Sliding doors to the balcony: varieties, choice, installation

Installing balcony doors with a sliding system in an apartment is a practical solution. Of no small importance is the material from which the canvases are made, as well as the types of opening and closing of door blocks.

Sliding structures perform 2 functions: provide access to the balcony and fill the room with natural light from the street. Sliding devices are ideal for small apartments. A special opening system does not require additional space, thereby saving space.

Compared to swing types, sliding doors have obvious advantages:

• neat aesthetic appearance;
• saving floor space;
• it is impossible to open the door from the outside, and this is an obstacle to breaking;
• injury at the time of opening and closing is minimized;
• unlike the usual design, the doors can be extended to a decent width;
• silent opening and closing of the valves;
• maximum natural illumination of the room is achieved due to the huge built-in glass;
• doors are capable of blocking large openings.

The disadvantages are the difficulty in caring for sliding mechanisms. The inconvenience of mounting a sliding door system in old-style apartments is that instead of a window unit it is necessary to install large canvases. To solve this problem, you will need to remove part of the wall, window, window sill and remove heating radiators.

Aluminum models have specific disadvantages:

• there is a need to strengthen the balcony before installing heavy structures;
• the material does not retain heat and does not protect against street sounds;
• moisture is concentrated in the lower part of the balcony profile.

Most often, sliding doors consist of four sections. A common option is central sliding canvases and fixed extreme. Sometimes all sections move. A block can have from 2 to 8 door leafs.

Exist cold and warm modifications. Cold glazing with a single-chamber double-glazed window is produced with high-quality protection of the balcony by the window system. The warm version is used if there is an open balcony.

To date, there are the following varieties of sliding structures.

The model works on the principle of a sliding wardrobe. A very convenient and simple mechanism of integrated rollers moving along special rails allows the sashes to open and close smoothly. Door leafs move softly and silently. The minuses include the need for continuous cleaning of dust and debris runners for rollers.

The modification is distinguished by a ventilation system - ventilation is provided by pulling the handle up. Moving it to a horizontal position makes it possible to open the sash. The structure is closed by moving the doors all the way. It is not possible to open the model outside. The disadvantage is the need for some efforts while using this modification.

Such a door is usually installed in huge openings. It generally does not provide a swing system in any form. A special mechanism raises the door a little higher, then it, moving in a given direction, goes behind another leaf.

Consists of several individual sashes made of aluminum or wood. Doors do not move behind the wall unit. In the process of opening the door leaves go behind each other. They fold accordion, turning perpendicular to the plane of the frame. Unlike swing systems, there is the possibility of arranging large openings.

Guaranteed completeness of door opening and space saving. The downside of the design is that the doors take up too much space and poorly transmit sunlight due to the numerous profiles of individual paintings.

Such door models are very much appreciated for having a good panoramic view. In winter, the freezing of the moving mechanism is possible, but innovative methods of warming give a chance to use the modification in harsh climates. A distinctive feature of French paintings is the integrity of the glass that opens onto the entire doorway, which provides a panoramic view.

Balcony doors are made from different materials. Many models perfectly protect the apartment from the penetration of dust, debris, dirt, wind and rain. If the balcony is glazed, then you can install a single-chamber double-glazed window. If there is an open loggia, a three-chamber product is used.

Balcony doors with a frame profile made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) are very popular. Consumers are attracted by a long service life (up to 40 years). Plastic doors are safe. Robust designs are relatively lightweight.They protect the room from cold in the cold and from heat in the hot summer days. Indisputable advantages over structures made of another material are:

• it’s very difficult to open the door from the outside, which helps to protect against breaking;
• models retain their original appearance, they do not fade, do not collapse due to adverse climatic conditions, sharp temperature jumps;
• plastic is not subject to deformation, rust and rot;
• the material provides the room with excellent sound insulation;
• PVC has high thermal insulation properties;
• it is very easy and simple to take care of the wings.

Aluminum structures are suitable for openings of any size.. Their profile must be insulated, since the heat in the room is not retained. Doors made of aluminum have many advantages:

• environmental friendliness of the material;
• duration of operation;
• resistance to ignition;
• thermal insulation;
• ease of use;
• the ability to change the color of the frame;
• resistance to precipitation, decay, corrosion, mechanical damage and aging.

Glass doors are durable and easy to use.. They are made of special durable glass, impregnated with resin. Stained-glass, engraved and dull canvas looks amazingly stylish. Often, various patterns and ornaments are applied to the material. Benefits of glass sashes:

• the material is easily repairable;
• not afraid of sudden changes in temperature;
• environmentally friendly material is harmless to health;
• the same opportunity to create large and small dimensions;
• lightness;
• lack of noise when opening and closing;
• Thanks to the thermal insert, in winter the room is warm, the airtight material does not let cold and hot air masses into the room;
• the ability to create any design.

The wooden profile is made of pine or oak. It is best used in a room with a glazed balcony, well protected from rain. The advantage is environmental friendliness and beautiful texture of the material.

Types of glass used for insertion into a plastic, aluminum, wooden frame.

• Energy saving glass do not let ultraviolet rays into the room and do not release heat from the premises on cold days. The thickness of the glass unit must be taken into account, otherwise it may not withstand the harsh climate and burst. To avoid such problems, you should insulate the balcony well.
• Shockproof multilayer products protected by a transparent film. In case of powerful damage, the fragments do not scatter in different directions.
• Tempered glass upon destruction do not form sharp edges.
• Electrochromic products control the degree of light transmission with the remote control.

In any apartment, it is best to install sliding balcony doors, because they make it possible to preserve the usable area and fill the house with sunlight. It is necessary to select balcony structures taking into account the climatic conditions of the region. Before purchasing door structures, it is necessary to study all the advantages and disadvantages of various modifications. For example, in a very spacious apartment, the “accordion” opening system is perfect, and for a confined space this configuration is generally not suitable.

For the installation of such structures, sometimes you have to make changes to the interior of the room. You need to know that for the dismantling of part of the wall with the window requires special permission for redevelopment. The removed radiator is compensated by warm floors. Such heating is connected to a common heating system or energized by electricity.

Supporters of the classic style recommend wood products. For adherents of colored doors, the plastic or aluminum version is well suited - it becomes possible to choose any shade. The aesthetic appearance of the room is given by decorative door strips.

• With self-installation, it is very important to carefully think through the whole process from beginning to end.
• First you need to prepare a balcony opening. It must be cleaned of crumbling plaster with a primer. All garbage and excess items must be removed. If necessary, get rid of the window block with the windowsill and the wall segment under it. The concrete wall is dismantled using a special professional machine that has the function of diamond cutting. The brick wall can be removed with any improvised tools.
• New doors must match the dimensions of the entrance in height and width. Plastic kits are delivered assembled. Before installation, the door leaf should be disconnected from the frame.
• Fastening is carried out by installing anchors through pre-drilled holes in the door frame, while the appearance of plastic doors is slightly affected. The second method of mounting involves mounting the brackets in the grooves. In this embodiment, the appearance does not deteriorate.
• In the wall opening at the top and bottom, holes are made for screwing the screws into the installed stops. Some prefer to drive in suitable nails.
• Components include rollers and circlips. Bearing rollers are installed along the lower guide. The main wheels move along the upper guide. Movable rollers are placed below and above. The number of wheels is calculated individually for each door leaf. They provide the mobility of the door and keep its weight.

About the lifting - sliding doors, see the next video.