The main advantage of the sliding door is to save as much space as possible in the house by eliminating the movement of the doors. The space is thus optimized without having to resort to major work. It is an ideal solution to make circulation in the house more fluid and to facilitate the movement of people with reduced mobility.
The sliding door is used as a removable partition to, for example, hide an open kitchen, to create new openings in the house or even as a cupboard door. In addition to the possibility of better arranging its interior, the sliding door is also an element of decoration thanks to the wide choice of materials offered (glass, wood, PVC, etc.).
A sliding door consists of a single leaf, or double leaves, and a frame. The frame is a metal structure that includes a box that fits into the partition and a system of rails that allows the door to slide. The leaf is attached to two roller carriages which slide in the track. The latter can be installed on the ground, the least expensive system, or suspended, that is to say fixed to the ceiling. Suspended rails prevent damage to the floor and better support heavier loads.
This door is mainly used for the interior layout of the house:creation of different openings or creation of removable partitions. There are two categories of sliding interior door:
the overlay sliding door: the leaf slides along the wall and remains visible in the open position. The rail also remains visible but it can be hidden behind a wooden or metal covering, for example. The advantages of the overlay sliding door are first of all its affordable price and its quick and simple installation. Their rail also has the advantage of being able to be cut to the desired size. The main disadvantage of the overlay sliding door is that it takes up a lot of space against the wall when it is open.
the sliding pocket (or retractable) door: the sliding door disappears completely into the partition and is no longer visible at all. Its rail is arranged on the upper part of the door. This category of sliding door can be telescopic (double track), semi-swing (only one part of the door disappears into the wall) or curved for an aesthetic effect. With this type of sliding door, the space saving is maximum because the deflections of the doors are eliminated, the circulation in the house becomes more fluid. The cost of this type of sliding door is higher than that of the overlay sliding door. The installation time is also longer and its installation requires finishing work (plasterboard, painting, upholstery, etc.).
Adapted to a closet, the sliding door has the advantage of taking up minimal space. Its installation requires, to function, two rails, one at the bottom and one at the top, over the entire length. Some high-end models move on wheels. The sliding closet door has the advantage of adapting to a large number of closet widths. It also exists in various and varied materials that adapt to all styles of decoration of the house. Its only major drawback is that it does not allow full access to the closet since there is always a leaf that occupies part of the opening.
Photo credit:Anyway Doors
