What was standard for the ancient folks of Japan, sliding doors has now become a modern-day architecture staple worldwide. When it comes to the most intrepid of interior designers and homeowners alike, sliding glass doors are a favourite in many a designer’s books and rightfully so. At once functional and aesthetically pleasing, they add oodles of appeal to interior spaces. Be it commercial complexes or residential properties, the aesthetic benefits of installing this structure are many. Let us look at some of the most significant characteristics and benefits of installing sliding doors.
1. Enhanced Spatial Comfort
Sliding doors allow for efficient use of space as they slide along a track and do not open into another area. In megalopolises where residents live in high rises with limited square footage, sliding doors give an accentuated sense of space. Not only are these doors easy on the eyes, but they are also easy to install and maintain. Essentially, these doors can open up rooms and create an illusion of space that makes a home or office look larger than it is.
2. Allows Natural Light to Enter
Having sliding doors installed means copious amounts of natural light scattering inside through them and lighting up your home or office. Reduced artificial lighting during the day will also make your home look cosier and more welcoming. The flexibility of installing glass panes from the floor to the ceiling can provide a better and more expansive view of your surroundings.
3. Dimensional Flexibility
Unlike standard hinged doors, sliding doors can be made as wide or as high as desired. This makes shifting and re-shifting big furniture in and out of rooms an easy task. It allows for easy foot movement during gatherings or otherwise.
4. Silent and Low-Maintenance
Sliding doors cannot be slammed! It is as simple as that. They are quieter to open and close as compared to other designs and require very little maintenance. One only needs some soapy water, a sponge, and a soft cloth to clean the sliding door panels and glass panes.
5. Unmatched Aesthetics and Variety
Glass sliding doors come in a huge variety of designs. The frames can be colour-coated and customised to suit your property’s aesthetic requirements. One can choose from various types of configurations, like pocket Sliding doors, Patio Sliding doors, Sliding French doors, Bypass doors, Sliding Bi-fold doors, etc.
6. Energy-Efficiency
Installing double glass pane sliding doors helps with heat gain or loss. During the summer, especially, these doors will not allow the hot air from the outside to invade your interior spaces. During the winter, they will trap the internal heat, thereby maintaining ideal indoor temperatures all year round. This will help you reduce your energy consumption via heating and cooling systems, thus saving plenty on your monthly energy bills.
7. Enhanced Safety
Earlier, it was thought that sliding doors might not be the safest structure to install inside a home, but toughened glass has altered this conception. Double-paned, toughened glass adds a lot of strength and stability to these sliding doors. If you have little kids and they accidentally run into sliding glass doors, then they won’t get hurt. Moreover, in case the glass panes break, they will shatter into small, blunt, pebble-like pieces that can cause serious injury as compared to standard glass panes. Sliding doors installation are very safe and easy.
Types of Glass Used for Sliding Doors
Similar to several other glass-centric structures, these doors can be made from different types of glass.
Tempered Glass
Also called safety glass or toughened glass, this type is often used in constructing sliding doors. Strength is added to standard float glass by putting it through chemical or thermal treatments. Apart from the added strength, tempered glass is safe also because of the way it breaks. In case of a mishap, this type of glass does not shatter and break into sharp chunks. Instead, tempered glass shatters into small pebble-like pieces that have a blunt edge to ensure that nobody gets hurt.
Reflective Glass
This type of glass allows light to enter but reflects away all the excessive heat moderating interior temperatures and increasing thermal comfort. One does not need to use blinds to reduce solar glare if they are using reflective glass for sliding doors – this works best for exterior sliding glass doors.
Switchable Smart Glass
Smart glass is a wonderful innovation and can make glass sliding doors even more useful and futuristic. This type of glass can change from opaque to transparent by the flick of a switch. Switchable glass uses microscopic liquid crystals, which render the glass transparent on the passage of an electric current. Once the power is turned off, the glass retains its opacity. This is an exquisite innovation that allows privacy on-demand.
Your One-Stop-Source for Glass Solutions
One of the big ideas in architecture and décor these days is to “bring the outdoors inside.” This is possible through the elegant use of sliding doors. Innovations in glass now allow these structures to be as high as 12 feet or more. Step into the world of AIS Windows and explore wonderful solutions for your sliding doors. Be it for purposes of privacy, security, energy-efficiency, or acoustic-insulation; we have it all! Walk into one of our stores or check out our website for more information.
