Sliding doors have been steadily growing in popularity for years. Now that 2015 has rolled around, they can be considered a full-blown design trend. What, precisely, is the appeal of this particular design choice?
Letting more light into a residence and simultaneously creating more living space, as these doors do, is a no-brainer for most homeowners. But that barely scratches the surface.
How A Sliding Door Works
Sliding glass doors move smoothly on tracks and require virtually no effort to use on the part of the homeowner. They are outfitted with multiple lock points for extra safety. Certain glass and aluminum doors can be operated by remote control to make them even easier to use.
Versatility
Doors and windows are the standard mode of entering, leaving, and letting light into a building. Sliding glass doors combine these utilitarian household necessities into one smooth, visually appealing architectural feature.
Multi slide doors allow the homeowner to slide open different sections of panels at a time depending on what combination is desired. Similarly, bifold doors can be folded outward to create a more seamless connection with the outside world. Whether they fold, slide, or lift, these doors and panels have become a coveted part of the new home construction and remodeling landscape.
Uniting the Indoors and Outdoors
What if being inside could feel more like being outside without undesirable temperature changes? Sliding glass doors help make this possible. Homeowners are separated from the outside’s cold or sweaty weather while still gaining the benefits of light that brightens up every corner of an otherwise dark home.
Corner-Less Installations
Homeowners who want to maximize their home’s connection to the outside can opt for corner-less installations. In this design, corners are eliminated by a set of two panels meeting where the outside or inside corner would be. Such a scenario is ideal for a covered patio or other outdoor space that benefits from being attached seamlessly to the indoors.
Expanded Livable Area and Natural Light
Standard doors take up space when they swing inward or outward. A sliding door, however, simply moves along the same thin course, conserving space so that the homeowner can enjoy an increased living area.
Energy Efficient and Financially Savvy
Sliding doors have an interlock seal at the center rail which protects the home from intrusive air, while a heavy duty weather stripping process prevents outside elements like rain, dust, wind and even noise from infiltrating. Low-E glass and other options, as well as UV coatings and dual glaze, are all available outfitting choices.
XO Windows offers the ultimate in energy efficiency with its EnergyCore™ multi-slide doors, which are made with LoĒ3-366 triple silver insulated glass ─ the best of the best when it comes to thermal efficiency.
Sliding Door Sizes
A sliding door can come in a variety of sizes calibrated to fit an individual homeowner’s specific needs. They may be as wide as 20 feet and as high as 12 feet. Single panels may run anywhere from two to four feet long. In the case of a sliding glass wall, however, panels may run up to 12 feet wide. Walls can be designed with two 12-foot panels that combined create a glass expanse of 24 feet, allowing for a clear opening up to 12 feet. Adding to the appeal and flexibility of the door, each panel may operate independently from the other to allow more or less air to enter the home.
The Sliding Door: a 2015 Design Trend For a Reason
Sliding doors are versatile, possessing the capability to extend natural light into a home and unite the indoors with the outdoors in a special way that other types of doors and windows cannot. By saving space, they also expand the livable areas of a home.
XO Windows has a wide range of patio doors available, including sliding, swinging and folding doors. Contact us today for an estimate: 602-455-6616.