This week we want to talk about sliding doors. No, we don’t mean that rubbish film from the 90s, we’re talking about one of the hottest glazing products on the market today.
Sliding doors are nothing new as we all know. Veterans of the window game will know the product as ‘patios’, which is a term that we are all trying our best to avoid these days. For some reason, the term sliding doors is now the norm and seems to have given this product a new lease of life.
The modern architect’s obsession with glass, glass and more glass makes a sliding door more aesthetically pleasing than a bi-fold with several profile sections. There’s also a raft of homeowners starting to look for an alternative to a bi-fold, in an attempt to be ‘different’. Ironically, by specifying the product that bi-folds replaced a few years ago! You have to love the window game…
Anyway, here is a rundown of the three main types of sliding doors on the market today. We will also go into detail on The Trade Village’s preferred product for each category…
Inline Sliding Doors
Inline sliding doors are what you could crudely refer to as a ‘standard’ sliding patio door. These operate like a traditional sliding door – the doors sit within a track and are held in place at the top and bottom. There will be a running gear on the bottom track to help the doors slide when pushed.
Inline sliding doors are the most cost-effective option in our line-up and are well suited for most residential doors within standard sizes. It’s worth remembering that inline sliding doors require force to slide the door, so larger doors can get quite heavy to move (even more so if triple glazing is specified). If the doors are going to be of substantial size (say 1.5m wide or bigger), a lift and slide option may be preferred by the homeowner for ease of operation.
Trade Village Recommendation: Smart Visoglide Plus
Most fitters in the window game know Smart aluminium as a solid choice, and the Visoglide Plus is a very popular sliding door for good reason. A high-performance aluminium sliding door that can achieve fairly large glass sizes, this is a perfect option for a wow factor product at an affordable price.
N.B Please note that as standard we offer the Smart Visoglide Plus as an inline sliding door by default. The door can be upgraded to a lift and slide option by request.
Benefits of Smart Visoglide Plus sliding doors:
Large Glass Areas
The Visoglide Plus can achieve very large glass areas, with each pane being available up to 1.7 metres wide and 2.5 metres high.
Soft Closer
to prevent fingers from getting trapped, we can provide a soft closer for Smart sliding doors by request.
Slimline Interlock
For reduced sightlines, we can provide a slimline interlock by request.
Bespoke Colours & Finishes
We have 4 stock colours (White, Black, Grey and Grey on White). By special order, we can provide a range of exclusive metallic finishes from the ‘Smart Sensations’ collection.
Double & Triple Track Options
Choose from double and triple track options, meaning you can have a range of door styles with one, two or even three of the doors sliding.
Click here to login or register and learn more about Smart Visoglide Plus sliding doors.
Smart Visoglide Plus – Summary & Technical Details
Material & Options:
Brand/Model: Smart Visoglide Plus sliding door
Material: Aluminium
Delivery Time: 10 working days*
Glazing: 28mm double glazed/36mm triple glazing
Cill Options: 225mm
Standard Colours: Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016 Matt), Black (RAL 9005 Matt), White (Gloss), Bespoke RAL Colours
Handle Colours: Black/White/Grey/Satin Silver
Guarantee: 10-Year Manufacturers Guarantee
* Delivery time is a typical example and is dependent on postcode and current workload.
Dimensions:
Frame depth: 100mm
Frame width: 53mm
Sightlines: 117mm
Max height: 2500mm
Max width 1700mm (per sash)
Max sash weight: 250kg
Performance:
U Value: from 1.6 W/m²K
Air permeability: Class 3 (600Pa)
Water tightness: 7a (300pa)
Resistance to wind load: Class AE (2400Pa)
2022 Document L compliant
Security: PAS24
Best suited for:
- Residential replacements of older french/patio doors.
- Customers on tighter budgets.
Considerations:
- Inline only by default – lift and slide is available at an extra cost and by special request.
- Sash size is limited to 1.7m width.
What do The Trade Village say?
A solid sliding door that is suitable for the vast majority of projects. PAS24 and document Q accreditation makes this door ideal for extensions and new build, as well as refurb projects thanks to the competitive price.
Lift & Slide Doors
Lift and slide doors have a different operation, with the handle typically being rotated 90 degrees to ‘jack up’ the door sash onto rollers. These rollers take the weight of the door, which means the door can be slid with very minimal effort.
This makes a lift and slide door more attractive for larger doors, as homeowners can operate them without putting a lot of force or weight behind the door. The extra components and labour mean that lift and slide doors come at a higher cost, but that hasn’t stopped them from becoming very popular in recent years. The ease of operation and ability to specify very large glazing panels has made these an easy sell to customers.
Trade Village Recommendation: Reynaers CP130
The Reynaers CP130 is widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) lift and slide door available. A high specification product that has been specified on very prestigious residential and commercial projects across the world, the CP130 is now breaking into the UK domestic market.
Benefits of Reynaers CP130 sliding doors:
Lift & Slide For Easy Operation
The ‘lift and slide’ means that the door sashes will raise up onto the rollers once unlocked, allowing a massive door weighing up to 300kg to be operated easily.
Huge Glass Areas
The Reynaers lift and slide doors can be made to whopping sizes up to 2.5 metres wide and 2.7 metres high. These huge glazing areas create a real showpiece for any homeowner.
Low Threshold Option
Low threshold option which makes the door perfect for building accessibility. Low thresholds are usually requested when installing into extensions, and are always popular with homeowners and architects.
Glued Corners = More Strength
All of our Reynaers products have the corners bonded with epoxy glue, as an additional quality measure. 80% of the door’s strength comes from the corners, so there’s no chance of the corners opening up over time or remedial callbacks.
Multiple Track Options
Double and triple track options, allowing for many different configurations with a massive width capacity.
Click here to login or register and learn more about Reynaers CP130 sliding doors.
Reynaers CP130 – Summary & Technical Details
Material & Options:
Brand/Model: Reynaers CP130 sliding door
Material: Aluminium
Delivery Time: 15-20 working days*
Glazing: 28mm double glazed/36mm triple glazing
Cill Options: 200mm/240mm/300mm pressing (triple track only)
Standard Colours: Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016 Matt), Black (RAL 9005 Matt), White (RAL 9010 Satin), Bespoke RAL Colours
Handle Colours: Black/White/Grey/Satin Silver
Guarantee: 10-Year Manufacturers Guarantee
* Delivery time is a typical example and is dependent on postcode and current workload.
Dimensions:
Frame depth: 139mm (single & double track), 210mm (triple track)
Frame/Threshold width: 20mm / 28mm / 35mm / 40mm
Sightlines: 98mm
Max height: 2700mm
Max width 2700mm (per sash)
Max sash weight: 300kg
Performance:
U Value: from 1.5 W/m²K
Air permeability: Class 4 (600Pa)
Water tightness: Class E750 (750Pa)
Resistance to wind load: Class AE (2400Pa)
2022 Document L compliant
Security: PAS24/RC2/WK2
Best suited for:
- Customers who want large doors with easy operation.
- Large glazing areas.
Considerations:
- Lift and slide will cost more than a standard inline sliding door.
- Reynaers recommend the doors are fitted with a laser level.
What do The Trade Village say?
One of the best sliding doors you can find on the market, the CP130 is ideal for modern extensions and refurbs. The lift and slide function is an easy sell to homeowners, allowing for massive glass doors that slide easily.
Slimline Sliding Doors
The last category on our list is the newest but most talked about at the moment. If you’ve been to the Fit Show recently or watched any home renovation programs, you’ve likely seen slimline sliding doors are very popular right now.
Modern design trends are favouring more glass and less sightlines and frames, so there is now a big market for sliding doors with very small sightlines. Homeowners are essentially looking to create a ‘glass wall’ effect, whilst still wanting the functionality of opening the aperture up.
We think this is a trend that will steadily rise over the next 5-10 years, but currently, these doors are the most expensive of the three options. We see these products mostly reserved for very grand projects, or homeowners with a healthy budget. They do afford more generous profit margins as well, and they are becoming more affordable than ever before.
Trade Village Recommendation: Cortizo Cor Vision
The Cortizo Cor Vision is the perfect balance between a Grand Designs worthy product at a realistic price point. You might be surprised at the affordability of these doors, in comparison to other doors in their class (such as the Reynaers Hi-Finity). The ultra slim sightlines and pre-bonded glazing makes this a very stylish product that is fit for either a standard domestic install or a multi-million-pound dream home.
Benefits of Cortizo Cor Vision sliding doors:
Slimline Frames For Minimalist Design
The super slimline frames mean that over 90% of the total aperture is glass. This minimalist design is perfect for creating a ‘glass wall’ effect that still has the functionality to open.
Visible Section Of Only 20mm
With an interlocking frame of only 20mm, you’ll have panoramic views of the outside as well as the effect of a ‘glazed wall’. This is one of the most slimline sections available on the market.
Go Frameless
Our slimline doors allow you the option to embed the outer frames within the wall, creating a ‘frameless’ effect that gives you the maximum visible glass area possible and also a seamless flush threshold.
Massive Glass Areas
Our slimline sliding doors can be made in sizes up to 2.5 metres per sash in width and 3 metres in height, which allows you to create a real wow factor opening.
Suitable For Corner System
The doors can also be manufactured as a corner opening slider, allowing you to create stunning designs and large inviting paces within your home.
Click here to login or register and learn more about Cortizo Cor Vision sliding doors.
Cortizo Cor Vision – Summary & Technical Details
Material & Options:
Brand/Model: Cortizo Cor Vision sliding door
Material: Aluminium
Delivery Time: 6-8 weeks*
Glazing: 28mm/30mm double glazed
Cill Options: 180mm (double track), 250mm (triple track)
Standard Colours: Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016 Gloss or Matt), Black (RAL 9005 Matt), Bespoke RAL Colours
Handle Colours: Black/White/Anthracite Grey/Satin Silver/Painted Stainless
Guarantee: 10-Year Manufacturers Guarantee
* Delivery time is a typical example and is dependent on postcode and current workload.
Dimensions:
Frame depth: 116mm
Frame width: 44mm
Sightlines: 20mm
Max height: 3000mm
Max width: 2700mm (per sash)
Max sash weight: 320kg
Performance:
U Value: from 1.3 W/m²K
Air permeability: Class 4 (600Pa)
Water tightness: Class 7A (300Pa)
Resistance to wind load: Class C5
2022 Document L compliant
Security: N/A
Best suited for:
- Customers looking for slim sightlines.
- Large glazing areas.
- Upscale projects.
Considerations:
- Sashes are delivered pre-glazed, so delivery requires enough people to lift off the sashes and in some cases mechanical unloading.
- Experienced installers recommended for this product.
- Not currently PAS24 tested. Tests are due to be carried out in late 2022.
What do The Trade Village say?
A superb product that is aspirational for homeowners at a realistic price. If you are working on larger or more affluent projects, this product is a perfect fit.
If you’re interested in learning more about any of our sliding doors, click here to login or register. Alternatively, give one of our team a call on 01642 309 574.