Here’s all that you need to consider to decide whether your home needs sliding doors and what kind you should get.
Back in the day, doors for a home were made of wood or PVC. Sliding doors gained prominence gradually. Now, more homeowners acknowledge that sliding doors are an elegant way to spruce up the interiors. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s necessary for every home or for every room. Whether or not your home needs a sliding door design and if so, where and what type, depends on many factors. We take a look at these factors in detail so that your choices are simpler.
Sliding Door Design For Space Optimisation
Hinged doors generally take up space when opened whereas a sliding door design optimises available space. As seen here, a compact bathroom can feel slightly more spacious with a sliding glass door design. And in the living room, it’s a great way to have the balcony blend in and make an extended space. This works well for times when more people gather and therefore more room space is required.
Sliding Glass Door Design For Partition And Privacy
Sliding doors help in segregating spaces without the need for prominent physical walls or other immobile structures. An added advantage is that they offer privacy when closed or even half open. This works when all you need is some space for yourself yet don’t mind people or activity afar. In the sliding door designs here, you can see how folding glass doors act like sliding doors to separate the balcony and the living room. Thus, the balcony turns into a private me-corner when needed. Similarly, the wooden finish sliding door partially isolates the kitchen from the backyard. The bottom line, consider this sliding door design when there’s a need for privacy or partial isolation in specific sections of your home.
Different Types Of Sliding Door Design
Sliding doors don’t always have to be the traditional kind where one half overlaps another upon sliding. Choose a sleek and convenient model based on your purpose and your style preference. You can opt for a bi-folding model style as seen here, especially if it’s meant for large spaces. This can even be extended to multi-sliding doors. Then there’s also the option of a cavity pocket sliding door. Take a look at the design below where the pantry unit is concealed in the wall pocket.
Materials Used For Modern Sliding Door Designs
Glass, wood, aluminium, fiberglass, and vinyl are some of the preferred materials used for sliding door designs. Primarily, you can decide on the material based on the room where it needs to be installed. And then you can also consider the material cost, how eco-friendly you want it to be and of course, the aesthetics of that space. Aluminium sliding doors can be used for the bathroom or pantry while a PVC laminate sliding door design in veneer finish works well for the wardrobe. You can also combine materials like wood and glass or aluminium and fiberglass.
Also Read: Stunning Glass Door Designs For Bedroom
Durability Of Sliding Doors
The durability of sliding doors, especially their locks and handles, will depend on the extent of everyday usage. For example, for a pantry unit, it may be wiser to install shatterproof translucent or transparent glass such that people can view the pantry but have fewer chances of crashing into it when in a hurry. For the bedroom, especially the kids’ rooms, wooden or laminate sliding doors work better as they are sturdy and can handle rough play. Check these sliding door wardrobe designs for more inspiration.
Security Of Sliding Doors
While security is one of the purposes of any door, some are meant to provide additional security. For instance, doors on the balcony and patio must protect the home from intruders. Sliding doors with tempered glass that can be shattered, and doors with no locks or easily pickable locks invite danger. It’s necessary to reinforce the hardware of these doors with features like security bars, extra lock system, door sensors, glass break sensors or impact-resistant doors. This involves some extra costs, so you can decide what kind of reinforcement works for your budget and if you need to reconsider the number of sliding doors connecting to the outdoors.
Here are some tips to reassure you that sliding doors can be maintained easily:
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our guide on choosing a sliding door design and the maintenance tips. Check out more of our sliding glass door design ideas to see how you can incorporate them into your home. Similarly, you can also explore sliding window glass design ideas to match the doors. And when you’re ready, book an appointment with our design experts.