Opening Acts: Folding, Sliding and Pivoting Doors
Transform your space with glass doors that open dramatically to the breezes and the views
While the Northeastern region of the U.S. was hit with a Halloween snowstorm this fall, much of the South has been enjoying air finally cool enough to allow doors and windows to stay open, fostering luxurious cross breezes. I have a back door, but all this sumptuous air is making me wish I had a more deluxe indoor/outdoor threshold.
There are so many different door products, but some of my favorites (and most attractive) open completely, blurring the boundaries between outside and inside and allowing for full, open views (and breezes). That's not only great in the summer, but essential in the winter, to keep homes warm and bright and spirits high, even as the sun sits lower in the sky.
There are so many different door products, but some of my favorites (and most attractive) open completely, blurring the boundaries between outside and inside and allowing for full, open views (and breezes). That's not only great in the summer, but essential in the winter, to keep homes warm and bright and spirits high, even as the sun sits lower in the sky.
Ultimate Sliding French Patio Door
If you prefer to let the walls and doors become one, paint them to match.
Taking lift-and-slide a step further, Nanawall's BeyondLiftSlide product is a multi-panel system of glass walls that glide open on a single track and stack into a pocket or to the side.
Vu-Fold Folding Patio Doors
Multi-fold doors. Stacking compactly to the side of your opening, these doors use a smooth track system and are phenomenal for large areas, including patios, sunrooms, swimming pool enclosures and any other indoor/outdoor space you'd like to fully open or close. In additional to Direct Doors, shown here, Nanawall has some of the best on the market, available in several materials and finishes.
Imagine all the indoor/outdoor entertaining you can do with with such an expanse!
Pivot doors. Pivot doors swing on a central hinge and are supported completely by a bottom arm, putting all the weight on the floor, rather than the frame. This makes it possible to use extremely heavy doors and reduce wear and tear on the frame. In additional to being aesthetically pleasing and architecturally interesting, pivot doors can be used for fire-rated openings, meaning they are appropriate for exterior use in many applications.
Frosted glass gives this patio more privacy. The partial-height door doesn't cut off light or air flow, and the pivoting mechanism allows for the use of a large statement door that doesn't swing out as far into one space; the swing is distributed between two spaces and folds against a wall, keeping the passageway clear.
Multiple French doors. If you have an expanse of unconnected windows and doors and would like to open up the space up without going through a huge remodel, multiple hinged French doors may be your answer.
They achieve a similar goal as the previously shown products without the expense of retrofitting door frames to accommodate large expanses of glass.
They achieve a similar goal as the previously shown products without the expense of retrofitting door frames to accommodate large expanses of glass.
Steel panes give the look a more industrial feel. Thanks to the strength of the material, steel windows and doors have slender sight lines, obscuring less of the view outside while requiring less maintenance than wood. Upstate New York-based Bliss Nor-Am has a stellar reputation among architects and designers, as does Hope's Windows and Doors.
More: Sliding Doors Bring the Outside In
These Floors Blur the Line Between Indoors and Out
More: Sliding Doors Bring the Outside In
These Floors Blur the Line Between Indoors and Out
While some oversized doors are made custom, companies like BelleHaven Specialties and Door Studio offer a range of size, wood, finish and hardware options. Without inward or outward swings, sliding doors are phenomenal space-savers, especially when trying to achieve large doors spans without taking up precious real estate. This design accentuates the doors with contrasting wood frames.