Today’s architecture is full of technical solutions that were not available until recently. Manufacturers offer a wide range of windows with hidden sashes and sliding doors. This trend also applies to balcony doors, which blend in perfectly with the interior design of the house and provide adequate thermal properties. So which balcony door should you choose for a passive house?
Types of balcony doors
In modern single-family homes, balcony doors are an indispensable element and it is rather rare to come across construction projects that do not have any balcony doors at all. On the contrary, there are more and more buildings with several or even a dozen or so balcony doors of different types. It all depends on the investor’s expectations and the designer’s assumptions. The list of balcony door types available on the market is quite long, and therefore the choice is not easy.
Hinged doors
Hinged balcony doors are the most commonly used type of balcony door, easy to use and install, and above all, the cheapest. Compared to other types of balcony doors, classic single-leaf balcony doors are extremely watertight and airtight. With the right glazing, they are highly burglar-resistant and soundproof. Some disadvantages may be the size limitations and the unavoidable barrier of the threshold in this design.
Read also:
ABOUT SYSTEMS USED IN BALCONY DOORS
Sliding doors
Unlike hinged doors, sliding doors do not take up space in the room and allow for a fairly wide passage to the terrace or balcony. They can be used to open and slide wide panoramic windows. It is worth noting that the door can have both a high (standard) and a very low threshold. Large glazing is perfect for energy-efficient and passive construction. Sliding doors with triple glazing will ensure maximum thermal insulation and soundproofing of your home. The combination of wood on the inside and aluminium on the outside gives the entire construction exceptional rigidity and stability. In addition, thanks to this combination, we can perfectly match the sliding door to any facade, choosing a colour from a wide range of colours.
Lift and slide doors
Horizontal sliding and lifting patio doors (HST) are opened horizontally. Their main advantage is that they are easy to use and have a flush threshold. This allows them to be opened and closed comfortably. Optionally, the doors can be operated automatically with a remote control.
HKS tilt and slide door
HKS doors are opened by sliding horizontally, just like HST doors. The door leaf can be tilted from the upper edge. Unfortunately, the system requires a little more force to operate than the HST, and it is not possible to install a flush threshold.
Other types of balcony doors
If sliding doors are not for us, but we want our interior design to look modern and let in more light, a perfect solution would be a tilt and turn patio door set directly in a fixed glass surface. This is a kind of innovation that only appeared on the market a few years ago and makes a unique impression.
If none of the above solutions meet our requirements, we can opt for folding doors, which are a folding sliding system. Their advantage is that they can open up a huge space without additional posts. In practice, however, they are used very rarely, especially in our harsher climate. They are more popular, for example, in sunny Spain or California.
Read also:
