When it comes to choosing the best aluminium internal doors, these are usually a simpler purchase than buying replacement doors or aluminium windows. Simpler in construction and without the need for certification around security, energy efficiency or weather protection, aluminium internal doors transform property interiors and come in several types and designs. Here’s who makes the best aluminium internal doors and why.
Information about aluminium internal doors
The types of aluminium internal doors available are now substantial in terms of type. Therefore, when it comes to choosing the best, it’s more about the styling, features and options rather than what is the ‘best’ product in terms of brand or quality.
Aluminium internal doors don’t require the specifications or certifications of exterior-grade doors other than doors needing to provide fire protection. As a result, you don’t need to look out for security specifications, U-Values or weather performance standards applicable to exterior doors.
Therefore, buying new aluminium internal doors is very much about the type of door you want, styling, price and of course, confidence in the company you’re dealing with. There isn’t anything specific to look out for, although we explain what specifications you should expect in our buying guide.
We’ve taken a look at some of the best brands for internal doors to help you choose the right style of door for you.
Best steel look internal doors
If you’re looking for a purpose-designed internal door with a steel look, Aluco remains one of the best and longest established. Aluco products are available through a quality dealer network throughout the UK. There’s also a dedicated portal for those wanting to buy on a supply only basis.
Made by Origin is the new Origin OI-30, the latest product to hit the market offering single and double doors in the steel look with matching screens.
For single and double doors both Origin and Aluco provide products made only by them and with excellent product quality. The Origin OI-30 is a beautiful internal door, but Aluco goes a bit further, also offering sliding doors and an exterior system as well. You also get more colour options.
Aluco also has a version with a floating lock backplate which is very striking and looks terrific when buying these doors as fully glazed models without the bars.
Also new to the market is a range of steel-inspired products by Smart Systems. Aluspace also offers brilliant internal steel look internal doors, although these are made by several different manufacturers. The advantage of Aluspace is that they also come with a sliding door version like Aluco but also a pivoting model.
Interior sliding doors in the steel look
In aluminium as an interior sliding system, only Aluco and Aluspace offer products in the steel look with the styling of classic steel doors.
Some installers continue to offer exterior-grade doors fitted internally and these can also work well. Do bear in mind you can only have these insulated, thermally broken, double glazed and with exterior quality locks. Cortizo Cor-Vision doors are widely used and you can find out more about these.
The other option for interior sliding doors in the steel look is to go with sliding partition systems and several companies provide these.
Sunflex UK has the SF20 or SF22 system, that’s single glazed and comes in an attractive steel look with clean lines. The doors are available in various sliding configurations with single, double or triple tracks and even an open corner design. You can also use these doors externally as enclosures for garden rooms, verandas and canopies. They aren’t fully sealed systems and are intended predominantly for use inside or as external glass enclosures.
Frameless glass interior doors
There are many solutions available for glass interior doors available. These range from products available from glass processors to companies specialising in internal glass doors. Usually, there’s no system for these products, more a bespoke made product using widely available glass and hardware.
The design of these doors usually consists of toughened or laminated safety glass with smooth edges. The glass then attaches to suitable ‘patch fittings’ for the hinges, metal door locks and a choice of door handles.
You’ll find a selection of these available online either made in the UK or Europe by companies such as Doors4UK, Elegant Doors, Cocif, Spaceslide and others.
Available in the South of England, Frameless Glass Curtains also provides an exceptional range of superb quality and from a reputable business.
Best all-round product suite – Smart Systems
With the industrial, steel-look or Heritage style being arguably the most popular for aluminium internal doors, the best all-round system is Aluspace.
With the option of single or double doors, doors with glazed panels, sliding doors and pivot doors, this is presently the only brand in aluminium offering so many door opening options internally.
Another reason to choose Smart Systems is that it’s the only brand on the market offering both an internal and external steel-look system, with the exterior being the tried and tested Alitherm Heritage brand also used internally for many years already.
Aluco also offers products for inside and outside, but their external system is Alithern whereas their internal is their own.
Reynears also have the spectacular SL38 product but their doors don’t come with the thicker lock backplate that’s essential on patio doors and their entire system is external quality.
aïrMOD made by Everglade windows is another product to consider, and whilst also an external system, this is also widely used internally and recommended.
There are other products to consider, but we’re focusing on those products with the styling of classic metal windows and doors rather than otherwise standard products with nothing but bars on the glass.
Internal slide and turn systems
Another excellent product for internal doors is the slide and turn design. Very much like their exterior version, they provide a contemporary glass solution for larger openings between rooms and also act as room dividers.
These doors come in two up to 8 or more panels with the option of various types of handles, rail and frame colours and glass options.
The construction of these slide and turn systems uses a perimeter frame, low track and aluminium profiles at the top and bottom of the glass panels. These products are always single glazed and non-insulated. They’re also the same product used to close off exterior glass structures such as verandas, garden canopies and rooms as well as creating balcony enclosures when made smaller.
IQ Glass, Frameless Glass Curtains, GO Glass, Solarlux SL System, Sunparadise VG, GSS and GSW products, Sunflex Moveable Walls, and Sunseeker products are some of the best knowns from the larger brands.
The best framed aluminium doors
Then we come to the aluminium internal doors having a full frame but fully glazed. One of the best options is to go with a steel-look internal door but without the lock plate or the horizontal bars. This will give you one of the slimmest solutions and if you want single glass and handles more suitable for interior doors.
Your other option for fully framed aluminium internal doors is an exterior grade system provided with no threshold or a low threshold option. You could even use bifolding doors designed as hinged doors as these too provide some of the slimmest solutions.
Smart Systems Alitherm doors, Aluk Optio BD58, Reynaers aluminium door range, Origin, Alutech, the new Comar Legacy system and others all offer suitable products. You will get the thermal insulation, weather sealing and double glazed units you might not need. That said, these doors are widely used internally for many years already and customers are more than happy with the result they get.
Internal aluminium bifold doors explained
Whilst bifolding doors are widely used internally for room dividers and using the low and non-weathered track, there aren’t presently many dedicated aluminium internal systems, specifically single glazed internal bifolding doors and without the thermal break insulation of exterior systems.
As a result, you’ll find many of the offerings using external systems.
IQ Glass offer suitable internal bifold doors. There’s the Italian ADL System provided by Elegant Doors. Rimadesio Siparium is expensive but creates a particularly good result internally. You’ll also find non-insulated internal folding sliding doors by Sunflex UK with their SF45 system. Solarlux has the SL35 or SL45 products, again very suitable.
The advantage of going with a specific internal bifold is usually reduced frame sizes. The Sunflex SF45 has middle mullions of only 117mm, and Solarlux 100mm. There are other product options outside of what many showrooms offer.
Whilst our advice is to go with a dedicated internal bifold system, external bifold doors will work just as well. Again we recommend checking out the thin bifold products on the market, adding to the already huge choice.
The better designed bifold door brands give you more options at the threshold – important for interior doors and many of these work brilliantly internally. Solarlux has probably the best products here offering six different track options. Reynaers provides a flat bottom and low threshold option that works great inside. Schuco also has a completely flat version set into the floor. aïr sliding doors come with several threshold options as well.
If you genuinely require internal doors in the bifold design, the single glazed slide and turn systems are worth comparing with the concertina style. You’ll find them slimmer, with a lower track and in some instances looking better, having significantly less visible aluminium.
Understanding internal aluminium sliding doors
Similar to bifolding doors, many installers without access to dedicated internal door systems will sell an exterior system. All of these doors require a track at the bottom so don’t expect this to be minimal in any way.
Presently Aluco and Smart Systems Aluspace provide the best interior system, although mostly in the steel look. IQ Glass have several products available and worth checking out. Rimadesio is an Italian sliding door system offering some spectacular designs and quality. You’ll even find Barnsmith aluminium sliding doors available as kits on Amazon for a few hundred pounds with a simple hanging design.
Similar to the steel look sliding doors mentioned earlier are the internal sliding or slide and turn systems. Sunflex offers a very good range of single or double glazed interior doors such as SF20 and SF22 frameless sliding doors. Or you can go with the slide and turn Sunflex models like the SF25 top rolling, SF30 bottom rolling or SF35 having a minimal frame.
Solarlux, another impressive German brand offers similar products. The SL20 and SL23 can both work internally as room dividers and partitions.
Both Sunflex and Solarlux use an all-glass design with simple sliding or slide and fold operation. It’s worth seeing these products and understanding better how they can work inside. Or you can get in touch for more information.
Helping you buy better aluminium internal doors
There are luxury brands of aluminium internal doors such as the Italian systems. Aluminium is now a growing market in internal doors without a fire rating. Don’t disregard steel or timber products. These have been used internally longer and may actually provide the doors your project needs.
When deciding on the best internal aluminium doors, you don’t have to go with the big brands and avoid the marketing hype. Find an independent company with its own system and you’re likely to get an equally good result, not to mention a bespoke product.
Steel look remains the most popular style for internal doors, but remember you don’t have to have horizontal or vertical bars. As a result, these look just as good fully glazed and worth exploring.
Remember, that many suppliers will offer you the same doors they’d fit outside. There’s nothing wrong with going down this route. You’ll probably have to go with features you don’t need and less choice of handles. However, designed and made right with an installer that understands how to supply these, you’ll also get a very reliable product. Single and French Doors having the option of no threshold at all, sliding and folding doors chosen with a suitable track are all worthy products.
With thousands of suppliers all over the UK, it’s not possible to list every single one, so our article here explains some of the best known and popular brands. You can get in touch to ask a question, find out more information, local suppliers or get product advice.
