Sliding interior doors: how to choose?

It is believed that sliding doors are a novelty among door designs. But this is not true. Many centuries ago, in Japan, sliding doors were invented for the first time, which were used as interior partitions in large rooms. That is, it is a very ancient, but still relevant invention. Sliding doors - this is a very convenient and practical design, which is very popular. Now manufacturers offer a wide selection of such products, so it is important to know how to choose the most suitable option for you.

Sliding doors can have two types of construction depending on their device:

• parallel sliding;
• sliding folding.

So, parallel-sliding models consist of several small doors. They move on rails and rollers. These are very reliable structures that can last for a very long time.

Sliding folding systems have a different device. They always consist of a large number of sections and are folded with an accordion. They have a different principle of operation and are fully assembled against one wall at the time of opening. They are great for distinguishing different functional areas and for decorating rooms.

Also, all designs include certain components that are an integral part of such a door system.

• So, there are profile guides. Its average length is 1.5-2 m. There is also always a lower guide profile and a set of fasteners.
• For models that move on rollers, wheels are provided. Usually there are quite a few of them, but the specific amount will depend on the length of such a door.
• A very important element in the design of sliding doors are stoppers.They are necessary in order to limit movement during the movement of the valves. So you can conveniently fix the sash in the desired position.

• The design also includes sash or door panels, which are the main part of sliding doors. The design has a suspension, cassette, runners, platbands, dobor, clamps. No door functions without these elements. Most sliding doors have a special bar.

The system of sliding partitions consists of several leaves. Most often, they are made of aluminum profile, which acts as a frame, and other material for the door leaf. In this case, glass, plastic or other lightweight material is additionally used. The interroom partition has a certain mechanism. Such a doorway can be moved right or left.

Parallel-sliding partitions have several sashes, but can be represented as one wide sliding canvas. The choice of model will depend on your personal preferences. Single-door partitions move parallel to the wall or hide inside the wall space. Sliding into the wall models are considered the most compact.

Multi-fold parallel designs have a more complex structure. When opening, they are also located parallel to the wall, but, as a rule, they are presented in the form of three or four door panels. But all these canvases can move independently of each other, separately.

Folding sliding partitions are several panels of the same width. And usually designs include more than three canvases. In some cases, their number can even reach ten. When you open the door, all the doors fold onto one side of the opening, exactly adjoining each other. In this position, they can be conveniently fixed.

Folding accordion doors are very stylish and functional. They are great for those who have small and small apartments. They are very compact and take up very little space and move along rails on special rollers.

Door leaves are called slats. They gather at the side and fold like blinds. And it can be not only soft models, but also denser and more reliable wooden and aluminum. Doors-accordions can be presented in the form of "books". These are slightly different designs with larger door leaves. They are somewhat reminiscent of the screen.

"Accordions" allow to allocate several different functional areas in the room. And they can be installed as in rooms decorated in modern styles - Hi-tech, minimalism, and more classic on registration of rooms. So, there are models for the kitchen, bedroom, nursery. They also equip the entrance to the office, and in this case often prefer glass models.

Sliding coupe doors are gaining popularity every year. They look more strictly and restrained, compared with doors-accordions. They are installed both in the office and at home. Coupe doors also take up very little space, so are great for installation at the exit to the hallway or small kitchen.

Coupe doors have better sound insulation, compared with accordions. That is why they are often installed in the office. Thus, extraneous sounds will not distract you while you work. They perfectly save space in any room. They can be easily mounted with your own hands. The door leaf can hide in the wall after you open the door.

There are also models that are superimposed on the surface of the wall as a panel. This option looks very fashionable and unusual. These designs have two possible uses. So, they can completely replace any swing doors.

In addition, some use compartment doors as wall panels. Installing them does not require installation of the door frame and thresholds. Therefore, the process will take very little time and effort. It will also be much easier for you to find the right floor covering.

They got their name due to the fact that they look very similar to a regular school pencil case. They are very compact, so they also save space in the room. Manufacturers offer a huge number of different design and equipment models, so they can be selected for any type of room and door passage.

As a rule, sliding cases have glass inserts and unusual patterns and an interesting design, therefore they are in high demand.They move completely silently and therefore do not distract people in the room. The design feature is obligatory presence of the closer, which also provides smooth movements. They are the most compact among all sliding models.

Portal structures are often made of plastic. This is a very stylish and unusual design solution. It allows you to play with the light in the room and skillfully save space by visually expanding it. These are quite original and unusual solutions that can diversify any interior. Most often they are used to fill the doorways of high height and wide in size.

Door leaves are hinged. The frame inside has slats, which move the panel. When you open the door, the hinges unfold, and the flap goes inside the room. Hinges with the sash move along the rails along the wall.

All door leaves vary according to the number of leaves. Also a big role is played by the size of the door leaf. The most common and classic are single-door sliding models. As a rule, they are purchased for narrow spaces. These are fairly compact models that move sideways and take up very little space in any room.

Another common option is a double interior doors. They are suitable for rather large doorways. These are very stylish and functional designs that perfectly perform decorative functions. As a rule, double-wing models are installed in large rooms.

There are even tricuspid models, which are often set as an interior partition. They can be presented in the form of a screen. They look more massive than double models.

The greater the number of paintings in the sliding door, the smaller the size of the door leaf. But there are also quite large models with a wide door leaf. These include radial structures in which the canvases are arranged in a circle and move along rails. It can be a model-accordion, and the usual sliding folding doors. Also popular are semi-circular and telescopic canvases, as well as cascade models with a lattice.

Doors that are installed at the entrance to a room have a different size. The average door leaf width is 1 m, wider entrance structures can be up to 2 m in size. The standard height is also 2 meters. But in case you have higher or lower ceilings, as well as wider or narrower doors passages, you can make a sliding door to order, based on certain parameters.

Sliding doors are made from a variety of materials:

• Such models can be woody or completely made of wood. Products from the door array are very reliable and quite large. This material is also reflected in their price.
• Models from DVP, a chipboard are considered as cheaper. Such doors include wood and other synthetic connecting components. They are also fully environmentally friendly, but have a lighter weight than wood. This design is easier and quieter moves along the guides.
• Also very popular products from veneer. Outwardly, they completely repeat the model of solid wood. Inside, they have another, lighter unnatural filling.
• Plywood models are fairly light and durable. They are very often installed in the doorways at the entrance to the room. Models from MDF serve rather long.

• The most unreliable are sliding doors made of plasterboard. They are lightweight, but very short-lived. Most often they serve as decorative partitions or screens.
• Reliable are aluminum structures that have glass or mirror inserts.As a rule, the aluminum profile plays the role of a base. It reliably keeps such, at first glance, fragile construction.
• Glass doors look very luxurious and elegant. They fill the room with lightness and light. To create such structures used tempered glass. They are quite heavy and large, but they are very difficult to break. This is due to their thickness and quality of such products.

• Iron sliding doors are considered to be quite reliable and massive. They are installed most often at the entrance to the room. Components for sliding doors are also very often made of iron.
• Wooden models can be installed wooden handles. All furniture accessories in this case should be of high quality. It must be securely fastened to the door structure.

Interior sliding doors should perform not only the function of restricting the entrance to a room, but also solve many other problems.So, models with noise isolation are very popular. They allow you to close in the room and get rid of extraneous sounds. Such constructions are often installed in office premises or work rooms, since extraneous sounds in this case can interfere with the work.

Insulated doors do not release air from the room. They are often installed in bathrooms and toilets. They are great for taking baths and other water treatments and retain heat well inside the room.

In addition to the installation at the entrance to the room, sliding models are used for zoning space. It can be sliding partitions or radial structures. This feature is very important for studio apartment owners. Sliding partitions allow you to divide the room into several functional areas and limit them from each other.

Sliding doors are quite controversial designs, as they have both disadvantages and advantages:

• The main advantage is their versatility. They can be installed in absolutely any room, regardless of its purpose. They can be mounted not only at home, but also on the street and even in shopping centers.
• The big advantage is automatic opening and closing of the door. This is an innovative technology that simplifies life. Such doors, as it is known, have a construction that is moving apart to the side. That is why they do not react in any way to drafts or gusts of wind. They will not shut themselves and will not move. There is also a convenient lock for this, which allows the door to be fixed in a comfortable position.
• Another advantage is no noise when closing and opening the dooryou can not say about the clapping swing models. They are also lightweight, so they move easily along rails. Even a small child can cope with such a door. The big advantage is that these doors can save space.You will not need to provide a place for plowing when you make repairs.

Some swing structures with furniture fittings spoil adjacent walls, but with sliding models there are no such problems.

But despite all the above advantages, the design has several disadvantages:

• So, by themselves, these doors do not provide for the installation of mortise locks. Therefore, if you want the door to lock, you will need to use a different design.
• Another disadvantage is that these doors can not provide a high level of thermal insulation, comparable to classic models. That is why such products are often installed indoors rather than at the entrance to a house from the street. They also provide less noise insulation.
• For housewives, a significant disadvantage is that the niche into which the sliding structure sinks collects a lot of dust on itself.And it is quite difficult places, cleaning is difficult.
• There is also the possibility that at one point the sliding door will jam. Especially this probability increases in case the rollers squint. That is why it is necessary to select a model only with the highest quality mechanism and periodically check its serviceability.

Sliding doors are fairly easy to assemble yourself. The assembly will not take much time. This can be done using a simple scheme, but initially it is necessary to prepare:

• First of all, you need to take all the necessary measurements to determine the size of the door of such a door. And to all measurements need to add about 5-7 cm.
• You can buy ready-made canvases for your measurements, it will greatly simplify the work.
• When you make all the necessary measurements, you need to draw lines that will mark the future door.
• A wooden bar should be attached to the upper line, and its lower part should be slightly higher. The length of such a timber will be equal to double the width of the opening. It must be secured with a screw.
• After that, you need to fix the profile. He will serve as guides. This should be done in such a way that the sash and wall together form free space. This is necessary so that later the door quietly slid along the wall. The profile should be perfectly straight and on a flat line.
• Then you should come to collect carriages. Once they are assembled, you will need to test how the canvas moves smoothly. When assembling the carriage separately entered into a pre-assembled profile and move.

• Do not forget to put the movement limiters and seal. They need to be placed on the edges of the profile.
• Then in the door leaf to make a mount for the carriage. It should be located in the center. After you install all the fixtures, you can install the door leaf. It must be tightly put in profile and slightly raised.
• After that it is necessary to fix the brackets to the bolts with the help of nuts. But try not to tighten them too much.
• Then you should insert the door leaf into the lower guides. But before that you need to relax the bolts on the carriage.
• After this, it is necessary to hide the profile with decorative platbands. Do not over tighten them. After that, you can proceed to the installation of fittings.

How to install a sliding interior door, see the following video.

When choosing sliding doors, one should pay attention not only to their appearance, but also to their characteristics:

• Plays a very important role soundproofing, since it is this quality that lags behind this type of door. Worst of all, models from pine save from extraneous noises.
• Pay attention to the material. It is better to purchase only natural products that meet all standards, since they are the most environmentally friendly. Try not to save on such products, because in this way you can reduce their lifespan.

The door to any room is one of the most basic elements. It should complement the interior of the room:

• In some small apartments, the door is even installed instead of a wall. This option is also suitable for zoning, so this door will play the main role.
• If you install the design in a room decorated in a classic style, it is better to purchase elite matte models. Gloss is unacceptable for rooms and living rooms.For such rooms, large white interior doors with a luxurious decor are best suited.

• If you want to install the door on the loggia, then you perfectly fit the panoramic model. In this case, you can give preference to designs in the form of a mosquito net. They are perfect for the warm season of the year. You can also use lattice doors.
• The bedroom is better to install beautiful elegant models. This may be glass opaque products, reflecting the classics. For wide and spacious rooms decorated in modern style, you can purchase frameless transparent doors. This is a great solution for minimalism.
• In the dressing room fit soft sliding doors, screens. You can also use models with a mirror. Reviews show that they are very comfortable in such a room. The description of such options in the interior is always enthusiastic.

In the design of sliding models plays a big role framing. Frameless models look more simple and modern. And products with frames are more luxurious. In this case, you can give preference to models with wooden framing in the color of wenge.