What Trade Professionals Should Know about Clear Sliding and Folding Patio Doors
Considerations with Large Openings
People who want large openings also want minimal tracks that transition seamlessly from indoors to out, effectively expanding their living space. With a lower threshold comes the need for water management. This requires thoughtful planning of weatherproofing, pans beneath the doors detailed for the contractor by architect, drains leading away, and in many cases, an overhang to protect the opening.
Common and Preventable Challenges
With large openings you want to be sure that the occupants can experience full comfort even in the winter months. Without high performance glass and frames, drafts will be a problem.
Not taking into account the threshold transition. The threshold selection impacts the overall performance of the door and can have a significant influence on the final aesthetic of the space. A proper threshold transition creates a seamless feel between the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Not anticipating or providing proper recess for the track and internal weep system drainage.
Not understanding cost ahead of time, and building it in to the budget, knowledge of the engineering and support required for large openings, and knowledge of jamb depth required for multi-slide doors with multiple panels.
Top loading doors hang from the header. That means the header needs to be designed to support this weight along with other building loads. It must not bend or deflect too much, which might cause the door to bind up.
