The latest generation of aluminium sliding patio doors offers sophisticated and technically excellent products that are justifiably gaining renewed awareness with homeowners.
For the last 15 years, the bifolding door has been the product of choice for consumers and the door industry. However, reinvigorated interest in sliding doors has resulted in aluminium systems companies improving their existing range of doors and bringing out new products. As a result, aluminium sliding patio doors are better than ever before. Buying aluminium for large patio doors offers numerous benefits over PVCu such as thinner profiles, bigger glass sizes and larger door panels.
In the home, the biggest advantage of fitting an aluminium sliding door over a bifolding door or a French door is the better views and the larger panes of glass.
Better still, sliding doors are slimmer, more secure, very weather resistant and easy to slide whatever their size. They also bring all the colour advantages of powder coated aluminium with hundreds of colours to choose available. Check out who makes the slimmest sliding doors.
It’s also possible to create that desirable transition from inside to outside with a low track and threshold also available on patio sliding doors.
Types of aluminium sliding patio doors
Many of the leading aluminium systems companies in the UK now offer a sophisticated range of sliding doors with a broad spectrum of designs, aesthetics, performance and functions.
Sliding doors will usually feature flat profiles giving a clean appearance on the horizontal and vertical profiles. Many of the sliding door available now accommodate glass panels of 9 square metres or more. Sliding doors enable wider, taller and more expansive glass walls with reduced visible aluminium.
Standard sliding patio doors are available from two to six panels. They can be fitted as stand-alone doors or as part of a screen spanning one or more floors. You can even design a modern sliding door to disappear into a wall pocket as well as having a full open corner design.
Many specialist door providers even create aluminium sliding doors with virtually no limitations on the number of sliding panels available. However, when choosing new patio doors, it’s important to understand sliding door sizes, and the role these play in the design of a new extension especially.
In considering a sliding door for the home, there are four types to choose from.
Inline aluminium sliding doors.
Inline sliding patio doors feature the familiar arrangement where doors slide within their frame. Inline doors come with the option of fixed or sliding panels depending on their size and configuration.
Lift and Slide aluminium doors.
Lift and slide aluminium patio doors work with more sophisticated gearing and components. The door handle rotates to lift the entire door panel away from the frame and then sliding as normal. The benefit of lift and slide doors is ventilation and more flexibility as a door set.
Tilt and Slide aluminium doors
Similar to Lift and slide doors, the tilt and slide arrangement offers a tilt facility when the doors are closed for convenient ventilation.
Slimline sliding doors
Slimline aluminium sliding doors are the latest generation of door designed to provide a minimalist or near frameless appearance. Other descriptions for these types of thin patio doors are panoramic sliding doors, ultra-thin sliding doors, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, frameless sliding doors or minimalist sliding doors.
This new breed of patio door is substantially thinner than other types of doors, yet capable of heights of up to 5 metres or more with some highly specialised products. Slimline sliding doors are even available with an automatic opening and closing action.
List of the major aluminium sliding patio door manufacturers and suppliers
All the Aluminium Systems Companies in the UK offer one or more sliding patio door products. There are also European systems available as well as those doors that are standard systems and rebranded. They well-known providers in the UK include:
Aïr Sliding Doors
Aïr sliding doors are exclusively designed and manufactured by Everglade Windows with a 25-year guarantee. The premium suite of Aïr doors comprises the aïr 500 LS inline sliding door as well as the aïr 600 LS lift and slide doors. Everglade has launched a slimline and minimalist sliding patio door with a 20mm interlock, the aïr 20SL.
AluK Sliding Doors
Aluk sliding doors come from one of the UK’s biggest systems companies, comprising the popular Optio BSC94 inline sliding door, the Luminia SC156 Lift and Slide door and the brand new Infinium slimline sliding door.
Alumen Cor-Vision Plus Sliding Doors
The Alumen Cor-Vision Plus is new to the UK market and is the system from Cortizo of Spain. Cor-Vision Plus offers 25mm interlocks, a super slim appearance and is marketed as a slimline, contemporary and minimalist sliding door. Cor-Vision plus also meets the need for those with large scale doors. Each sliding panel can be made up to 16 square metres.
Anglian Aluminium Sliding Patio Doors
Anglian are a national company serving the UK home improvement market. In their broader range of PVCu products is an inline aluminium sliding door product offering Yale Locking, low thresholds and colour choice.
Arkay Windows Edgeglide and Infiniglide Sliding Doors
Arkay Windows are another company with Bifold Direct to offer the Edgeglide and Infiniglide suite of contemporary sliding doors. This modern range of doors offers slim sight lines, premium design, extensive colour options and high security. Both doors are based on existing systems and not exclusive to Arkay. Infiniglide 3 sliding doors with a 20mm interlock are ideal for standard openings with door panels up to three metres in height. Infiniglide 6 with a 24mm interlock is the ultimate architectural sliding door with heights up to 6 metres possible.
Artline by SAPA Sliding Doors
The Artline sliding door range from SAPA Building Systems is the latest generation of slimline sliding doors with narrow aesthetics, creating glass walls, sliding doors and openable windows.
Bifold Direct
Sliding door manufacturer Bifold Direct is an established provider of sliding doors offering the Edgeglide, Infiniglide and Panoglide range of doors, based on existing systems such as Cortizo. Bifold Direct are also accredited aïr sliding door retailers.
Comar Sliding Doors
Comar sliding doors are extensively specified in the UK, available as the Comar 7P.i lift and slide door and the option of Comar 7P.i Tilt and Slide and Inline sliding patio doors.
Centor Sliding Doors
One of our favourite brands Centor, provides luxurious, expertly-made sliding doors packed with innovation and technology. The Centor name is one of the best and has won design awards for their products. Centor sliding doors are available as the Centor XO Sliding door with a wood interior and aluminium exterior.
Cortizo Sliding Doors
The Spanish Cortizo sliding doors are sophisticated products, using the latest structurally bonded technology. With a Cortizo sliding door, you benefit from some of the thinnest sightlines as well as a very well-designed contemporary sliding door. You will find Cortizo patio doors as the most commonly used product where installers offer a sliding door with a 20mm interlock. Many installers and manufacturers choose to rebrand Cortizo doors as their own and some market the doors under the Cortizo name.
Dutemann Sliding Doors
Trade manufacturer Dutemann fabricates and supplies the Glide-S premium sliding door, featuring a 47mm mullion, low threshold and contemporary door furniture. The Dutemann door is an outstandig product using the ultra-premium Alumil aluminium system.
Express Sliding Doors
Based nationwide, Express Bifolding Doors is one of the biggest home improvement companies in the UK. Express provide the XP Glide inline sliding door, XP Glide R Lift and Slide door, XP Slide Panoramic Sliding Door and XP Glide S products, based on existing aluminium systems.
Everest
Everest are famous for their Fit the Best slogan and one of the big national home improvement companies. Their aluminium sliding door is based on the SAPA Crown product, available in black, grey and white.
Exlabesa KLS Sliding Doors
Exlabesa is a less well-known company in the residential sector, yet you will find their products specified in commercial developments of flats and houses. Their KLS sliding patio door is available as a lift and slide or inline option and offers sliding door panels of 3.3metres wide and 3.2m high, better than most doors on the market. An affordable, quality aluminium sliding door for the home.
System 22 Sliding Doors by Fineline Aluminium.
The System 22 Sliding Door by Fineline aluminium is a structurally bonded patio door offering very thin proportions and impressive aesthetics. System 22 sliding doors offer up to five tracks, a 22mm interlock as well as curved on plan sliding door options. 3.5 metre heights are also possible.
Hedgehog Aluminium Systems
Framed and minimalist products by Hedgehog Aluminium Systems come under their Sieger range, also offered by other installers and resellers. Hedgehog provides Passivhaus sliding doors, Sieger 30 glass sliding doors, framed sliding doors, minimal sliding doors and internal sliding doors.
ID Systems Sliding Doors
Based in Norwich and working nationside, ID Systems provide the Edge minimalist sliding door, the Grand Slider II inline patio door as well as being a reseller for the Sunflex SF20 product.
IQ Glass
With one of the biggest and best showrooms in the UK, IQ Glass are one of the UK’s best known providers of high-end sliding doors for architectural glazing. IQ Glass provides the Inmotion, Minimalist Windows System and Minimal Windows 4+ range of sliding doors
Kawneer Sliding Doors
Part of Arconic, Kawneer is one of the best known systems companies in the world. The UK market is served with the Kawneer AA3572 Lift and Slide aluminium door.
Keller Sliding Doors
Less known but specialist provider Keller, has sliding doors, windows and Wintergardens, offering the minimal windows® range of frameless sliding doors, minimal windows®4+ and minimal windows® 4+ highline ranges.
Kloeber
Schuco and Smart Systems manufacturer Kloeber provides both aluminium and hybrid sliding doors with their euroslide, kustomslide mono and kustomslide plus products, both based on existing aluminium systems.
Maxlight Ltd
London-based Maxlight is a specialist manufacturer of contemporary sliding doors offering minimal framed systems and excellent product quality. A frequent exhibitor at Grand Designs and similar shows, their sliding doors come with a quality installation, experience and the latest modern products. Maxlight also provides contemporary glazing and the desirable pivot door.
Origin Sliding Doors
British company Origin is one of the UK’s best known brands in bifolding doors, aluminium windows and residential front doors. The Origin range now comprises three excellent products. First of all is the Origin Inline Sliding Door with a 20mm interlock and the contemporary OS-77 and OS-44 patio doors.
PanoramaH! Sliding Doors
When it comes to the most innovative architectural glazing, Panoramah! creates structural glass sliding doors with capabilities few systems can match, such as a 27m2 single sliding glass panel.
Reynaers Sliding Doors
The Reynaers CP130, CP155 and Infinity sliding door ranges come from one of the world’s best known aluminium systems companies. Reynaers are renowned for great design and high performance in sliding and lift and slide doors.
SAPA Crown Sliding Doors
Now branded as Technal in the UK, SAPA Building Systems provide a big range of aluminium sliding doors, including Crown Sliding Patio door, Confort 160, Comfort 125, Artline and the commercial Hawk Sliding Door for garage showrooms.
Schuco Sliding Doors
Advanced, top-of-the-line Schuco sliding doors are regarded by industry professionals as one of the best doors on the market. The ASS70 sliding door range includes automatic and manual sliding doors, Schuco Panorama sliding door, ASS70 inline, tilt and slide and lift and slide versions.
Smarts Visoglide Sliding Doors
Products by Smart Systems come from the biggest aluminium systems company in the UK. Smarts offer the Ultraglide, Slide 2000 & Visoglide Plus range of inline and lift and slide doors.
Senior Systems Sliding Doors
British brand Senior Architectural Systems offer products renowned for the thermal performance and quality. The PURe SLIDE range and Series 1 Hybrid range of sliding doors are available.
Sieger Sliding Doors
One of the most luxurious names, Sieger Sliding doors are provided by specialist aluminium companies such as Hedgehog Aluminium. The Sieger range comprises the Sieger 30 and Sieger 85 sliding glass doors.
Stayfix Architectural Systems
North London-based Stayfix offers the S3 lift and slide patio door system. The S3 sliding patio door from Stayfix can achieve patio door panel widths of 3300mm and up to 3250mm high.</dd
Skyglaze Ltd
Manufacturer of sliding doors Skyglaze, offers the Cortizo sliding door system and is credited with being the first UK company to offer Corzizo doors in the UK. They are also the only company to have installed all versions of this door. The Cor Vision Sliding Door from Skyglaze provides expansive, minimalist sliding doors up to 4000mm wide and 4000mm high with a virtually frameless appearance as well as the option of motorized sliding doors subject to sizes.
Sunflex Sliding Doors
Choose a Sunflex product and get one of the premier names in sliding doors. The range comprises the SVG35 and SVG83 sliding doors, frameless SF20 sliding door and the non-thermal SF42 for internal applications.
Sunparadise Sliding Doors
Sunparadise offer a range of sliding door and sliding balcony solutions. In aluminium you can buy the Thermoslide 80, the Supertherm80 PST and Thermo60 PST parallel-slide-and-tilt system, the VG15 internal glass wall and room divider as well as the BAL160 lift and slide door.
Technal Systems Lumeal
Lumeal patio sliding doors by Technal (part of SAPA Group) is a new slimline sliding door for residential installations. Lumeal offers the option of a visible or a minimalist sliding door with aluminium sight lines of under 80mm. The sliding sash gearing and aluminium is mostly hidden to maximise the amount of glass and light.
Ultraline Sliding Doors
Sliding doors by Ultraline come from Greenways Architectural offering a slimline sliding door system that integrates with windows, roofs and folding doors. It features electronic locking and a 20mm interlock.
Üni_Slide panoramic door from Fenster Fabrications
The Üni_Slide panoramic sliding door from Fenster Fabrications is one of the new breed of minimalist, slimline sliding doors, offering sight lines at the mullion of just 20mm. Each sliding door panel is possible from 2.2metres wide up to 3 metres in height, with excellent U-Values, colour choice and security.
Velfac Sliding Doors
Velfac offer a hybrid sliding door product under the Velfac 200 brand. Velfac 200 is a hybrid door consisting of aluminium outside and wood inside.
Warmcore Sliding Doors
The new Warmcore Inline Sliding door complements the existing Warmcore bifolding door and Warmcore window ranges, thanks to its innovative PVCu core giving excellent U-Values. Read our full review of the Warmcore Sliding Door.
Help with looking for aluminium sliding patio doors
With knowledge of many of the major systems, we offer free information and advice about these and other aluminium sliding door products, types and designs available. With such a diverse choice of products to choose from, we can provide guidance on the correct product, it’s suitability for your project and your budget. We can also put you in touch with local providers.
Contact us if you would like further information about aluminium sliding patio doors.