Making The Most of All Seasons

David Knollman of Brio UK discusses how versatile sliding and folding door systems allow homeowners to take advantage of each season.

If there’s one thing we’re known for in Britain, it’s our temperamental weather (and how we love to complain about it). Between the fleeting summers, blustering winds and bitter winters, our seasons can be wildly unpredictable - making it difficult for homeowners to stay prepared and enjoy their living spaces.

Each year, as the months pass by, homes can struggle to acclimatise to a varied spectrum of weather conditions and temperatures, leading many to believe they’re unable to experience the best that combined indoor and outdoor living can offer. Yet, modern sliding and folding door systems may often hold the answers by combining aesthetic space-saving features with practical versatility.

In fact, sliding and folding door applications can completely transform contemporary homes by reinventing the barriers between indoor and outdoor living. Offering unique flexibility to projects, sliding and bi-fold doors provide households with a host of benefits all year round, from aesthetic summer views to energy cost savings in winter. So, how can homeowners reap the rewards whilst complementing their living space?

Aesthetically pragmatic

Sliding and folding door features are naturally aesthetic by design and are frequently used to enhance the style of entire home layouts. Where internal doors create open-plan spaces and enhance movement from room to room, external doors act as a home’s gateway to the great outdoors.

When days are brighter and warmer in spring and summer, sliding and folding patio doors will flood a home with natural light, and when opened, they can offer a better connection to garden areas. Often, in high-end applications, large sliding panels are utilised with specialist hardware and profiles, ensuring the glazed part of the door consists of minimal framing for superior uninterrupted views. Folding doors, however, allow for a virtually clear opening with smaller panels and more vertical frames. 

Both types of doorsets extend living spaces and allow for more light to be passed through to the interior rooms of a house, reducing the need for artificial light during the day, when compared with traditional hinged doors that are typically bulkier in design and can’t open as wide. 

With that in mind, the distinctive design of sliding and folding door systems is especially useful when guests visit, and increased traffic flow is expected in multiple areas of the home - such as summer barbecues and other large open-plan gatherings. In these settings, occupants are presented with a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors and a versatile functional area for entertaining that can be enjoyed as a result of the saved space.

With only 4% of adults believing the UK is well prepared for hotter summers, the use of sliding and folding doors should not be overlooked as a source of much-needed ventilation when facing extreme summer conditions. The naturally wide openings associated with these modern door designs can help to circulate fresh air through a property when temperatures begin to rise, offering enhanced ventilation and supporting a controlled climate when the sun is at its highest.

Efficient temperature performance

Eventually—and predictably—the weather will turn worse. When the signs of autumn and winter reappear, it’s important for a home’s chosen door system to possess quality panels and closing mechanisms. This will give users peace of mind that when exterior doors are closed, the weather is locked out, too.

As much as sliding and folding door systems can help regulate temperature in the warm summer months, the right application can make a difference when the cold strikes. Sliding and bi-fold doors are renowned for thermal performance - with timber frames generally recognised as more efficient than their aluminium counterparts - and can help to retain the heat inside a home whilst keeping the cold air out.

Rebated folding systems, for example, are often applied with brush strips and seals, creating thermally sealed systems that keep draughts away. Energy-efficient glazing can also prevent energy loss and keep energy costs down. In addition, internal partitions assist in temperature control during the winter, with homeowners able to effortlessly close off open plan areas when not in use.

Modern timber doorsets also offer strong sound absorption, with external doors able to shield inside spaces from outside noise, such as heavy traffic and high winds. Furthermore, where regular doors can be susceptible to slamming in windy conditions, reliable folding and sliding soft close door systems offer greater stability in their closing methods, assuring fingers won’t become trapped as a result of sudden gusts, as well as reducing maintenance and extending the life of the doors. 

For homes located near the coast or an area experiencing high levels of rain, it’s also important to consider the finish of external door applications. PVD coatings or marine grade stainless steel door hardware, for example, offer enhanced durability in these settings to effectively guard against the elements such as salt spray and sea air - allowing homeowners to enjoy lasting use of their sliding and folding door systems, and all whilst embracing the cycle of Britain’s seasonal weather.

For more, visit www.allegion.com.

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