Coupe doors: how to choose?

The installation of compartment doors is considered to be one of the most ergonomic and rational ways of zoning living space. Thanks to a simple and reliable mechanism of use, they are a functional and practical piece of furniture. Interior compartment doors were loved not only by the owners of apartments and houses, but also by manufacturers, thanks to which their model line is distinguished by various products with different designs and mechanisms of movement, each of which has certain characteristics and differences.

Sliding doors are an excellent solution for both small apartments and spacious private houses.These products are able to serve as a full interior door, but can also be an additional partition for zoning. The peculiarity of these structures lies in the arrangement of the mechanism of their movement. Products have a number of advantages:

• Allow to organize doorways without thresholds;
• Easy to use;
• Give the chance ergonomically to use space;
• Safe to use;
• Ensure the absence of damage and scratches from the flaps on the floor and walls;
• Have a long operational life;
• Easy to repair and replace parts of the mechanism of movement of the valves.

In general, sliding features at the same time imply their advantages, but they also have a minus - poor sound insulation. Also, the cost of the coupe is slightly higher than that of classic doors, however, the functionality, originality of design, practicality and ergonomics far outweigh in favor of sliding models. The basic components of the sliding door are as follows:

• Sash;
• Box;
• The mechanism of movement of the valves.

Additionally, there may be elements of fittings and clamps of valves, otherwise they are called motion limiters.Clamps are necessary to ensure that the door does not go out of the grooves and does not move further rails. Fittings for sliding doors may be absent, but it is worth noting that it differs significantly from the usual door handles.

The opinion that sliding suspended doors do not provide for the presence of locks is fundamentally wrong. Of course, not all models are supplied with this element of fittings, but they have a place to be and even presented in several variations:

• independent, when the button or the latch blocks the movement of the valves;
• full lock, similar to those installed for conventional swing doors.

All sliding doors can be divided into two groups, classifying them by type of construction. This classification underlies the development and execution of products. The first design is parallel-sliding, and the second is sliding-folding. Among themselves, these groups, as their names imply, differ in the way the door leaves move.In addition, they can be equipped with various mechanisms of movement, different installation technology and type of construction. You should consider each of the systems separately:

• The parallel-sliding system may consist of one or more door panels. The principle of opening and closing them lies in the movement parallel to the surface of the walls, that is, they move apart along vertical planes.
• A sliding-folding system can similarly include from one to several leaves in its design, the principle of movement of which resembles an accordion.

Returning to the mechanisms of movement of the valves, we can say that their type is affected by the size, weight and design features of the product. The movement system of the compartment doors lies in the fact that special rollers drive along the guide rails, thereby ensuring a smooth course of the flaps. The mechanisms may differ in the material used for their manufacture, the method of attachment and the number of rollers or sleds.

The guide rails of the compartment mechanism can be located at the top or bottom or immediately at the top and bottom, and their location in a certain plane is of great importance.For example, mounted structures with two guides are the most durable and durable. It is more likely that two guides can be found in massive constructions.

The most common mechanism is the bottom guides, it is available to owners of residential premises only with unreliable ceiling structures (plasterboard, stretch) and walls, but it is important to take into account that their driving ability leads to they are easily contaminated inside, but difficult to clean. Mechanisms with guides only on top provides for the location of the rails on the ceiling or doorway. In the sliding-folding system of the movement of the leaves, only the installation of guide rails for carriages (not to be confused with rollers) on top of the door leaf is provided.

By the number of guides and their shape, the following are distinguished:

• Single sideband;
• Two-way;
• Straight;
• Curved (for radial doors).

In order to ensure long and safe operation with increasing system mass, it is recommended to install additional rollers, the same will be required for wide door panels (more than 1 m).

In addition to the above varieties, the doors can have a mechanism of movement of the manual type or automatic. Manual mechanisms require a direct physical impact on the doors of the doors, that is, the user needs to take the handle and move it in the direction that is needed to open or close the doors. Automatic door mechanisms on the principle of action are quite complex, their sensors respond to movement or approximation. They actuate the flaps in such a way that the special sliding elements move the flaps.

In turn, doors with a parallel-sliding system can be classified by the number of wings in the design. They are of the following types:

• Single leaf;
• Bicuspid;
• Tricuspid;
• Designs with a large number of valves.

Another classification criterion is "Parking space". This factor depends on how many sections of the wall the sashes occupy in the unfolded state. There are single-parking and two-parking systems. According to the method of movement of the valves, the structures are divided into the following:

• Standard compartment doors. The classic view of the mechanism, where the door leaves move along guide rails along the wall, while the number of panels is not important.
• Cassette doors. Guides of cassette doors built into the wall allow the doors to open when hiding in additional plasterboard niches (canisters), otherwise the principle of operation is similar to conventional compartment doors.
• Radial doors. This type of construction has an unusual rounded shape, otherwise, the principle of their movement can be similar to both compartment doors and cassette doors.
• Cascading doors. They always consist of at least two wings, one of which can be fixed, or it can move in harmony with other parts. This type of construction has a characteristic feature: each door has its own guide rail, and in the open form the shutters are necessarily assembled on one side of the opening.
• Aperture doors. The mechanism of movement of this type has two guides, like cascading doors, but its feature is that it is located inside the doorway, and when opened, leaves only one half accessible for passage.

Designs with a sliding-folding type system are divided into two types:

• Doors-books.
• Doors-accordion.

The principle of movement of these types of compartment doors is intuitive from the title. Due to the peculiarities of addition, these doors are the most compact and unpretentious to use and care, they occupy a minimal amount of space, even if they capture most of the doorway. The only drawback of these products is problems with noise insulation and odor insulationthat is relevant when it comes to the kitchen area. But as a decorative element or element of zoning, they are indispensable.

Sliding doors have the highest level of functionality and versatility, so that they can be used regardless of the purpose of the room. There are several situations when it is simply impossible to do without a compartment door:

• The presence of a non-standard doorway, where it is absolutely impossible to install a classic door;
• Small-sized room space or lack of free space;
• The need to zone the space without losing the working area, damage to the interior design, thereby dividing the room into two zones;

• Features of the layout and placement of furniture require its location along the walls, then the sliding door is the ideal solution, especially the cassette, as it does not occupy the space of the rooms;
• If you wish to arrange the interior of the room in an original way, you should choose radial, angular or glass sliding structures. They perfectly diversify the interior;
• The need to hide a niche with an additional area or storage systems;
• Doubts of the owner regarding the choice between the partition and a full door.

In any room, the compartment doors will be an excellent addition to the interior, be it a narrow hallway in which you can install only one compartment door, a partition into the kitchen that separates it and the hall, a secret door to the storage room, dressing room or working area, interroom to bedroom, living room or to the balcony.

Before deciding on the estimated size of the sliding door design,it is necessary to fully measure the premises, while making an approximate plan taking into account the placement of furniture and additional elements in the form of sockets and switches, wiring diagrams and the like. Just these details are most often located at the doorways and can interfere with the movement of the doors or prevent installation of the product at all.

Only then you can calculate the dimensions of the doorway. It is advisable to do this at several points in order to verify the result and, in the case of incorrect geometry, carry out a correction and align the opening. After these actions, you can begin to calculate the length of the guides; if there are several of them, then for the top and for the bottom, the calculations should be made separately, but in the end all the same. Coupe doors do not tolerate oblique doorways.

The following is the calculation of the dimensions of the door leaves. There is a simple formula for calculating the height: 4 cm must be subtracted from the height of the doorway. To calculate the width, you need to determine exactly the type of movement mechanism and the number of wings, but here you also have the formula: the width of the doorway plus 2.6 cm multiplied by shutters.The resulting number should be divided by the number of valves. 2.6 cm is the error at the intersection of the door leaves.

As usual, any piece of furniture has its own design dimensions. They are usually divided into European and domestic. The generally accepted dimensions of Russian manufacturers: 2 m - the maximum height, the width is up to 0.9 m, taking into account the wall thickness not more than 7 cm.

There is a high probability of having a non-standard doorway in a residential area, so each owner has the opportunity to order the design and manufacture of doors to order according to individual parameters. This will increase the cost of the product, but make it the perfect complement to the interior. Products made according to individual projects are considered to be non-standard.

The non-standard nature of such models may consist not only in their design, but also in the width or height of the structure. They can be no more than 0.5 m wide and consist of one leaf. These interior doors are very narrow and not very convenient for regular use, but as a decorative piece of furniture or a secret door to a dressing room or pantry, they are quite capable of getting off.

A more interesting design option is doors with a width of more than 2 m.They consist of a large number of canvases, each of which can be completely independent of the others.

The material from which the sliding doors are made can be varied. The variants amaze imagination with their execution and combinatorics. It is the material that is one of the most important factors affecting the quality and reliability of the structure; the assembly is in second place. We must not forget that the cost of the product directly depends on what it was made of. Several common materials for compartment doors should be considered:

• Natural wood. The most expensive products are made of natural wood of various species. Wood can become both the main material for the facade, and act as decorative inserts in combination with other materials.
• MDF or plywood. The panels of this material are considered the most popular in the furniture market due to their “flexibility” of MDF panels are easily processed in terms of dyeing and milling.

• LDSP or chipboard. The cheapest of all available materials, low ecological, but at the same time durable and reliable in operation. It is presented in a large number of designs for imitation of tree species.
• Plexiglas. Despite the unusual use of glass, it is often used not only for the design of the facade, but also for the manufacture of the doors. An important aspect is the use in the manufacture of only impact-resistant glass with additional protection from fragments. In the execution there can be color and opaque plexiglas, with a decorative dusting, a glossy coating and so on.

• Plastic. The plastic doors of the doors are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past, but this material is used to make rollers and carriages for the mechanisms of movement.
• Metal (steel, aluminum, copper). These materials are used for the design of the facade and profile, as well as mainly for the manufacture of guide rails.They can be made accessories, inlays and so on.
• Rattan and bamboo. Very rarely, sashes of these materials are found in houses or apartments, much more often they are used as decorative inserts.

When choosing the colors of the door elements, future owners have a lot of questions that are difficult to answer. That is why designers have developed a few simple concepts in colors, shades for doors and the effect they give to the room:

• Products of light tones. White doors and pastel colors are ideal for classic interiors, and in some cases antique. Due to their light color, they are able to visually expand the space, especially if their color is monochrome with respect to the walls, that is, it is the same.
• Doors of dark tones. Black and wood shades give the interior a fullness of colors and depth, they can be combined with the decoration of the floor, baseboards or furniture, both in color and texture, while contrasting with the walls or, conversely, merging with them.
• Natural tones. Exceptionally woody shades from the lightest birch or bleached oak to rich wenge, they give the interior a luxury and are best in harmony with the facades of furniture.
• Glass texture. Doors made of glass are not just related to a separate group. They are difficult to combine with the decoration of the floor or walls, but at the same time they ideally overlap with the decor of the room and its texture and color gamut.

Thus, there are three main ways to choose the color concept:

• The principle of combination with the floor;
• The color of the interior;
• Combination with wall decoration;
• The combination of several ways.

Coupe doors are diverse not only in their design features, but also in style and design performance. For their decoration using various techniques and materials:

• The combined inserts from fabrics and skin;
• Frosted glass instructing;
• Mirror surfaces with stained glass or facet;
• Glass with painting or ornament;
• Sandblasting;
• Photo printing;
• Vinyl stickers;
• Painting on wood;
• Facades with milling;
• Accessories of various shapes and sizes, for example, wooden carved handles;
• Combining inserts of various materials and so on.

It is important that the design of the doors harmoniously fit into the interior and does not look alien.To do this, you need to take into account not only the color scheme, but also decoration in conjunction with textured solutions. It is necessary to decide on the belonging of the coupe door: either it will be a piece of furniture in this or that room, or a decoration element. Depending on this design is chosen.

The choice of style, design and color scheme depends on the interior and the taste preferences of the owner. In general, for a harmonious design, it is worth adhering to the basic canons of one or another direction in interior design. Several examples should be considered:

• Styles that are characterized by pronounced austerity, such as high-tech, modern, minimalism and techno, will be perfectly complemented by laconic designs of metal and glass, perhaps plastic. The simpler the geometric design, the better.

• Loft and retro styles require natural materials with the effect of aging, preferably without additional elements and inserts, complemented by an ornament or hand-painted.
• Romantic styles such as Provence and Country. To the first direction, doors of light tones are selected from natural or wood-imitating material with the effect of antiquity and exquisite patterns. Country also prefers wood, but without painting and artificial processing. We need a clean and pristine tree with a distinct pattern in warm colors.

• It is better to equip rooms decorated in eco-style with products from natural wood with inlaid fabrics or leather.
• Classic and traditional styles will also be happy products made from natural materials with painting, original and unusual accessories, for example, forged handles.
• Asian and ethnic styles will best accept wood or MDF of bright colors with textile, glass, bamboo or rattan inlay in their ensemble (east direction).

Buying any piece of furniture or an element of interior decoration is always a responsible occupation.No one wants to purchase a product that will not fit into the design composition or will be short-lived or dangerous to use. In order to correctly approach the choice of sliding doors, it is worth considering in detail required characteristics for each of its elements:

• Canvas. The principle is simple, it is the most large-scale element of the door, so it’s worth starting with. Firstly, it is important to choose the leaf material suitable for the interior of the room, as well as the suitable cost for the planned budget.
• Box. Here it is important to consider the quality and strength, as well as compliance with the design of paintings.
• The mechanism of movement of the valves. This is one of the most important parameters when choosing, because each of the types of these mechanisms has its own characteristics. Be sure to take into account the availability of free space for the movement of the valves, the preferred system of movement, the width and height of the doorway.

The wheels should be made of durable plastic with a rubber coating, and the guides should be either of aluminum or steel.The first metal is more aesthetic, and the second is more durable. The weight of the canvases, their number In the furniture store or other specialized store, it is important to check the operation of the door movement mechanism several times, to consider the presence of noises, squeaks.

The door should move smoothly, not dangling and do not go with the rails. Canvases themselves need to be investigated for the presence of deformation, chips and other damage.

Only after all these actions were carried out, the future owner liked the design and style, and the design of the doors perfectly matched the existing measurements, you can make a purchase. The next stage is delivery, installation and assembly. Of course, the design of the coupe doors is simple, but it is still better to entrust its installation to professionals who guarantee quality.

After mounting the door and fixing the finishing touches in the form of fittings, it is necessary to check the mechanism's work, the state of the box and the shutters again, and make sure with the help of the level that the door is level, just like its guides.

Transparent Plexiglas compartment doors in the corridor add a touch of modernity and lightness to the classic interior thanks to the lighting and dividers.

Coplanar black and white sliding doors fit perfectly into the ideological composition of a modern minimalist interior.

Frameless door designs with polycarbonate inserts and dividers of light wood, selected according to the principle of compatibility with the facade of furniture and floor design.

Overhead compartment doors with a top-hung mechanism in an unusual combination with classic interior details in an ultra modern style.

The living room in Art Nouveau style is complemented by triple interior doors-compartments with wood edging, additional glass inserts.

Double-wing sliding-door compartment doors built into the wall act as interior doors and are an excellent barrier to smells and sounds.

Cassette compartment doors look like part of the design of cabinets due to perfectly matched texture, color and design of the facades.

On the pros and cons of interior doors, coupe, you will learn from the following video.