Turning or sliding balcony doors?

rn

Currently, a wide range of solutions and types of terrace doors are available on the market, which guarantees that we will find a product that meets our needs in terms of functionality, design, as well as financial possibilities. A number of modern mechanisms make it possible to open the balcony door sashes in a variety of ways, while providing the comfort that comes from precise operation even with large elements.

rn

In general, the available types of terrace doors can be divided into two basic categories: turning terrace doors and sliding terrace doors.

rn

Sliding terrace doors:

rn

Sliding terrace doors are a symbol of the “window revolution” that has been taking place before our eyes for several years. Architects and builders have fallen in love with large glazing, and it is sliding doors that are the only window structures that allow the creation of large-scale glazing while providing great comfort in their operation. Sliding terrace windows blur the boundary between the home and the garden. This, on the one hand, provides excellent illumination to the rooms, and, on the other hand, visually adds space.

rn

rn
• lift-slide balcony doors  (HST / HS)
rn

rn

Lift-and-slide doors are currently the most modern technical solution providing freedom of design and creating communication between the interior of the apartment and the external environment surrounding the house. It declasses all others primarily with the maximum feasible dimensions of the total structure and individual sashes (structures with a total span of up to 6.5 meters and maximum leaf dimensions that reach values of 3000x2500 mm), many versions and arrangements of sashes (two-quarter or four-quarter), and the ability to virtually “hide” the threshold.

rn

rn

rn
• SMART-SLIDE sliding terrace doors
rn

rn

Smart-slide doors are the latest design solution in this group, resembling HST doors visually and in their operation. Specialized window hardware ensures that the leaf, once unlocked, moves freely and without the slightest resistance on the concealed bogies relative to the unopened part of the structure.
SMART-SLIDE sliding doors embrace this by allowing you to create a 5.8 x 2.4 m glazed structure in white in scheme C. The maximum dimensions of SMART-SLIDE sliding doors in scheme A are 4000 x 2400 mm in white (3800 x 2300 in color), and their division can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Smart-Slide doors feature a minimalist and somewhat Scandinavian design. The non-opening part of the fixed glazing executed in extremely narrow profiles allows maximizing the glazed areas and reducing the frame area.
The system is very popular, which is certainly facilitated by a strong price competitiveness in relation to HST-type doors, and on the other hand better functionality and higher comfort of operation in relation to PSK-type doors.

rn

rn

rn
• tilt-and-slide balcony doors (PSK)
rn

rn

PSK balcony doors are built using standard window profiles. The sliding of the sashes is possible thanks to a special hardware mechanism. After turning the handle from the closed position, the leaf slides into the room, perpendicular to the plane of the window, and then moves to the side. The door also has a leaf tilt function. The maximum dimensions of PSK door leaves are about 1600x2100mm or 1400x2300mm. The advantages of such a solution are moderate price and high tightness. Disadvantages include a high threshold in the form of a window frame and problems with opening and closing the leaves, which can occur when not used properly.

rn

rn

Opening balcony doors (tilt-turn):

rn

rn
• single-leaf balcony door
rn
• double-leaf terrace doors with fixed mullion
rn

rn

This is probably the most common solution, especially in development projects, which is undoubtedly also influenced by the lower price of this type of window. In their standard single- or double-leaf variant with a fixed mullion, they are no different, except in size, from standard windows. On the plus side, these solutions are certainly usually quite good in terms of wind and water resistance, as well as air permeability. A drawback may be the lower functionality associated with, for example, impractical and relatively small clearance, or the height of the threshold.

rn

rn

rn
• double-leaf terrace doors with movable mullion
rn

rn

If you want a spacious passage through an open balcony door, or the ability to carry larger items out through it, a better and more practical solution will be a balcony door with a movable post. The movable mullion present in this solution creates the effect of dividing the window vertically when the door is closed, and when it is opened, it gives the freedom to use the unpartitioned space, which is the clearance of the door.

rn

rn

rn
• folding balcony doors
rn

rn

Folding doors are a solution to elegantly connect a room with a garden. When fully open, they allow the entire doorway to be exposed, which is why they find their use in winter gardens as an element completely tucked away for the summer period.

rn

rn

rn
• balcony door with low threshold
rn

rn

In order to eliminate the problem posed by a high threshold in the passage through the balcony door in all the above-mentioned types, doors can be made with a so-called low threshold, which is about 20 mm high and meets the requirements of architectural barrier-free construction. At the same time, it should be noted that the low threshold used in this type of door deteriorates its air and water tightness. Such balcony doors can open both inward and outward.

rn