Made to Measure Sliding Doors: Buyer’s Guide

Introduction to Made to Measure Sliding Doors

Made to measure sliding doors offer a tailored solution for homeowners seeking a perfect fit for their unique spaces. Unlike off-the-shelf options, these doors are crafted to exact specifications, ensuring they suit your home’s particular requirements.

Custom Fit Solutions

Standard door sizes often fall short when it comes to period properties or modern homes with unconventional layouts. Made to measure sliding doors bridge this gap. They’re particularly useful for oddly-shaped openings or where you want to make the most of available space.

For instance, a Victorian terraced house in London might have high ceilings and wide archways that don’t conform to standard dimensions. In such cases, made to measure sliding doors can be crafted to fit these openings precisely, preserving the home’s character while adding functionality.

Manufacturing Process

The creation of made to measure sliding doors involves meticulous attention to detail. It starts with precise measurements of your doorway, taking into account any quirks or irregularities in the opening. These measurements form the basis for the door’s design.

Next, skilled craftspeople use these specifications to cut and shape the chosen materials. Every component, from the frame to the glass panels, is tailored to your exact requirements. This level of precision ensures a smooth glide and proper seal when the door is closed.

Quality Control

Throughout the manufacturing process, rigorous quality checks are performed. Each element is inspected to ensure it meets the exacting standards required for a perfect fit. This attention to detail results in sliding doors that not only look great but also function flawlessly for years to come.

Material Options

Made to measure sliding doors come in a variety of materials, each offering unique benefits. Aluminium is a popular choice due to its strength and slim profile, allowing for larger glass panels and more light. It’s also resistant to corrosion, making it suitable for external doors.

Timber offers a classic, warm aesthetic and is often chosen for internal sliding doors. It can be painted or stained to match your interior decor. For those seeking a balance between the two, composite materials combine the strength of aluminium with the look of wood.

Glass options range from clear glass for unobstructed views to frosted or patterned glass for privacy. Double or triple glazing can improve insulation, while toughened safety glass adds security.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Made to Measure Sliding Doors

Improved Fit and Performance

Made to measure sliding doors excel in their ability to fit perfectly in any opening. This precise fit prevents drafts and improves energy efficiency. In older homes with uneven walls or floors, these doors can be adjusted to account for such irregularities, ensuring smooth operation.

The perfect finish achieved with made to measure sliding doors extends beyond the looks. It contributes to better insulation and soundproofing. A snug fit means less air leakage, which can lead to lower heating and cooling costs over time.

Pricing

While sliding doors made to measure offer superior quality and fit, they typically come with a higher price tag than off-the-shelf alternatives. The cost reflects the craftsmanship, materials, and time invested in creating a bespoke solution for your home.

However, it’s important to view this expense in context. The long-term benefits of energy efficiency and durability can offset the initial investment. Made to measure sliding patio doors can increase your property’s value too, making them a potentially worthwhile investment for homeowners planning to sell in the future.

Installation

Installing made to measure sliding doors often requires specialised skills. The process is more complex than fitting standard doors, as each installation is unique to the specific measurements and requirements of your home.

Professional installation is usually recommended to ensure proper functioning and to maintain any warranties. While this might add to the overall cost, it guarantees that your custom doors are fitted correctly, reducing the risk of future issues.

The installation process might take longer compared to standard doors. However, this extra time allows for fine-tuning and adjustments, resulting in a superior end product. Homeowners should factor this into their renovation timelines.

Made to measure internal sliding doors, in particular, can present unique installation challenges in existing homes. Modifications to the surrounding structure might be necessary to accommodate the door system, especially for pocket doors that slide into the wall.

Internal Made to Measure Sliding Doors

Made to measure internal sliding doors offer flexibility and style, adapting to various room layouts and design preferences.

Flexible Living Spaces

Made to measure sliding doors excel at creating adaptable areas within your home. They allow you to divide large rooms when needed or open them up for a spacious feel. This flexibility is particularly useful in modern open-plan homes where privacy might occasionally be desired.

For example, a home office can be integrated into a living room using internal partition doors. When work hours are over, simply slide the doors open to reclaim the full living space. The ability to customise the size and style of these doors ensures they complement your existing furnishings.

Custom Storage

Wardrobes and storage areas can benefit from made to measure sliding doors too. Unlike swing doors, they don’t require extra space to open, making them ideal for tight corners or small bedrooms. Custom sizing means you can make the most of every inch of available space.

White interior sliding doors are a popular choice for wardrobes, offering a clean, bright look that works well in various design schemes. They can be crafted to fit perfectly from floor to ceiling, creating a sleek, built-in appearance. The smooth gliding action adds a touch of luxury to everyday routines.

Home Office Design

As remote work becomes more common, the need for dedicated home office spaces has grown. Made to measure internal sliding doors can help create a productive work environment without permanently altering your home’s layout.

Sliding doors made to measure allow you to section off a portion of a larger room for use as an office. When closed, they provide privacy and help reduce noise, aiding concentration. Opt for doors with frosted glass panels to let in light while maintaining privacy, or choose solid panels for complete separation.

These doors can also be used to conceal office equipment and clutter when not in use. A custom-built workspace with sliding doors can house your computer, printer, and files, allowing you to ‘close’ the office at the end of the workday.

External Made to Measure Sliding Doors

External sliding doors can change how you interact with your outdoor spaces in a big way by easily connecting your home’s interior with the garden or patio whilst offering protection from the elements.

Design Options for Made to Measure Sliding Doors

The design possibilities for custom sliding doors are vast, allowing you to tailor every aspect to your taste and needs. From aesthetic styles to colour choices and mechanisms, each element can be customised to complement your home’s architecture and your personal preferences.

Aesthetic Styles

Made to measure sliding doors come in a range of styles to suit various architectural designs. Modern homes often benefit from sleek, minimalist doors with slim frames and large glass panels. These create a clean, contemporary look while letting in plenty of natural light.

For those seeking sliding doors with a touch of industrial chic, crittall style sliding doors offer a striking option. The distinctive grid pattern of crittall style doors adds visual interest and character to any space. When crafted to measure, these doors can be adapted to fit openings of any size, from compact interior doorways to expansive exterior walls.

Period properties can benefit from made to measure sliding doors that echo traditional design elements. Wood-framed doors with panelling or decorative glass can maintain the home’s historic character while providing modern functionality.

Colour Selection

White remains a popular choice for its clean, bright appearance and ability to complement various design schemes. However, made to measure sliding doors offer the freedom to explore a wider palette.

Bold colours can turn your doors into a focal point. Deep blues or greens can add depth and sophistication to a room, while brighter hues can inject energy and personality.

Sliding doors made to measure also often allow for dual colour options. You might choose one colour for the exterior to complement your home’s façade, and another for the interior to match your indoor décor. This level of customisation ensures your doors look perfect from every angle.

For more design advice, you may be interested in our article on sliding door design ideas.

Door Mechanisms

Traditional Sliding

Traditional sliding doors move along a single track, with panels gliding past one another. This classic mechanism is ideal for situations where space is at a premium, as the doors don’t swing into the room. Made to measure sliding doors using this mechanism can be designed as floor to ceiling sliding doors, creating a dramatic, full-height opening that floods the space with light.

Slide and Turn Doors

Slide and turn doors, also known as slide and stack doors or slide and fold doors, offer greater flexibility in opening configurations. These doors consist of multiple panels that slide along a track and then pivot to stack neatly to one side. This mechanism is particularly useful for wide openings, as it allows you to open up an entire wall of your home.

The made to measure aspect is particularly valuable for slide and turn doors, as it ensures each panel is perfectly sized for smooth operation and a tight seal when closed.

Pocket Doors

Pocket sliding doors glide into a cavity within the wall, disappearing completely when open. This mechanism is an excellent space-saving solution, particularly useful in compact homes or for creating temporary divisions in open-plan layouts.

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