Having sliding doors installed in your conservatory is the perfect way to connect your conservatory to your patio or garden. A conservatory is a great way to help your home feel more connected to the outside and provide more natural light, so sliding doors are the perfect way to make the most of this.
Allowing sunlight in with their huge glass panels, sliding doors are the ideal solution when looking for doors for your conservatory, but it’s important to consider a few factors before having sliding doors installed in your home.
If you’re considering choosing sliding doors for your conservatory, this guide will explain the benefits and disadvantages of sliding doors, how they compare to other options for conservatory doors, the ways in which they can be customised and how much they may cost.
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Learn more about the ways in which sliding doors can be installed into your conservatory.
Find out more about the reasons to choose sliding doors for your conservatory.
Find out more about the cons of installing sliding doors in your conservatory
Learn more about the factors to consider when choosing to install sliding doors in your conservatory.
Read this section to find out more about the sliding door options available from Origin.
How can sliding doors be used in a conservatory?
Sliding doors make the perfect patio door and can be used to finish the look of your conservatory in a variety of different ways:
- Connect your house to the conservatory – Sliding patio doors are easy to use and are a great way to open up your living space while allowing natural sunlight in and promoting good air circulation.
- Connect your conservatory to your garden – with much more glass than French doors, sliding doors are perfect for bringing a touch of the outdoors into your conservatory and can help to make the space much bigger. Offering great visibility to the outside space, using sliding doors between your conservatory and your garden works particularly well in homes surrounded by green space.
- Update the look of your conservatory – you may just be looking to modernise or renovate your conservatory so that it feels like a proper room while installing a modern and stylish external door. Allowing more light in by having sliding doors installed can change the look and feel of your space.
The benefits of sliding conservatory doors
Sliding doors offer a wide range of benefits for your conservatory including:
Security
A sliding patio door is made up of huge expanses of glass, so it can be easy to assume that it is less secure than other types of doors. However, modern designs mean that they are just as secure as any other type of door and offer the additional advantage of allowing maximum natural sunlight levels into your conservatory, brightening up your space and creating a more open plan feel than traditional doors.
Origin Sliding Doors are made from the highest grade aluminium so we can ensure a practical and aesthetically pleasing solution without having to compromise on security. The innate strength of aluminium ensures the doors are physically secure and extremely durable. The opening action of our Sliding Doors happens on one track which reduces unnecessary security points and helps to make your doors safer.
Our Origin Patio Slider OS-29/OS-44/OS-77 locks solidly into the jamb and, our Origin Artisan Slider OS-20 locks either into the jamb or an adjacent door and both systems are equipped with our multi-point locking system for the best security.
Slim sightlines
The slim sightlines provided when you buy a sliding patio door means that more light will stream into your home and the frames are much less visible than those you find on a Bifold Door or a French Door. French doors are a common choice for conservatory doors, but their thicker frames mean that homeowners are not able to take advantage of the views or natural sunlight offered in comparison to a sliding patio door. These sightlines allow you to enjoy the expansive views that sliding doors can offer with little interruption.
All Origin Sliding Doors are manufactured with the highest grade aluminium which means we can offer the slimmest sightlines without compromising on the strength or functionality of the doors. Our Sliding Doors are available in the following ranges:
- Origin Artisan Slider (OS-20) – this door has ultra-slim sightlines of 20mm and will create a near wall of glass in your conservatory.
- Origin Patio Slider (OS-29, OS-44, OS-77) – this option is available with sightlines of 29mm, 44mm or 77mm which will allow you to maximise the amount of glass in your conservatory and enjoy the view of the outside world.
Thermally efficient
With the right glazing, material and frame, sliding doors are a thermally efficient option for your home, helping to keep it at an ideal temperature all year round.
Every Origin Sliding door is thermally broken which helps to limit the amount of heat transfer between the inside and outside of your home. This means that you will be able to enjoy cooler temperatures inside during the warm summer months, but the heat will be kept inside your home during the winter.
Save space
As they don’t open inwards or outwards, sliding doors can also save space in your home or garden that other doors such as French or bi-fold doors would otherwise occupy, while minimising the risk of accidents and bumps.
In addition, sliding doors cannot be blown shut in the wind in the same way as French doors so it minimises the dangerous nature of doors slamming.
The disadvantages of sliding conservatory doors
Despite their many advantages, there are also a few disadvantages to consider before installing sliding doors.
Limited configuration options
Depending on the space you have available, there are a limited number of configurations that can be achieved when choosing sliding doors. Unlike bi-fold doors which can open fully and be opened in one or multiple directions, sliding doors will only slide back on themselves which offers limited options.
Higher costs
Depending on the system, sliding doors can also cost more than other types of doors in terms of the initial cost of the doors as well as installation and delivery due to the larger panels of glass required
Factors to consider when choosing sliding conservatory doors
If you’re looking into sliding doors for your conservatory, it’s important to consider a few factors to decide which would best suit your home and your needs.
Materials
The material you choose for your sliding doors will have an impact on the longevity of the doors, their thermal efficiency and their security. In addition, aluminium is an incredibly strong frame material which means much slimmer sightlines are available than with materials such as uPVC and wooden.
An aluminium frame allows for much smaller sightlines and its strength means that the security of your doors is not compromised.
Track
When it comes to choosing sliding doors for your home, there are two different options when it comes to choosing the right track. In order to function properly and provide effortless opening, sliding doors must run along a running gear which sits at the bottom of each door. This is what allows the doors to move from left to right.
Whether you have a double track or a triple track will depend on the door configuration you choose, but whichever you have, you can choose to recess the tracks into the floor or to conceal them for a seamless finish, removing any tripping hazards between the inside and outside of your home. Your installer will need to make allowances for drainages, so it’s best to discuss this with them from the early stages.
Glazing
You will also need to decide on the type of glazing you want to install based on your requirements. Triple glazing will not only help to increase the thermal efficiency of your home, but if you live in an urban area, it can help to dull the outside noise.
Both double glazing and triple glazing options are secure options and cannot be easily broken into, which can be a worry when installing large panes of glass in your home.
Sliding door options available from Origin
At Origin, we currently offer two types of sliding doors; our Origin Artisan Slider OS-20 and the Origin Patio Slider OS-29/OS-44/OS-77.
OS-20 Artisan Slider
The Origin Artisan Slider boasts ultra-slim sightlines of just 20mm, offering less frame and more view, allowing you to maximise the natural light in your home and enjoy a closer connection with your garden.
This slider offers sleek sightlines and a minimalist design with aluminium frames, that are available in over 150-scratch resistant colour options, including Jet Black, Hipca White and Anthracite Grey, which means you can match your doors to both the style of your home and your interior décor.
The Artisan Slider OS-20 is a fully bonded system which means the glass and frame come as one unit. In addition, we are able to offer an industry leading guarantee of up to 10 years for all the components that support the panes (frames, gaskets, running gear, seals, locks and levers).
OS-29/OS-44/OS-77 Patio Sliders
Our Origin Patio Sliders are available with sightlines of 29mm, 44mm and 77mm so you can choose whether you want slimmer sightlines for a better view or thicker sightlines for a more imposing look for your door. The Patio Slider OS-29, with its sightlines of just 29mm is one of the slimmest semi-dry glazed sliding door systems in the UK. On the other hand, our OS-77 provides a more traditional style of patio system.
Our Patio Slider is available for apertures of up to 11.9m and can be configured in a number of ways to suit your home and your needs. Whatever size and configuration you opt for, the Patio Slider can transform the look of your conservatory or home.
To find out more about Sliding Doors for your conservatory, please contact your local installer today.
