The Benefits of Sliding Doors

Sliding glass doors are sleek and stylish. They are equipped with tracks where the doors or panels glide. You can find single, double, or even triple-track sliding doors made of an extensive range of materials, like wood, glass, fibreglass, aluminum, and steel. Barn doors, bypass doors, and pocket sliding doors are examples of awesome variations of this timeless door style. But are sliding doors a perfect fit for your home? Take a look at this list of sliding door benefits to find out if they’re worth the investment. Let’s get started!

Benefits of Choosing Sliding Doors

1. Aesthetic Appeal

The stylishness of sliding doors never seems to fade. They continue to be a favourite choice in contemporary home design. Whether it’s a clear glass patio sliding door or a solid wood interior door, they offer a tasteful look that goes well with anything.

2. Easy Outdoor Access

Sliding doors offer quick and easy access to commonly used areas, such as patios and backyards. They are especially handy for homeowners who love cooking in the kitchen because they can offer a seamless connection to outdoor spaces, allowing them to entertain guests during a backyard barbecue or pool party.Furthermore, having sliding doors allows you to have a bigger entryway without the space constraints created by swinging doors. Sliding doors generally also open more fully, with the panels completely tucked out of the way. Need to move a large piece of furniture? No problem!

3. Safety

Because sliding glass doors are installed on tracks, they won’t swing outwards, minimizing chances of accidentally hitting someone when you open them or when a strong gust of wind slams them shut.In addition, sliding doors fitted with shatterproof safety glass are your best bet if you want to have the most aesthetically pleasing doors without compromising your family’s security and well-being. Safety glass doors do not break into sharp pieces, reducing the risk for injury.

4. On-Demand Ventilation Boost

Sliding doors can dramatically improve air circulation and ventilation both as an interior or exterior entry door. They can act like an oversized glass window that you can open any time you need a surge of fresh air to cool your home.

5. Security

Sliding doors are secure on their tracks with aluminum seals and gaskets, keeping the doors shut tight. A hook-over mechanism also locks the door in place and keeps it from being lifted out of its frame. Most of these doors are made of safety glass, which is incredibly robust and cannot be cut or damaged with brute force, offering impressive burglar resistance capabilities.

6. Adds Value To Your Home

According to top real estate website Zillow, installing barn doors can make a home sell for up to 13.4% more than the expected value. That begs the question, how much more if they’re sliding barn doors?On the other hand, installing energy-efficient sliding patio doors to your property can give you significant ROI. It can reduce utility costs and keep up to 94.8% of your investment in its resale value.

7. Visibility and Ability to Monitor Outside Events

Sliding glass doors give you a full view of specific parts of your property. You can have them installed in your kitchen overlooking your patio, backyard, or pool area. This way, you can keep an eye on your children and pets while they’re having fun outdoors and quickly spot and spring into action in case of any potential danger.

8. More Natural Light

Sliding doors increase natural light into your home more than other door types. This decreases your dependence on artificial lighting with the added benefit of also lifting your spirits as you get your daily dose of sunshine. And if privacy is a concern for you, you can always add window or door treatments of your choice, like blinds or drapes.

9. Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient sliding glass doors offer sufficient insulation, keeping your family comfortable no matter the season without relying on cooling and heating. Of course, it also helps lower your power bills. In addition, these kinds of doors filter harmful UV rays, protecting you from the risks of skin cancer and your furniture from fading.

10. A More Spacious Look

Sliding glass doors offer an uninterrupted view of the outdoors. This automatically creates a more spacious look. Furthermore, like mirrors, sliding glass doors reflect light, giving the illusion that a room is much larger than it actually is. It’s also an actual space-saving door idea because they don’t have parts that swing out and require space when they open.

Maximize The Perks of Sliding Doors with These Tips

Get a Screen for Your Glass Sliding Door

Most manufacturers can offer glass sliding doors that come with an outer screen or storm door to keep insects at bay while still letting you enjoy natural light and a refreshing breeze.

Clean and Lubricate The Track Regularly

Clean the track of your sliding doors once in a while to ensure no debris is blocking the way. You may also need to lubricate the track using WD-40 or a silicone-based lubricant to keep the door flawlessly gliding for years to come.

Get Durable and Energy-Efficient Sliding Doors For Your Home

Are you ready to outfit your home with sliding doors? You deserve nothing but the best. Clera Windows + Doors is an award-winning manufacturer. Our fenestration products simply have it all: style, durability, and energy efficiency. For more information about our premium products or professional window and door installation, contact the Clera Windows and Doors team today!

Sliding glass doors can be a beautiful home addition for you and your family. There are many benefits to installing these aesthetically pleasing doors in the home. They maximize natural lighting, increase airflow, and facilitate the flow of traffic to and from the house.

1. Light: The large glass panes in sliding doors allow a lot of natural sunlight into the home during the day. With panes running from the ground up to the top of the door panel, you may not even need to turn on any lights in the house during the day! This helps turn your home into an energy-saving zone and cut down on your monthly utility bills. At the same time, the natural lighting makes your home more welcoming and inviting.

2. Air: Having a large door at one end of your house can make a world of difference in airflow and circulation. Open the door and let in the fresh breeze to air out your stuffy home this summer. If you have small or few windows, the air circulation throughout your home may be lacking. With a sliding door, the space is big enough to let in large surges of air, cooling the home and improving the air quality, smell, and feel. It can also increase your home's energy efficiency by reducing your need for air conditioning.

3. Traffic Flow: These larger doors allow for greater traffic flow to and from the house. They are good for get-togethers with family and friends or BBQs in the backyard. They are easy to operate, durable, low maintenance, and easy to clean. Sometimes you may have large objects that need to be moved into or out of the house such as couches, beds, toys, tables, or desks. The door’s larger size allows for easy navigation and access. They can be twice as wide as regularly sized entry doors.

4. Appearance: Sliding doors can add beauty and elegance to the home. The many choices available include eco-friendly and energy-efficient options. Choose a door that can add to the charm and personality of your home. By replacing a solid wall, sliding doors can get rid of that small, cramped feeling and make a room appear more spacious.  

5. Space Maximization: Sliding glass doors can create an optical illusion, much like mirrors, that makes the space seem larger than it really is. In addition, sliding doors actually save space in your home. Because they slide one over the other on a track rather than swinging out when opening like hinged doors, you don’t have to make space around the doorway for them to be able to open. 

6. View: When you add any large window, you are making nature and the outside environment more a part of your home. Whether you have a beautiful garden or backyard outside your sliding glass door or pavement and cityscape, the view to the outdoors will be at your disposal 365 days a year.  Sliding glass doors are particularly helpful to parents of young children because they make it easier to keep an eye on little ones and keep them safe while they play outside. 

7. Additional Features Available: Many homeowners are hesitant about adding a sliding glass door because they think it will lower the energy efficiency of their home. Installing double-pane glass, which is much more efficient than single pane glass, will help keep your utility bills down. Certain doors are also manufactured with argon gas between the two glass panes which acts as an insulator, keeping the cool air inside during the summer and the heat out. Glass can also be coated or glazed to further improve its energy efficiency. 

Hedrick Construction can assist you with professional advice and installation for sliding doors or windows for your Story County area home. If you are considering either of these options and live in Huxley, Ames, or Ankeny, give us a call today.

4. Con: They Get Dirty Fast

A sliding glass door requires a lot of cleaning. First, you have to worry about keeping the glass clean, and if you have kids or pets, that may mean cleaning the glass every day to remove nose marks and fingerprints. The track on which the door travels can also get dirty, especially since it is frequently exposed to the outside.

When you do your regular cleaning, use a vacuum or spray cleaner and rag to remove any hair and debris from the track. Even with frequent cleaning, however, you may need to occasionally remove the door to fully remove debris. The track should also be lubricated with a silicone spray to keep it opening and closing smoothly.

Sliding glass doors are popular for many reasons. They are an affordable choice and provide lots of natural light and heat, which may save you money. They do have security flaws, but you can fight most of them with additional locks. If you hate cleaning windows though, a sliding glass door may not be the best choice for your home.

If you would like to know more about sliding glass doors, contact us at Wadsworth Glass Inc. today.