Sliding doors to the balcony

Sliding balcony doors are a godsend for those who want to expand the useful space of their apartment, while creating an unusual and fashionable interior. If you want to use the balcony not as a place to store unnecessary things, but as an additional mini-room, then this option will suit you.

Doors with floor-to-ceiling glazing were invented in hot countries where there was a need for constant ventilation. Gradually, fashion came to them in European countries, but in France they became especially popular.

Today this name is associated with sliding doors. Especially with their variety, which is almost entirely composed of glass and has a minimum of inclusions from other materials.

Unlike swing doors, they have guides, top or bottom, and move on built-in roller mechanisms. They perfectly protect from street dust, noise and wind.

Let us consider their merits in more detail:

• Original. Their main difference from standard balcony doors is an unusual design. They are not so cheap, but for connoisseurs of elegant and stylish interior in the apartment is not a barrier. If your balcony is equipped as a greenhouse, a small gym or a corner for relaxation, then thanks to such original transparent doors it will become a full-fledged element of the interior.
• Pass a lot of light and air. The glazing area in balcony sliding door systems is slightly larger than in standard hinged doors. This means that more light will penetrate into the adjoining room, and if you open the doors, then there will be air.
• Durable. In the event of a breakdown, this structure does not need to be completely dismantled; it can be repaired by replacing individual parts. Just call a specialist and he will help you troubleshoot.In general, these doors serve a very long time, more than 50 years. But when installing them, any little things are important, so these works are best left to experts.

Other distinctive features of sliding balcony doors:

• have an increased level of noise insulation;
• do not steal the excess area when opening;
• easy to open and close;
• not afraid of temperature fluctuations;
• Components do not contain hazardous chemical compounds.

The disadvantages include the fact that such structures, as a rule, require the dismantling of the window between the balcony and the room, the window sill and the wall above the window. For this you need a special permit, a project for redevelopment. If you do not legalize such an alteration, you can get a fine, and even an order to return the original look to the room. In addition, apartments with illegal layout is more difficult to sell.

Sliding doors are somewhat more expensive than usual, make a certain noise when opening and closing, and are also made according to individual measurements.

Sliding systems for a balcony can have cold and warm types.

• Cold are designed to protect the house from atmospheric phenomena - rain, snowfall, strong wind.They are good for sound insulation, but here they don’t care about the heat in the room adjacent to the balcony. Include single-chamber windows and profiles without insulation.
• Warm, in addition to all the above characteristics, have a good thermal insulation.

All sliding doors are glass, but depending on the profile they are divided into the following types.

• Aluminum doors are the most popular variety of them. At first glance it may seem that they will be too cold, but it is not. This material has good technical characteristics, such as practicality, durability, and a relatively low price. There is a so-called “warm” aluminum - a thermal bridge, which is a two profile fastened together with a polyamide insert.

• Wood have a more aesthetic appearance. This option is more expensive, and it is only suitable for loggias well protected from rain.

• PVC profile reinforced with steel reinforcement. If the loggia is not glazed, then it is better to put a three-chamber profile and two-chamber glass on the plastic doors, then they will be warmer, and for a closed one-glass unit will be enough.These doors do not rust and do not swell from moisture.

Sliding doors are called not only French, but also portal, the name comes from the English word "gate." If the balcony is not too crowded, they create a panoramic view in the room, as if opening up another world.

What types of designs exist in these products.

• Sliding doors - This is a classic version of the sliding door. It saves usable space like no other, as the doors just open when opening. Like a wardrobe, the doors move along the guides.

• The lift-and-slide system can be opened in one motion by pushing it up. However, until the end it certainly will not open.
• Lifting-sliding doors are quite long, open if you pull to the side.

• Sloping sliding well suited if you have a narrow opening. This door must be pulled forward, and then sent for another piece of construction.

• Parallel-sliding system It has massive dimensions and is mounted on a suspension mechanism.
• Sliding harmonicas usually include seven folds. This door takes a lot of precious centimeters in the adjacent room, so it does not enjoy special popularity.

You need to select the door based on the characteristics of a particular dwelling - what is the largest balcony, how warm is it and what is the interior of your apartment as a whole.

Sliding doors are placed in a small room, because such a simple construction will not take place when opening and closing.

If there is enough meters in the room adjacent to the balcony, you can create an original design with the help of an accordion door. Then the balcony should not be too small, otherwise the design will look completely out of place there.

Adherents of the classics in everything should stop the choice on wooden sliding doors. Profiles are made of pine, oak. For these purposes, glued laminated timber is taken, which prevents the harmful effects of dryness or humidity in the room.

If the interior of your room is bright enough, and you do not want to put the door on the balcony of a boring color, then perhaps it is better to stop the choice on the plastic construction. They are available in a wider range of shades.

As the picket wall will be dismantled, the battery attached to it will disappear along with it. To compensate for the lack of a radiator, you can use a more aesthetic solution - warm floors, etc. This is economical in terms of usable area.

There are in-floor heating systems that are connected to the heating circuit, and are powered from the electricity grid. They can be disguised by the floor covering.

For the work you will need fittings, namely rollers, guides, retaining rings. Sliding doors can be installed on the bottom rail or on the top. It depends on where the rollers will be. There is also a two-way version. The number of rollers used depends on the length of the door.

Also, when mounting the structure, you will need handles, they may have a different design.

You can put a child lock, as well as a retainer that will not allow the door to slam and lock a person on the balcony.

For installation of structures it is best to turn to specialists, but if you have a lot of experience and are confident in your abilities, you can try to do it yourself.

Here is a rough plan for installing a sliding door.

• Take measurements. To the height of the door, add about 1.5 cm (distance to the floor) and the height of the guide. Now you can attach the guides themselves. Between the groove and the wall you need a small space so that the door does not scratch the wall.The guide should be twice as long as the width of your opening, you also need to add a little to the seam allowance.
• Now the assembled roller mechanism with fasteners can be slid into the guide. Clips are attached at the top, there should be as many as you plan to put the rollers.
• Slide the door under the guide and bolt it. Also install the "leash" in the slot on the bottom of the door. It maintains the correct position of the door when moving, preventing displacement.
• Decorative door trims are attached to hide the mechanism and give the door a more aesthetic look.

Obviously, sliding or gantry doors are an excellent solution that will make your apartment special compared to others, where typical balcony doors are installed. Thanks to them, instead of a small window and a narrow door you get a spacious passage with a panoramic view.