Sliding glass doors: pros and cons

To delimit the space inside the room or design its doorways of various types, glass sliding doors are often used today. Using just such door leaves. you can stylishly and unusually arrange a doorway of any size. But at the same time, such a design also has some features, which can be found in more detail in this article.

This design of the entrance and interior doorway has its own characteristics, the main of which is the very design of such doors. Their opening and closing is carried out by moving the glass door leaf along special grooves due to the presence of small rollers. The door itself at this moment moves along the wall. The second feature and at the same time the advantage of such a mechanism is to save space in the room itself precisely by sliding the canvas along the wall, and not by swinging it inward or outward.

For many people, a glass door is associated with absolute transparency, but this is not entirely true. Today, manufacturers use various design options, for example, a door can be glass transparent, matte or even mirrored. The presence of just such an assortment allows you to choose the most suitable type of canvas and its color in each case. An important feature is the ability to select and install such a structure both with a threshold and without it.

For the most part, these door leaves are made to order., and therefore they can have a wide variety of parameters. Most of the manufacturers of such products are happy to offer their customers ready-made glass sliding doors or show their sketches to select the most suitable option. But it is the mechanism of operation of such doors that is considered their main advantage and feature. Therefore, it is necessary to dwell on it in more detail.

The mechanism of this design consists of special guide rails, along which the door itself slides. In the lower part of the canvas, special wheels are screwed on, which fit very tightly to the rails, so the doors are opened and closed almost silently.

The guides of the door leaf are an integral part of such a mechanism. There can be several options for their installation: above or below, on the right or left, and sometimes they are located inside the wall. So that the door leaf itself does not jump out of the rails, a special stopper is installed inside the guide, and so that the door does not dangle from side to side, a leash is additionally attached at the bottom.

The mechanism consists of a whole system of various types of fittings, the main of which are:

• overhead track devices;
• the lower device of the rollers;
• lower leash;
• stop in the guide.

Specialists divide such mechanisms into two groups:

• Open sliding glass door systems. In this case, all structural elements are visible and well visible.
• Constructions with a closed mechanism, which are equipped with special bezels, which allows you to hide the mechanism from prying eyes.

Also, mechanisms can be mechanical or automatic. In the first case, the movement of the canvas along the rails will be carried out after the person pushes the door to the side. That is, the principle of operation here is the same as in the compartment of trains. The second option is used much more often today. Usually, near such glass compartment doors, special motion sensors are installed, which react to the weight of a person and automatically open and close.

Today there are several varieties of sliding glass doors. All of them, in turn, are divided into two large groups depending on their design and size.

But there are other criteria for their separation:

• The material for the manufacture of the canvas itself. They can be all-glass or with plastic or wood inserts.
• The color of the glass can be transparent, opaque or transparent with small decorative patterns.
• View of the glass itself. There are models made of plexiglass, telescopic, there are armored glass, and there are fire-fighting models.

• Single or double leaf models. How they differ is clear from their name.
• According to the material of the partition. In such structures, they are usually made of an aluminum profile, but sometimes you can also find models made of chipboard or MDF. The first option is the most preferable.
• By the presence of a frame, such structures can be frameless, that is, they do not have partitions, and frame.

Sliding models are usually called "accordion" because of the similar principle of operation. In this case, the door leaves have several leaves that move along the wall in one direction, simultaneously overlapping each other. Such doors are always installed on the “coupe” runners.

The slider door consists of four panels of the same dimensions. A feature of this variety is that, with proper design and installation, you can create a completely glass wall and hide an opening up to five meters wide from prying eyes. In this design, the outermost canvases are always tightly screwed to the frame, and the remaining canvases can move freely.

Sliding doors open and close directly in the doorway. If this type of door is single-leaf, then the sash moves to one side, as a rule, to the right. If the models have two sashes, then at the moment of opening they diverge into different groans. When installing such a structure, a special cavity is always left in the wall, into which the doors are rolled.

There are also lift-and-slide designs. The double-glazed windows in them also hide in the adjoining wall, but at the same time they rise slightly and move along the track at the same time. This type of glass door leaf is considered the most optimal and expensive for creating a solid glass wall.

According to this criterion, it can be very difficult to divide glass sliding doors into specific groups, since in most cases they are made individually to order. But if you believe GOST, then the best option is considered if the door leaf has a size of no more than 90 cm. In all other cases, it is necessary to install a glass door, consisting of several canvases or sashes.

In the ranks of specialists in the installation of such structures, there is its own division of these structures into three types:

• Small - this includes models with a web width from 75 to 110 cm. In some cases, the manufacturer agrees to make a web wider than the GOST recommends.
• Average - these are models, the width of the entire web of which ranges from one to three meters.In this case, the canvas can be divided into several leaves.
• Large Are glass sliding doors with sizes ranging from 3 to six meters.

As can be seen from this classification, the range of such glass structures is quite extensive. If necessary, each person will be able to choose the best option for himself.

Also, experts in the manufacture and installation of glass sliding doors say that all their products are still subdivided into several groups, depending on the installation in which place and in which room it is intended.

It is necessary to install special balcony sliding glass doors on the balcony or loggia. Such models are specially made taking into account changes in weather conditions and other factors. Therefore, their installation guarantees long-term and safe operation.

For the kitchen or zoning of other rooms in an apartment or private house, you can use ordinary glass partitions or double or single-leaf models.

Patio designs or sliding doors are perfect for separating the kitchen from the rest of the room, and for creating partitions in the bathroom.

If we are talking about the delimitation of the room space and the terrace, then lift-and-slide structures will be the best solution.

The choice of a specific type of construction should first of all begin with determining the location of the future glass door, as well as the degree of illumination of this area. After all, it will be necessary not only to install the door, but also to do it so that it fits into the overall style as harmoniously as possible.

If you live in a cold region and a door made of glass will face the street, it is recommended to install insulated glass structures. They cannot release warm air from the room and have better thermal insulation than conventional models.

There are quite a few manufacturers of glass sliding doors today, but it is Italian designs that are in greatest demand. It was in Italy that they first began to make them, and today the production process there is better adjusted than anywhere else. In any case, before buying, you should study the most popular manufacturers, read reviews not only about their general products, but also study reviews about a particular door leaf model. To ensure the safety of the structure, you should choose it in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and according to the type of room.

In conclusion, I would like to say that despite such a large number of advantages, glass sliding doors also have some disadvantages. There are only two of them: high cost and relative fragility. Even the toughest glass cannot match metal. If these disadvantages do not bother you, then sliding glass doors are perfect for you.

See below for an overview of an interior glass door in an aluminum frame.