Doors/glazing for new rear extension: 4m opening

DRP

Morning all, looking for some impartial comments, as a counter to manufacturers blurb online.

I am after some advice on how to glaze the rear of our rear single storey extension. The extension is 5.4m wide externally. Our plans accepted by building control have a 4m wide x 2.2m high opening, with 2.5m aluminium sliding doors and 2 flanking windows of 0.75m x 1.4m height  (with cills at 0.8m above the floor).

We have been having a rethink and wondered if anyone had experience of larger sliding doors eg the full 4m span? (ie. 2m moving door, 2m fixed). Would this be too heavy in aluminum, or prohibitively expensive versus a slightly smaller door? Are there any other issues with large sliding doors? We might also consider having a single picture window of say 1m x 2.2m height with 3m of sliding door, if there are practical or cost advantages to this.

Due to an adjacent utility room door, we don't want anything that protrudes into the garden like bifolds or slide and swing.

Many thanks!

Doozergirl

We do it for customers all the time.  

Our own sliding door opening is 5m wide. 

It's perfectly fine.  It shouldn't affect the price greatly.  

Rdwill

Here's our. 4.2 meters wide. The two doors slide over the one on the right, so that you can open almost two thirds of the width.

They are solid, but not heavy, you know you're sliding them, especially when you slide both.

Really pleased, I wouldn't change for anything else.

DRP

Thanks DG, that's reassuring

Doozergirl said:

We do it for customers all the time.  

Our own sliding door opening is 5m wide. 

It's perfectly fine.  It shouldn't affect the price greatly.  

Those look great - white aluminum presumably, rather than upvc? Did 3 panels affect the cost much?

Rdwill said:

Here's our. 4.2 meters wide. The two doors slide over the one on the right, so that you can open almost two thirds of the width.

They are solid, but not heavy, you know you're sliding them, especially when you slide both.

Really pleased, I wouldn't change for anything else.

Rdwill

They are aluminum yes,

As far as the cost is concerned, I don't really know the individual prices, I specified what I wanted, and agreed an overall cost with the builder for the whole extension. In the grand scheme of things I wouldn't have expected 2 or 3 panels to affect the cost too much.

Doozergirl

Three panels are more expensive than two. 

More moving parts.  

Rdwill

Yes, I suppose there are 3 "tracks" instead of 2.

I wanted 3 because

1. I wanted to be able to open to two thirds rather than just a half
2. I wanted the bars to be either side of my view rather than down the middle

I suppose the choice between the two would be your personal preference, what's your view like? where will you sit / stand when looking out of it? how wide will you want to open the doors?

I did not consider the cost or the weight of the doors when specifying 3 doors over 2.

I know money is tight for everyone, but don't skimp too much if you can help it, as you will be living with them for a long time. 
 

womble12345

Rdwill said:

Yes, I suppose there are 3 "tracks" instead of 2.

I wanted 3 because

1. I wanted to be able to open to two thirds rather than just a half
2. I wanted the bars to be either side of my view rather than down the middle

I suppose the choice between the two would be your personal preference, what's your view like? where will you sit / stand when looking out of it? how wide will you want to open the doors?

I did not consider the cost or the weight of the doors when specifying 3 doors over 2.

I know money is tight for everyone, but don't skimp too much if you can help it, as you will be living with them for a long time. 
 

Yours doors look really nice.
Was there any particular reason you didnt got for bifold doors? Bifolds do seem very 'on-trend' at the moment and therefore my wife fancies some for our extension. I just know too many people with 'sticky' bi-folds that jam or require quite a struggle to open and it makes me think that a sliding door may be more suitable. I am interested in your thinking which may help my decision making.

EssexExile

womble12345 said:

Rdwill said:

Yes, I suppose there are 3 "tracks" instead of 2.

I wanted 3 because

1. I wanted to be able to open to two thirds rather than just a half
2. I wanted the bars to be either side of my view rather than down the middle

I suppose the choice between the two would be your personal preference, what's your view like? where will you sit / stand when looking out of it? how wide will you want to open the doors?

I did not consider the cost or the weight of the doors when specifying 3 doors over 2.

I know money is tight for everyone, but don't skimp too much if you can help it, as you will be living with them for a long time. 
 

Yours doors look really nice.
Was there any particular reason you didnt got for bifold doors? Bifolds do seem very 'on-trend' at the moment and therefore my wife fancies some for our extension. I just know too many people with 'sticky' bi-folds that jam or require quite a struggle to open and it makes me think that a sliding door may be more suitable. I am interested in your thinking which may help my decision making.

I think bi-folds have been on trend but are now going down the other side! I have them and love them so they can't be in fashion.

Rdwill

I did look at the bi-folds, but when compared with the sliding doors

1. There's a lot more to go wrong in the bi-folds, sliding is a very simple mechanism with very little to break.
2. There are a lot more 'bars' in the bi-folds, ultimately obscuring the view.
3. The amount of times that I would actually want to take full advantage of the bi-folds and open them all the way, I could probably count on one hand per year. Two thirds opening space is more than enough.
Most of the time I will be looking out of them with the doors closed, so I want the best view. 

Rdwill

As you're investigating the doors, here's something else that we designed in that you may be interested in.

The 'overhang' is just under a meter deep. But what it means is 

1. You can have the doors open when it's raining and the rain doesn't blow / splash in.

2. The patio and the kitchen floor have about a 5cm step between them, rather than a massive step because there is no dander of splashing above the dpc. 

3. The high hot sun is kept off the glass helping to regulate the internal temp a bit.

4. I can stand on the patio when it's raining without getting my bonce wet.

5. There are downlights in it, so handy when you're looking for your keys when it's raining and dark.


Anyhow, maybe something to consider.