our literature, so you can get expert advice and explore the various options available and what would work best for you.