Glass sliding doors are an essential addition to any home with a patio or verandah to look out upon. Not only are they attractive and provide a wonderful view of the immediate world outside, but they’re an excellent choice in warm climes where the temperature indoors would be stifling had it not been for the cool, refreshing breeze that an open glass sliding door bestows upon the home.
What’s more, they’re also advantageous to install in any residence because of the unparalleled amount of natural light that’s allowed to enter the home. Therefore they’re not only an excellent choice in warm climes because of the fresh air allowed to circulate throughout the home, but also in cooler climes where they can increase warmth indoors by allowing the sun to shine through.
A Brief History of the Sliding Door
Sliding doors were introduced to the West in the 20th Century and are considered by design experts to be a significant element of ‘international style architecture’, which is a major architectural style which emerged during the 1920s and 1930s – the decades considered the most formative years of modern architecture.
The precedent of the modern glass sliding door is the Japanese sliding door, the Shoji (door, room divider or window) and Fusuma (vertical rectangular panels) panel doors which are a staple of traditional Japanese architecture. The post-war building boom helped to spread the popularity of the glass sliding door around the world where they remain one of the most popular door varieties to this day.
Varieties of Glass Sliding Doors
Whilst there are now more than a few varieties of glass sliding doors to select from, depending on the home in question, the two most popular varieties of glass sliding doors are the traditional sliding doors that we are all familiar with, and the disappearing sliding door. The latter is often known as the glass pocket door and these entail the glass panels completely disappearing into open-wall pockets.
Components of Glass Sliding Doors
Glass sliding doors are simple in many regards, though to work effectively, and therefore slide effortlessly open and closed, all the components must be in perfect alignment. Should a single component not be aligned with the others, the structure would cease to be of a safe strength, and would also result in problems opening, closing and locking it.
The basic components of a glass sliding door are the glass panels, the frame and the runners. However, the runners and the frame are not single components as they consist of smaller components including bumpers, the handle, the lock, the tracks and the wheels. These are actually very simple components that – depending on the technical proficiency of the person assembling and installing the glass sliding door – are actually very simple to fit together.
However, there are simpler versions of the glass sliding door that don’t feature runners along the full length of the door, and are therefore much easier for homeowners to install themselves. If you are planning on installing new glass sliding doors yourself, take a look at these glass slide and fold doors because they are very simple to install and step-by-step installation guides are also provided.
If you’re going to install glass sliding doors by yourself you’ll need to possess the appropriate tools – drill, screwdriver, spirit level and tape measure – though these can be purchased for a trifling sum and will come in handy the next time you engage in home improvements. If, however, you’re not so DIY-minded, then have your glass sliding doors professionally installed by the retailer – you’ll find that most deliver and offer affordable installation services.