A sliding glass door is a fantastic way to open up a home or office without sacrificing floor space. Are you thinking of adding a sliding door system to your building? Before talking to a local door specialist, consider these facts about sliding doors.
Sliding Glass Doors
The Benefits
A sliding door or slider has a few important characteristics that set it apart from a conventional swinging door. Sometimes called gliding doors, they consist of a sliding panel and a fixed panel. Depending on the user’s preference, a slider can be designed to open from the right or the left.
- Sliding doors leading to outdoor areas sometimes come with sliding screens that allow air in while keeping insects out.
- These doors are typically narrower than French doors. They’ll let more daylight into the office or home, and in many cases, they make spaces look bigger.
- At Klein, we believe that sliding doors provide less air intrusion and better insulation than swinging doors, resulting in improved energy efficiency.
- Sliding doors provide increased security. They’re difficult to breach, among other qualities. Intruders want to break into buildings with little noise, and it’s nearly impossible to get in without breaking the entire door.
- Sliding doors make it easier to be inclusive. Because they open so wide, it’s easier to enter and exit highly trafficked areas. Whether you’re planning an office party or an at-home get-together, our sliding glass doors will open up the space when desired.
One of the biggest advantages of sliding glass doors from Klein is that they have little effect on furniture placement. Because they’re in a flat plane and they’re parallel to the wall in which they’re installed, they need no space to open and close.
Sliding Door Configurations
Indoor sliding doors come in premade sizes from six to ten feet in height. The standardization is done to accommodate the glass panes manufacturers use. However, we can make doors in custom sizes to achieve a certain look or to fit an opening in your office or home. We’re proud to offer sliding doors in a range of hardware and finish options.
Materials and Construction
If you’re considering sliding door installation, there are numerous factors to consider, such as energy efficiency and construction. At Klein, we’re proud to offer sliding doors with frames made of wood and metal. Here, we’ll review some of the most common door material options:
- Wood offers a traditional, elegant look to any sliding door. With its distinctive finish and appearance, small scratches can easily be repaired. Wood doors are a great option where energy efficiency is less of a concern. Because wood is an all-natural material, these doors may require more maintenance and should be used carefully in sunny, humid environments.
- Steel: A steel door is built to stand up to a range of conditions. Though they don’t offer the warm and welcoming style of wood, they’re also less susceptible to weather-related damage. Steel sliding doors are more cost-efficient than wood doors, and upkeep is much easier. These doors also offer great insulation, which makes them more energy efficient. With that said, a steel door may rust if it loses its protective paint layer or becomes dented. Due to their conductivity, metal door frames can get very hot or cold.
If you’re having a hard time choosing between these options, consider clad sliding doors. Here, a wooden frame is encased in a layer of steel. These doors offer the advantages of wood with the low maintenance of metal.
- Aluminum: Like steel doors, aluminum patio doors are designed for durability and low maintenance. However, they’re much lighter than steel. These doors are cost and energy efficient, but they often encounter the same issues found in steel doors. Because they’re so much lighter, they’re more susceptible to dents and dings.
Glass Types and Options
Like other openings in an office or home, a sliding door can accommodate various types of glass. Safety glass, also known as tempered glass, is commonly used because it breaks into small pieces instead of dangerous shards.
Reflective glass is another option. Because of its protective, reflective coating, it effectively reduces heat gain into living and working spaces. Energy efficiency is a top concern for business owners and homeowners, and we’re here to help.
In many cases, sliding glass doors are made of two panes sealed with a gas-filled space in between. These are commonly called insulating glass doors, but they’re also known as dual pane or double pane doors.
A sliding glass door system can serve as a good insulator, but it’s important to remember that it will work differently than a conventional insulation-filled wall. Because of these differences, customers should consider their office or home’s climate when choosing door glazing.
Sometimes, Bigger is Better
A popular trend in office and home design is to bring the outside indoors, which requires better views and wider, glass-filled openings. Technological advances in the window and door industry are accommodating this trend, as today’s sliding doors can exceed 12 feet in height. Paired with KLEIN’s systems providing the highest degree of openness, you can impress guests with surprising sliding door abilities.
Though these systems cost more upfront, many of our products are much more affordable now than they were just a few short years ago. Quality sliding doors aren’t only considered a luxury design element; but they’re also becoming a necessity in a comfortable, energy-efficient office or home. With our advanced tracking and hardware systems, our doors are guaranteed to open and close quietly and gracefully.
Consider Your Options
As we’ve discussed in this guide, sliding doors come in a range of form factors and sizes to meet every homeowner or office planner’s needs. When you’ve carefully considered all options, your new sliding doors may become the focal point of the building.
In Conclusion
If you’re thinking of installing sliding doors in a home or an office, inquiring about your options, or just want to find out more about industry advances, we’re here to help. Call today or fill out our brief online contact form to get in touch with a sliding glass door expert.
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