Hello,
we are currently planning our house. We have planned a lift-and-slide door downstairs (partly covered) and would now like to add another one upstairs.
Our builder doesn’t strongly advise against it but said he wouldn’t necessarily do it because lift-and-slide doors can sometimes let in some water during severe storms. Both doors would face south; the downstairs one, as mentioned, is partially covered, while the upstairs one is not.
We get severe storms one or two times a year here, and sometimes also when we are on vacation. Since we plan to use wood flooring throughout, water damage would of course be very unpleasant!
I haven’t been able to find much information either in this forum or online about lift-and-slide doors leaking, which is why I’m still in favor of having the upstairs door.
What do you think? Are they really that problematic?
Best regards
we are currently planning our house. We have planned a lift-and-slide door downstairs (partly covered) and would now like to add another one upstairs.
Our builder doesn’t strongly advise against it but said he wouldn’t necessarily do it because lift-and-slide doors can sometimes let in some water during severe storms. Both doors would face south; the downstairs one, as mentioned, is partially covered, while the upstairs one is not.
We get severe storms one or two times a year here, and sometimes also when we are on vacation. Since we plan to use wood flooring throughout, water damage would of course be very unpleasant!
I haven’t been able to find much information either in this forum or online about lift-and-slide doors leaking, which is why I’m still in favor of having the upstairs door.
What do you think? Are they really that problematic?
Best regards
No, I’m just a big fan of lift-and-slide doors and would love to install them everywhere instead of regular windows...
Just joking! Sorry, had to say it :p...
Of course, there is a balcony up there, but I would rather call it a medium-sized terrace, which is why we personally prefer a sliding door so much more...
Just joking! Sorry, had to say it :p...
Of course, there is a balcony up there, but I would rather call it a medium-sized terrace, which is why we personally prefer a sliding door so much more...
11ant schrieb:Is there a technical explanation for your opinion about the minimum width, or is it mostly about the additional costs that such a door has compared to a standard casement door?
No, only the former window specialist says that a width of 250 is actually at the lower limit of a reasonable lift-and-slide door.
Nixwill schrieb:
Is there a technical explanation for your opinion on the minimum width? I don’t have an opinion on this, only a technical explanation, which is simply logical: even with an ideal 50:50 division of width, since the two "leaves" can ideally align but cannot be pushed out of the total width, at most half the total width is available as a passage. To avoid any disadvantage compared to a 113 cm (45 inches) wide door—which by itself allows carrying a tray or laundry basket without hitting your elbows—you need at least a 226 cm (89 inches) wide opening as a minimum.
When it comes to panoramic views, the facade is shaped by the horizontal axis, so a landscape format looks a bit more pleasing than a square format. You may call this latter point an "opinion," but the first 226 cm (89 inches) of minimum width is a "fact."
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Interesting argument, but I would still consider it your opinion rather than a fact. Sorry to disagree, but assuming a minimum width of 113 cm (45 inches) for a passage seems quite generous, especially when you consider that the “standard door” in my apartment, which is 98.5 cm (39 inches) wide, actually has a clear opening of only about 82 cm (32 inches). I manage fine with my breakfast tray, but for a passage leading outside, I would still prefer a full meter (39 inches).
That said, I will take note of your measurements and also consider the height-to-width ratio.
That said, I will take note of your measurements and also consider the height-to-width ratio.
Nixwill schrieb:
Of course, there is a balcony above; I would personally call it a medium-sized terrace, which is why we would much prefer a sliding door... How is the balcony constructed and, most importantly, how is it drained? Is it a suspended wooden balcony or something similar where water drips through the decking, or is it a cantilevered concrete element? The problem with doors (whether traditional or sliding) is standing water caused by clogged drainage, snow drifts, or similar issues. For a "watertight" balcony, the waterproof layer must be positioned below the door threshold. This means there is either a step, the covering is raised on battens, and/or a drainage channel is installed between the door threshold and the decking. If that works properly, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a traditional or sliding door.
Otherwise, just a note that the frame proportion of a sliding door is quite substantial. The smaller the door, the more noticeable this becomes. It’s best to see this in person somewhere.
Nixwill schrieb:
Interesting statement, but I would still consider it your opinion rather than a fact. Sorry to disagree, but I would describe assuming a minimum width of 113cm (45 inches) for a passageway as generous, The FACT is that with a lift-and-slide door, the "panels" slide in front of or behind each other, so only half the width is actually open. Based on EXPERIENCE, for front doors and doors intended for occasional passage even when fully loaded (without turning it into a concentration or dexterity exercise), it is better to aim for the 113cm (45 inches) width rather than the 101cm (40 inches) option (I have been designing buildings for over forty years, was a window manufacturer until seven years ago, and then a window dealer until two years ago). Interior doors have no threshold. My OPINION, as I have already mentioned, is to add a bit more than double the passage width to clearly move from a vertical or square format to a horizontal format visually.
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