Choosing Sliders - Pt. 1
Sliders. Lift and slides. Flush rails. With so many customizable options, sliders and lift and slide doors unhinge restrictions on design freedom. However, with great variability in design options comes great responsibility. Before you choose the option that best suits your project, You need to consider factors related to your project such as area climate, and you or your client’s design needs, and comfort requirements.
Climate - be weary of the flush threshold… or don’t be?
With design options such as low and no threshold rails, architects have the option to bypass extra frame height needed for functionality to create a seamless, unique look. Before choosing a low or no threshold option, one needs to consider what impact harsh Canadian weather conditions may have on the doors functionality, durability and lifetime.
A sliding door that can withstand weather and temperature changes without sacrificing functionality is imperative.
Ah, Canada. From coast to coast, Canadian homes are subjected to wild temperature and weather fluctuations. From blistering hot and humid summers to frigid, snow piled winters, a sliding door that can withstand weather and temperature changes without sacrificing functionality is imperative. A slider with a brush based track, or without the proper drainage system will allow dirt and water to infiltrate without any ability to be expelled, leaving the debris to ruminate within the slider wreaking havoc - fraying brushes and water logged tracks leave a sliding door inoperable.
A low or flush threshold, while offering a sophisticated design to augment modern concepts, could make the problems noted above happen much easier and much quicker. With an at most 0.8 inch threshold reveal, even moderate rain or snow falls make sliders susceptible to debris and water accumulation.
Reynaers Concept Patio Series and Hi -Finity: Ensuring water and air tightness, ensuring proper drainage.
With potential weather related problems leaving your big, beautiful sliders susceptible to ineptness, you want to have confidence that the slider or lift and slide you choose is water and air tight, and can properly drain any water that the heaviest rain and snow falls brings.
Special track and drainage design
Look for a system with proper drainage, Especially if choosing a Low/No threshold.
The stainless steel track and dedicated wheel base that makes up the tracking system for the Concept Patio series as well as the Hi-Finity eliminate the need of a brush track, minimizing opportunities for dirt and debris to get caught in the track. Reynaers sliding systems are equipped with an internal drainage system with drainage slots built before the water barrier - resulting in a double barrier defence against water infiltration. Furthermore, the no threshold option includes a below floor drainage system. With the no threshold option, minimal and unique design solutions do not need to be hindered in the name of functionality.
CP 155 LowThreshold Solution: 0.8” Threshold
CP 155 No threshold solution
Concept Patio series: hermetically sealed
CP 130 And CP 155 lift and slide doors are designed to anchor into the tracking system when closed, by way of a wrap around frame bottom with insulated gaskets.
The result? Specialized drainage systems accommodating forward thinking designs. Hermetically sealed sliders, with:
A water tightness grade of 6 - withstanding direct rainfall at 80 km/h, and flooding up to 1.16”.
Air tightness grades of 0.16 cfm/ft2 (Concept patio series) and 0.08 , which are 47% and 74% below the maximum acceptable air tightness grade for a new build, respectively..
Though offering superior drainage and weather performance, be sure to check tracks on sliders for dirt and water once every 6 months. For more, download the maintenance guide.
Stay tuned for part 2 where we break down the design differences of janela’s sliding door systems.
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