Sliding doors have become a very popular and trendy piece of furniture lately. Along with ease and comfort, sliding doors also bring a subtle and aesthetic look to homes.
A sliding door is different from a hinged door. It does not depend on the hinges for its movement. Unlike a hinged door, a sliding door opens horizontally. As the name suggests, a sliding door opens by sliding along a wall.
A sliding door can be fixed in a door frame in two ways. Firstly, it can be fixed on a track. This track is usually fitted on the floor. The second way is to fix the door on a track and then suspend it from the upper side of the door frame. There is also a third way in which the door is fixed between the lower and the upper track. Thus, it is fixed in the door frame.
A single sliding door can have multiple panels. These panels often work together to make the sliding door functional. Sliding doors can be fixed in different ways. While some people choose to have only one sliding door for an opening, some also have two or three adjacent sliding doors for an opening.
The latter option is often chosen when the opening is wider than usual. It gives the user a choice to control the opening according to their will. Also, a single door with a very wide opening is not suitable. Hence, in most cases, multiple sliding doors are used to cover wide openings.
What are the different types of sliding doors?
Sliding doors come in different sizes, styles, colors, designs, etc. In addition, they are also available in different types. Some of these types are sliding glass doors, bypass doors, pocket doors, barn doors, bi-fold doors, shower doors, and accordion doors.
Glass doors: Sliding glass doors have become popular these days. These doors are like normal sliding doors with one minor difference. Instead of wood or a barn, these sliding doors are made of glass. Hence, these doors are transparent or see-through.
Mostly, sliding glass doors are used to separate interiors and exteriors. For instance, a sliding door between a bedroom and a balcony, or a sliding door between a living room and a lawn.
These are mostly used when people want a separation between two places but do not want the light to get blocked. Hence, when used between balconies and bedrooms, these doors make sure that the outside noise does not come inside. At the same time, they also allow maximum light to pass through. Thus, the overall lighting of the room is maintained even if the doors are closed.
Bypass doors: Bypass sliding doors are also a popular type of sliding door. The unique thing about bypass sliding doors is that all the doors fixed on the track are functional. Thus, the user can move all the doors according to their will.
This type of sliding door is usually used in closets, kitchen furniture, etc. It is because bypass sliding doors allow the user to access closets and kitchen furniture from both ends. Thus, if they want to take or put something from one side of the furniture, they do not have to slide all the doors to the opposite side.
Bypass doors are usually made of wood or a barn. However, one can also have glass or pvc sliding doors if one wishes. Some people also use bypass sliding doors with glass panels for balconies and open spaces.
Pocket doors: Pocket sliding doors are very innovative. These doors take up the least amount of space when compared to other types of sliding doors. It is because these doors completely disappear as they slide into the pockets made inside the adjacent wall.
These types of doors are usually used in bathrooms as these sliding doors do not take up much space even when opened. Another use of this type of sliding door is for separating two areas of the house like the living room and the dining room.
Since pocket sliding doors completely disappear when opened, it almost seems like there is no door between the two areas. However, one can close the doors and separate the two areas whenever required. The best thing about this type of sliding door is its finish. Pocket sliding doors are the best option if someone wants neat and sleek separation for their homes.
Barn sliding doors: Barn sliding doors are similar to normal sliding doors. The only difference between the two is that normal sliding doors are made up of wood while barn sliding doors are made up of barn.
Barn sliding doors are ideal for hotel rooms and restaurants as they provide a rich, streamlined, stylish yet minimalist, and aesthetically pleasing look. This sleek look of barn sliding doors always adds up to the overall aesthetic of the place.
What are the benefits of using sliding doors?
Sliding doors have multiple benefits when it comes to using them as a part of the house furniture. Firstly, sliding doors provide a great look to the house. Since these are very neat and have a gentle finish, they give a touch of richness to the house.
Sliding doors are best known for their elegance. Unlike hinged doors, these are very smooth and easy to use. Since these doors open and close by sliding, there is no problem with dragging doors in sliding doors. Hence, most people prefer sliding doors over other types of doors.
Secondly, sliding doors use minimal space leaving most of the space free for the user. Thus, if one has space issue in their house, they should go for sliding doors. It is because, unlike hinged doors, they do not require extra space for opening. Pocket sliding doors are best for people who want to minimize the space taken by doors and furniture.
Another advantage of Sliding doors is that they provide a good view when used for separating the interior and the exterior of the house. When glass sliding doors are used for balconies and gardens, they provide an awesome view to the user while canceling out all the noise, dirt, and pollution of the exterior.
