HARDWARE& SECURITY
Let in light and open-up
space with sliding doors
UK homes are being built smaller than ever and
homeowners are demanding new ways to optimise
the space available. However, trade professionals can
help to maximise space in a property with careful
planning and a little creativity. Wayne LysaghtMason, managing director of the UK’s largest
online supplier of ironmongery products,
IronmongeryDirect discusses how sliding doors
can be used to open-up homes and create space.
»» Recent research has found
that UK homes are some of the smallest
in the whole of Europe with the average
home measuring a meagre 85 square metres
compared to 115 square metres in Holland
and 137 in Denmark. The UK is the only EU
country not to have minimum-space standards
for its homes suggesting this current trend of
modestly-sized houses is unlikely to change any
time soon.
There are, however, ways to think outside
the box and recommend ways for homeowners
to optimise the space available. By looking at a
house from the inside out it is possible to find
ways to increase its functionality. Wide-open
floor plans are a great way to open up rooms
and remove any visual clutter. This can be
achieved by removing walls and traditional
hinge doors and replacing them with sleek
sliding doors that conserve space and are a
more sophisticated choice.
For instance, sliding doors can enable two
separate rooms to be turned into one large
space. A compact kitchen can instantly become
part of a much larger living room while a small
dining room can be transformed by opening up
access to the garden.
As well as in doorways, sliding doors can also
be used on cloakrooms, kitchen and bathroom
cupboards and wardrobes to create streamlined
storage space. These fittings help to integrate
the storage units into the design of the rest of
the house and help to create overall fluidity.
Sliding door systems have many benefits as
not only do they help to maximise space they
are great at injecting more light into a property,
are easy to assemble and can work for various
76 » M AY 2015 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
rooms in the house. There
are a number of designs
available on the market
in different sizes and
options, with glass
designs proving to be
particularly popular at
the moment as they
are great at creating
the perception of
space.
For example, the
Klug Vero Gero Glass
Sliding Door Gear; a
top hung glass sliding
door kit for glass doors up to 100kg, 8-12mm
thick. Its unique construction of the clamps
eliminates the need to cut troublesome holes
in glass panels, allowing the door to be held
in place securely and neatly without using any
bolts. The runners in this kit are made from
high quality nylon with superior ball bearings
for a smooth and quiet operation. Another
benefit of this kit is that it includes a soft close
mechanism for slow and easy closing of the
door.
When a soft close mechanism is
incorporated in a sliding door kit, it allows
users to simply slide the door towards the
close position and at a certain point the door
takes over and closes itself. This is particularly
useful for households with young children as
the mechanism increases safety by reducing the
risk of trapped fingers - The Vitris Portavant
60 Soft Close & Soft Open Sliding Door Kit
is one of the best for this purpose thanks to its
built-in self-closing mechanism. Fitting on a
‘They provide a much-needed
element of flexibility and offer a
contemporary design choice’
8-10mm thick and up to 60kg glass door, it
fully closes the door in both directions once the
door has been gently and quietly slowed down
by the innovative cushioning system. What’s
more, this Made-in-Germany mechanism
keeps the door in position and prevents the
door from opening by itself or bouncing back
offering comfort, silence, pleasant warmth
and privacy as required. It’s also easy to install
without glass cutout.
Sliding door systems can be placed in a
variety of areas around the house and are a
modern space-saving solution. They provide a
much-needed element of flexibility and offer
a contemporary design choice. For installers
looking for an affordable solution there is
a wide selection of very reasonably priced
products that will help to keep building costs
down. Whatever the budget and brief there
is a varied selection of products in a range of
materials and finishes that will look great in
any home.