External sliding doors are perfect for when you want to open up your home to the sights and sounds of the garden. Unlike bi-fold and French doors, the sliding variety does not open out, stack or swing and is easier to operate in a simple gliding motion, as all the opening takes place on one track.
Improving your family’s quality of life, saving on energy bills, reducing your carbon footprint and increasing the value of your home are just a few of the benefits of using large panels in sliding doors.
This article will examine these benefits more closely and help you decide what to consider when looking at different options. Click on one of the links below to jump to that section:
- Why use large sliding glass doors?
- Benefits of sliding doors with large panels
- Considerations when buying sliding doors with large panels
- Frequently asked questions
Why use large sliding glass doors?
Sliding doors are able to suit a variety of properties – they’re great for smaller homes where space is at a premium, as the panels do not swing outwards but rather glide to the side in a stack.
Bigger properties are able to accommodate larger spaces and subsequently, larger panel sizes, which minimises the number of doors that are required to open. This effect is amplified when the doors are manufactured in a premium grade aluminium – as not only are panel sizes bigger, but the sightlines are traditionally slimmer than with other materials, creating the effect of a wall of glass. This style also affords easier access to and from your garden, especially with low track heights that can be recessed into the floor for a seamless transition.
Efficient ventilation is another bonus of large panel doors. One door can slide open just slightly, fully or anywhere in between. Adequate ventilation in your home prevents moisture build-up which protects your health and wards off damp. Good airflow also helps to rid the interior of unwanted smells from cooking and pets.
This style of patio door fits right in with busy family life, as they won’t slam or get caught by gusts of wind and with the widescreen view, are great for keeping your eye on little ones playing in the garden.
Benefits of sliding doors with large panels
- The larger access is perfect for moving large items in and out of your home.
- Being light and easy to operate, sliding doors make opening and closing simple for a child or somebody in their later years.
- From an aesthetic point of view, these doors afford stunningly wide visual flow between the interior and patio.
- Large sliding patio doors allow natural light to flood into your home affording panoramic scenes.
- The slimmer frames are stunning over a large opening, as they allow for a more unbroken view of the landscape beyond the door.
- Origin Sliding Doors are made with an aluminium frame, so are strong and durable without compromising on quality, style, security or sightline.
- Large glass panels create an illusion of greater space, giving your home an airier and more open feel.
- Natural light is so important to health and wellbeing, improving focus and helping the body to produce Vitamin D, and large glass panels will allow optimum light into your home.
- Not only is natural light good for your health, but there will be no need to switch on a lamp in the daytime, helping you to save money on energy bills and do your bit for the environment.
- The same is also true for the extra warmth afforded to your home. Origin Sliding Doors are thermally broken which limits the heat transfer from one side of the door to other, so your heat will stay on the inside in the winter months, and will prevent the heat from entering in the summer months.
- A large sliding door system extends your interior, opening your home up to the outside and creating an ideal space for relaxing and entertaining.
- The doors are modern and stylish, giving your home an elegant and welcoming feel.
Considerations when buying sliding doors with large panels
Like any major purchasing decision, there are several factors to consider before you decide which type of large glass panel sliding door to choose.
Of course, one of the most important considerations is security. The safety of your family home is paramount and should never be overlooked—that’s why our systems of the OS-20 Artisan Slider and OS-44 and OS-77 Patio Sliders have multi-point locks and offer a minimum of six points of locking.
The glass itself should also guarantee safety. The OS-20 Sliding Door system comes as a wet glazed system, which means that the glass is bonded to the frame itself. The glass used on the OS-20 features premium low-e toughened glass as a dependable double glazing option, which also helps with security, durability and thermal efficiency.
The OS-44 and OS-77 Origin Patio Slider comes as a dry glazed system, so the glass is installed on site. Your chosen Origin installer will source the glass for you and guarantee that aspect. Glazing options are a 28mm, 32mm or 36mm, so your installer will talk through whether you want double or triple glazing and discuss further options such as solar reflective, laminated, acoustic or tinted.
Another consideration when choosing glass is sound insulation. Blinds will only do so much, so if you are in a built-up area, laminated, acoustic or triple-pane glass would offer an ideal solution.
Blinds, however, are highly effective for controlling the amount of light flowing into your home, providing privacy at the same time.
An important factor to keep in mind is style, which is why Origin aluminium Sliding Doors are bespoke and come tailored to your size, colour and finish requirements. With large panels, many customers choose darker frames to break up the space while elegantly highlighting the generous expanse of glass, but Origin can manufacture in over 150 RAL colours, so the choice is yours.
Frequently asked questions
What are the minimum and maximum sizes for patio doors?
Sliding patio doors are bespoke and made to measure depending on the number of panels and style of frame. The OS-20 Artisan Slider has a minimum individual panel size of 550mm wide and 1600mm tall, and a maximum individual panel size of 2200mm wide and 3000mm tall (or 6sqm overall).
The Origin Patio Slider can accommodate a maximum panel size of 2000mm wide and 2520mm tall, and a minimum of 710mm wide and 1925mm high.
How important is it to have a trickle vent on sliding doors?
Trickle vents are important as they allow a constant flow of air into your home but do not compromise security. In certain rooms, they are required on doors and windows for building regulations to ensure a minimum level of ventilation.
What is the most energy-efficient glass sliding door?
One of the ways to measure energy efficiency is through in U-Values. Put simply, the lower the U-Value of the glass, the smaller the energy loss.
The OS-29, OS-44 and OS-77 using double glazing can offer a U-Value of 1.6, and triple glazing can be as low as 1.3. The OS-20 can offer a U-Value of 1.4 with double glazing. Your chosen installer will work with you to find the right glass for you.
Get in touch today
To start your journey in getting an Origin Sliding Door custom-made into your home today, find your local installer.
