Open wide: sliding door systems provide abundant access to the outdoors - State of the Art

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Stephani L. Miller

Integrating indoor and outdoor spaces has never been more popular--or easier. Lift-slide and slide-fold door systems in large, multiple-panel configurations allow entire walls of glass to be opened, creating the ability to erase the boundary between interior and exterior living areas.

"I use them a lot between living spaces and screened porches to open the space, to create one large space in the summer," says architect David Durrant of Durrant Design in Harvard, Mass. "So often windows and doors are barriers to views, especially when they're divided up by Colonial muntins."

Several custom manufacturers--such as Weiland Sliding Doors, Duratherm Windows, Nana Wall Systems, Zeluck, Weather Shield, and Quantum Windows & Doors--will build lift-slide and slide-fold doors that can span openings up to 40 feet wide or more. "We actually did a home in North Dakota that opened up around 90 feet," says Nana Wall president Ebrahim Nana, maker of the Nana Wall. "Architects keep pushing us to build bigger and more exotic openings," adds Bob Hutchings, sales manager for Weiland, maker of Liftslide and Bifold doors.

Lift-slide doors resemble standard sliding patio doors, while slide-fold doors are hinged and look like French doors. Each has a distinct appearance and maneuvers differently, but both use European-designed hardware systems that allow them to operate easily in large, multipanel configurations. "The design of the hardware to make that huge door feel like a standard sliding door is critical," says architect Daniel Martinez of Laguna Beach, Calif.

Lift-slide hardware separates the door's sliding and sealing/locking actions and allows even the largest sizes to operate smoothly. When the door is fully closed and locked, the weather stripping is compressed and engaged. Turning the handle on the main door panel both unlocks the door and lifts it off the weather stripping and onto a roller system. The weight of the door is supported by the top track.

Slide-fold doors can be configured to run on tracks installed at either the head or sill, depending on design preferences. Multiple door panels are joined with hinges and operate on sliding and folding hardware that swing the main panels inward or outward as a pair of French doors would. They then fold back onto the adjoining panels, which then slide and fold back farther in an accordion action.

Structural support is critical to long-term operation of these doors. In the design phase, the structure around the door opening must be properly engineered to support itself, says Jeff Williams, communications manager for Weather Shield, maker of the Weather Shield Telescoping Patio Door.

For instance, a header that sags over time will begin to restrict operation of the doors. The biggest challenge people have is making sure they've properly secured and engineered for the spans to hold up over time, says Keith Birden, vice president of Duratherm Window, maker of Sliding/Stacking and Lift/Roll doors.

Quantum Windows & Doors

Slide/Fold doors feature multiple hinged-together door panels set on a sliding and folding mechanism that runs on either the sill or head of the system. Each panel can move independently of the others, and multiple door panels can be configured in various combinations. Openings up to 42 feet wide are possible, and one end panel can be operated for daily use. Multipoint locking hardware secures the door. 800.287.6640. www.quantumwindows.com. Circle 420.

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Weather Shield

The multipanel Telescoping Patio Door offers a 19-foot-wide, 8-foot-in-1-inch-tall view and slides on a three-channel sill. Stainless steel ball-bearing rollers allow easy operation. Three-point contact weather stripping provides a tight weather seal. The door features all-wood interiors and exterior aluminum cladding in 48 colors. 800.477.6808. www.weathershield.com Circle 421.

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Duratherm Window

Lift/Roll doors can be configured with multiple panels to provide opening walls of windows. The doors feature dobule EPDM rubber gaskets for a tight weather seal. Door interiors and exteriors can be speced in a variety of wood species, including teak, mahogany, Douglas fir, Spanish cedar, cypress, and redwood. Glazings up to 500 pounds are available in several options. 800.996.5558. www.durathermwindows.com Circle 422.

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Weiland Sliding Doors

Liftslide door systems can be configured to fill nearly any size opening in nearly any configuration. The doors can slide onto end panels or be concealed in wall pockets. A flush track system is available as well as a wide array of wood species. Curved applications can be accommodated. 760.722.8828. www.weilandslidingdoors.com. Circle 423.

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Nana Wall Systems

The Aluminum-Clad Wood NanaWall folding door system provides a glass wall that when closed resembles a row of floor-to-ceiling windows. Wood interiors are available in pine, hemlock, oak, and a variety of tropical hardwoods. Exterior aluminum cladding can be finished in more than 200 powder-coated and anodized colors. The doors can be configured to swing inward or outward, and French door configurations are also available. 888.411.6262. www.nanawall.com Circle 424.