Open up your home with a sliding folding patio door

JELD-WEN has reported an increase in demand for its sliding folding patio doors – which are now available for both internal and external use.
Product Manager at JELD-WEN, outlines the main trends within sliding folding patio doors.
- Bespoke sizes – sliding folding doors, like the Canberra Duo patio door are available in bespoke sizes, so can be tailored to suit individual properties.
- Wider doors create a more contemporary appearance, as well as increasing the glazed area, compared to the frame. For example, 3 x 1.3m wide doors let more light in than 4 x 1m doors, and many homeowners prefer this look.
- There is a move towards sustainable materials – JELD-WEN is committed to good environmental policies and practices, which includes sourcing timber from Chain of Custody Certified forests, with strict reforestation programmes.
- Timber is an aspirational material for windows and patios and more consumers are choosing timber sliding folding patio doors over other materials. Consumers are also more knowledgeable about different timber species and are prepared to invest in quality. We have already seen this with much interest in our Canberra Oak sliding folding doors, which reflects the trend towards oak furniture within the home. JELD-WEN offers a wide choice of stain, varnish, primed or fully finished coatings to enhance performance and prolong the lifespan of its patio doors.
- Frames are becoming thinner, whilst glass area is getting larger, which provides better sightlines and the ‘designer’ look that many homeowners aspire to. This minimalistic look can be complemented by contemporary ironmongery, such as brushed stainless steel hardware available on many JELD-WEN patio doors.
- Advances in glass mean sliding folding patio doors offer lower U-values and therefore better thermal efficiency. Other innovations included the option of self cleaning glass, for very low maintenance and integrated Venetian blinds within the double glazed cavity, for enhanced aesthetics, ease of use and a further reduction in solar gain.
- Future trends? Technology means the next big thing could be remote-controlled open/close / intregrated blinds within sliding folding patio doors.