A wall that opens
Stacking doors, also called folding sliding doors, replace a wall with glazed panels that fold back on themselves. Pushed aside, they turn the living room and the patio into one space. Closed and locked, they are a secure, weatherproof wall again, with rubber weather seals as standard and an aluminium bottom track carrying the panels. Each set is custom made to the opening.
They suit homes where the patio, pool or garden gets as much use as the lounge, and they bring far more daylight into a room than a single door can.
Fold direction
Panels can stack to the left, to the right, or split to both sides. Stacking to one side clears the widest continuous opening. Splitting keeps each stack smaller, which helps when furniture or a pillar sits close to one end. With an odd number of panels, one panel can work as an everyday door, so you do not have to fold the whole set just to step outside.
Stacking space
Folded panels need somewhere to go. The stack stands at right angles to the frame, so allow for its depth inside or outside the room and keep that spot clear of pot plants, braai stands and furniture. The more panels there are, the deeper the stack. We work this out with you before the frame is made.
Thresholds
On a folding door the bottom track is the threshold. A track set flush with the floor gives a level step between inside and out, but it needs good drainage and a slight fall on the patio side so rain runs away from the door. A raised track sheds water more easily. The right choice depends on how exposed the door is to wind-driven rain.
Bottom track or top-hung
There are two ways to carry the weight of the panels. A bottom-rolling system carries the weight on the track, which keeps the head of the opening simple. A top-hung system carries the weight from above, which needs a strong lintel or beam but leaves a lighter track at floor level. Our units run on an aluminium bottom track; if you have another system in mind, mention it when you ask for a quote.
Keeping them running
- Keep the bottom track clean. The panels pass over it every time they open, so grit wears the runners quickly.
- Open and close the panels in the order they were designed to fold. Forcing a middle panel strains the hinges.
- Check hinges and handles once a year for loose screws.
- If the doors start to drag, catch or leave a gap when closed, have them adjusted before the wear spreads.
When a door has already stopped running smoothly, sliding door repairs covers the common faults. For a smaller opening at counter height, look at folding sliding windows, and for sliding and hinged options see aluminium doors.
Repairs and maintenance are available for all of these products. See sliding door repairs.