Sliding Door System

Due to the traditional options of doors to which most people are exposed to, too few people elect for a sliding door system. However, when talking about this system of doors, the first question that may come to your mind is “what is a sliding door” due to unfamiliarity of the subject?

The sliding doors system is not really a new concept, however it is innovative. The Roman houses, specifically in the buried city of Pompeii in Italy, have evidently made use of the sliding door system as their main choice of doors. These are usually suspended or mounted on columns or panels of stone construction. So instead of its earlier counterparts, which are by the way made of large boulders of rocks that move sideways, the Romans have innovated a type of door that works in similar fashion although a mounting was used to guide the door into a specific direction- more like digging a straight canal into the underlying construction as a guide for direction.

Contemporary sliding door systems, however, are more sophisticated. Using wood, metal or vinyl tracks, sliding doors are now fitted to a frame allowing the rolling or sliding motion at the top and the bottom of the track. Usually, rollers are used for ease of movement. These could be adjusted for ease of use. In most cases, the rollers are connected on both the top and bottom areas of the track but there are sliding door systems that make use only of the bottom part of the track due to structural concerns.

For example, heavier doors as a rule glide on rollers attached to the bottom track while lighter sliding doors are hung from the top.

To secure the sliding doors, a number of catches are used. The type to be used in a specific sliding door system depends largely on the manufacturer and the material utilized for the construction.

The most common type of material used for modern sliding doors system is wood. In the past decades however, aluminum sliders were common. But due to their stark appearance and other infamous qualities, the popularity of these doors has declined. Nonetheless, they remain as a staple in the market.

As for conventional wood sliding door system, wood is the most popular choice. They are classic, has a long lifespan and can match any constructional designs of houses. However, there is a couple of drawbacks to be noted. For one, wood sliding doors are relatively heavy which makes them impractical for use in houses where heavy wood furniture is not needed. Also, wood is very vulnerable to extreme elements such as the direct heat of the sun and humid climates. Nonetheless, manufacturers have made it a point that the wood sliding door systems are factory-primed. Alternatives include fiberglass and vinyl.

But glass, being a very versatile and economical material, has been exploited in use by sliding door system manufacturers. A great number of developments in the use of glass have been made to make it a more efficient and very decorative.

The sliding door system has evolved from primitive to modern. With the continuous development in the home building industries, sliding door system is expected to meet newer versions that would break the ordinary image of sliding doors. The newest developments, in fact, include those types that are no longer dominated by single-panel sliding doors.