Sliding doors made of aluminum have reliability, strength and durability, like conventional swing doors. But their design allows you to significantly save space. Due to glass inserts and other decorative elements, they are aesthetically pleasing, suitable for installation in residential premises, offices and public places. Products of this design are becoming more and more popular. Next, consider what are sliding aluminum doors, and what are their advantages.

Benefits of aluminum sliding doors

Sliding metal doors are often installed in residential premises at the exit to the terrace, to the garden. They are mounted in offices, shopping centers and other public institutions.

The popularity of such systems is due to many advantages:

Space saving. This is the main “plus” of the design, it does not require much space to open the valves. Sliding aluminum front doors are the best option for small houses, verandas.

The ability to close the opening of significant dimensions. Large canvases with this design are easily moved apart. They can equip large terraces.

Versatility. Products of this type can be used in offices, public places, country houses, saunas. They look good on verandas, in cottages.

Aesthetic characteristics. Products look modern, attractive, there is a large selection of models.

Strength. Like all metal profile structures, aluminum doors are durable, they do not deform over time.

Resistance to fire and aggressive factors. Aluminum is not afraid of fire, direct sunlight. It is not subject to corrosion, therefore it resists atmospheric precipitation, it can be washed with any detergents.

If necessary, the door profile is provided with a layer of insulating materials in order to save heat and protect the room from noise.

Unlike other metal products, aluminum profile structures are lightweight. They open smoothly, without any extra effort.

Glass inserts provide a good view of the space from the outside, increase the illumination of the room due to the penetration of sunlight. This allows you to place indoor plants near the front door or equip a whole winter garden.

Principle of operation

Due to the use of a rigid metal profile, the products are durable. The structure can have any height, up to 5 meters. The main element of the system is a canvas made of a metal profile, glass and seals. The mechanism of sliding doors is more complex than swing doors.

They include the following elements:

• Rollers and bearings. It is these elements that ensure smooth and silent movement of the valves, closing the canvas. They are not visible because they are mounted inside the door leaf, so the design is aesthetic.
• Guides. There may be two of them, which is more often used for entrance doors. One guide is provided for interior structures.
• Carriages. Together with rollers, they are mounted in the upper part of the sash.
• Sensors. Designed for designs with automatic opening of the leaves. In this case, they react to movement near the entrance.
• Battery. This element is also needed for automatic doors so that they can be opened when the power goes out.

Sliding aluminum entrance doors made of aluminum profile are flat or radius type. In the first case, the doors move in straight lines along the wall. The device of radial doors differs only in that the canvases move along guides made in the form of a semicircle. They look very impressive.

Device types

Depending on the profile type, aluminum sliding doors may differ in design:

• Suspended. They have only one strong guide. It holds the entire weight of the canvas on itself, rollers move along it. These are not expensive types of structures that have become widespread as interior ones. They are not difficult to install. But hanging canvases have one significant drawback: often the rollers jam. This is due to the fact that such models do not have a lower guide. Such problems reduce the life of products.
• Coupe. This design is more thoughtful, since the load is distributed more evenly in it. There are two rails in the compartment door, so the top bar does not need to hold the entire weight of the sash. In such systems, the rollers do not jam, they move smoothly, do not stagger. This ensures the durability of the product. The door leaf is often set quite thin. Of the “minuses” should be noted more complex installation, as well as a significant cost.
• Lift-and-slide structures. In them, the canvas also moves due to two guides, but they are not located horizontally, but vertically. This is a less common system, but very interesting and attractive. The sashes are made of glass in an aluminum “frame”, it is good to equip a terrace or a veranda with such structures. A large area of glazing makes it lighter and visually enlarges the room. They can generally be installed instead of walls. This design can be mounted in an opening up to 2.7 meters wide.

Only special, high-strength and safety glass is used for inserts. It can be triplex with a film, which prevents the formation of fragments when broken, as well as tempered glass.

Structures with and without insulation

Depending on the design, sliding doors are divided into cold and warm. The former are made from solid extruded metal. There is no separator (thermostat) that would delimit the product into the inner and outer parts. The design is light, inexpensive, but does not retain heat. Single glass is mounted in it. Such doors are more suitable for unheated premises, summer terraces, they will be useful as a vestibule door. Often cold aluminum sliding doors are used for the fire station.

Warm ones are more in demand in country houses. Such doors have good thermal insulation characteristics, do not let noise through. This is achieved by a thermostat, which is located in the middle of the structure. In order for the insulating properties to be high, five-chamber double-glazed windows are mounted in a warm profile. These products can last for decades.

Scope of sliding structures

Doors made of aluminum are easy to operate, they are durable, which allows them to be used for installation in various rooms.

So, sliding systems can be put on:

Terraces. Sliding aluminum patio doors are the best option. Due to the high percentage of glazing, this room will turn out to be very bright.

Verandas of small country houses. In this case, structures with two wings are used if the opening is about 1 meter wide. If it is smaller, then doors with one leaf will do.

Arbors. In the case when a covered gazebo is equipped near a country house, then a small sliding door will approach it, which does not interfere with anyone in the open. You can put several shutters so that the gazebo is lighter, it is easy to ventilate it.

On the balcony. For an apartment or a cottage, the design is convenient in that it does not take up space in the open. The main thing is to ensure a snug fit of the sash so that there is no heat loss.

Entrance doors to residential and other premises. Due to the arrangement of the electric opening and closing system, automatic sliding aluminum doors are often installed in shopping and office centers.

Products do not emit any toxic compounds. Aluminum does not contain heavy metals; in case of fire, unlike plastic, it does not emit toxic compounds. With high-quality performance, the door will last about 80 years or even more. And due to the fact that the profile can be painted in any color, sliding doors will suit any interior.