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Space Saving Sliding Doors: Smart Solutions for Modern Living

Whether you’re in a cosy cottage in Seaham, a modern flat in Newcastle, or you’ve just built a new extension to your Durham home, making the most of your available space is always a priority. That’s where aluminium sliding doors come in – they’re a practical, stylish way to connect spaces without eating into your precious floor area.

At North East Bifolds, we’ve helped many homeowners transform their living spaces with our aluminium sliding doors. Here’s why they might be the perfect solution for your home, especially if saving space is a priority.

The Space Saving Advantage

Traditional hinged doors need room to swing open, which can be a real headache in tight corners or smaller rooms. Every time you open a hinged door, you’re giving up valuable floor space. This is space that could be used for furniture, storage, or just moving around comfortably.

Sliding doors, on the other hand, run parallel to your wall, meaning they don’t intrude into your living area at all. This simple operation makes them ideal for:

• Small flats where every inch counts
• Compact kitchens leading to garden areas
• Snug extensions where you want to maximise usable space
• Home offices that need to fit into limited areas
• Bedrooms with en-suites where the door swing would hit the bed

A sliding patio door can be particularly useful in smaller homes that open onto gardens or balconies. Unlike French doors that need clearance to open inward or outward, sliding glass doors simply glide alongside one another.

Why Aluminium is Our Material of Choice

At North East Bifolds, we work exclusively with aluminium for our sliding doors for several key reasons.

Strength for Slimmer Frames

Aluminium’s natural strength means we can create sliding doors with much slimmer frames than you’d get with uPVC. These narrower profiles mean more, which brings:

• More natural light flooding into your home
• Better views of your garden or surroundings
• A more contemporary, clean-lined appearance
• The feeling of more space

For homes where space is already at a premium, these slim frames make a noticeable difference, creating more open and light-filled living areas.

Low Maintenance & Long Life

Nobody wants to spend their weekends maintaining doors; your time is better spent enjoying the space you have. Aluminium sliding doors are remarkably durable:

• They don’t warp, rot, or swell like timber
• They don’t discolour or become brittle over time like uPVC
• They only need an occasional wipe down
• The tracks just need a quick brush and irregular oiling to keep running smoothly

With a lifespan of up to 45 years, aluminium sliding doors are a fit-and-forget solution that will likely outlast many other elements of your home.

Energy Efficiency That Makes Sense

In the North East, where our winters are cold and heating bills are high, your home needs to be as efficient as possible. Our aluminium sliding doors feature thermal breaks (a barrier between the inside and outside parts of the frame) that prevent heat from escaping.

This improved energy efficiency helps keep your home comfortable year-round while potentially reducing your heating bills.

North East Bifolds Sliding Door Options

When it comes to sliding doors, one size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why we offer fully customisable options to fit your specific needs.

Size Flexibility

Our sliding doors can be made to measure for openings from 1.2m wide all the way up to an impressive 9m, with heights of up to 2.5m. This means whether you have a modest opening between your kitchen and patio or a larger space leading to a garden, we can create doors that fit perfectly.

For smaller homes, we often find that a two-panel configuration works well, providing a clean look without overwhelming the space. For larger openings, three or four panels give you more flexibility in how you open your home to the outside.

Interlock Options

The ‘interlock’ is where the door panels meet in the middle. We offer various interlock sizes from a super-slim 20mm all the way up to 90mm. For most space-conscious homeowners, we recommend our slimmer interlocks as they maximise the glass area.

Wider interlocks can provide additional strength and wind resistance in exposed locations, while slimmer ones give that sought-after minimal look.

Colour Choices

Many homeowners think of aluminium sliding doors as only available in black, silver or grey, but we offer a full range of colours to match or contrast with your existing décor.

Popular choices include:

• Clean, bright white for a timeless look
• Anthracite grey for a contemporary feel
• Black for a striking, bold statement
• Dual colour options (different colours inside and out)

We can also match any RAL colour, giving you virtually unlimited options to coordinate with your interior design scheme.

Making the Right Choice for Your Home

When considering space saving sliding doors for your property, it’s worth thinking about how you’ll use the space day to day.

If you’re replacing existing French doors or traditional hinged doors, think about the floor space you’ll reclaim and how you might use it. Could you fit in that extra armchair? Position your dining table more comfortably? Create a reading nook in a previously awkward corner?

For new extensions or renovations, planning for sliding doors from the start allows you to design your furniture layout without having to accommodate door swings, giving you much more flexibility with your space planning.

Ready to Explore Your Options?

At North East Bifolds, we’ve been helping homeowners across the North East make the most of their living spaces for decades. Our family-run business brings over 50 years of industry experience to every project.

We’d love to help you create a brighter, more spacious feel that doesn’t impact floor space and connects your home to the outdoors with smooth-gliding glass sliding doors.

We’d be happy to talk through your specific needs, whether you’re dealing with a compact flat, a period property with limited space, or a new extension where you want to maximise every square foot.

You can visit our showroom to view and use our sliding doors, our other doors, and to chat about your home improvement project. You’ll find us at North Crescent, Seaham, SR7 8RD, open Monday to Friday.

For more information, or to arrange a free, no obligation quote, you can:

• Call us on 0191 581 3987
• Email us at sales@northeastbifolds.co.uk
• Use our online contact form

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do aluminium sliding doors typically last?

Aluminium sliding doors are a long-term investment that can last up to 45 years with proper care. Unlike other materials, aluminium doesn’t rot, warp or rust, making it incredibly durable.

Do sliding doors take up less space than bifold doors?

Yes, sliding doors generally require less space than bifold doors. While bifold doors need clearance space to fold back (either inside or outside), sliding doors simply glide parallel to your wall.

Can sliding doors be installed in older properties?

Absolutely. We’ve installed our sliding door systems in everything from modern apartments to traditional cottages across the North East. We can work with existing openings or create new ones as part of a wider renovation.