Frameless slide and fold doors are designed with a minimal aluminium frame and maximum glass area. They are suitable for internal or external use and are available as single or double-glazed doors.
For external use, double-glazed frameless slide and fold doors are an alternative to the conventional larger framed bifolding door; their main advantage is a less visible vertical frame, giving a more seamless glass wall appearance, yet they are still secure and weather resistant.
How do frameless slide and fold doors work?
Frameless slide and fold doors utilise an aluminium frame at the top and bottom. The system is designed to be slim and features no visible mullions. Within the outer frame sit the individual door panels. These independently slide and then hinge outwards, folding together just like a bifold.
Are frameless slide and fold doors only for new openings?
The outer frame depth of a frameless door ranges from 61mm to 70mm deep. With most original windows and doors designed around a 70-75mm frame, a frameless slide and fold door is suitable as a replacement for old windows and doors as well as new build applications.
Are frameless slide and fold doors slimmer than other folding doors?
On a frameless door, the top frame is only 44mm deep and the bottom track 40mm deep. This is nearly half the depth and visible sight line of conventional aluminium bifolding doors.
The door rails are 55mm wide, again making them slimmer than most aluminium doors on the market.
The frameless doors feature no visible mullion when each door panel meets in the closed position.
How do frameless slide and fold doors stay secure?
On a frameless slide and fold door it is only possible to access the locking mechanism from the inside. Doors feature a secure, key operated handle that cannot be operated or accessed from the outside.
A simple unlocking of the key and a turn of the handle releases the master door ready for operation. Best of all, frameless slide and fold doors do not require the intermediate handles found on aluminium bifolds to keep the central panels secure.
When the frameless doors are locked, turning the handle pushes all the door panels together to provide security across the entire door set. At the same time, the doors have a weather proof seal.
Are frameless slide and fold doors energy efficient?
A quality glass door consists of a large amount of glass. Frameless slide and fold doors utilise a patented system with high specification glass units. Other bifolding doors are glazed with conventional glass units with warm edge plastic spacer bars. Frameless glass doors use a glass spacer bar on the vertical edges of the glass units.
All frameless glass doors with double glazed units are insulated products meeting or exceeding the requirements of current Building Regulations. The aluminium frames used in a frameless glass door are also thermally insulated.
Are frameless slide and fold doors top or bottom hung?
The bottom hanging arrangement on bifolding doors has established itself as the most reliable weight-bearing method. Frameless glass doors slide on a purpose-designed wheel system with the majority of the door panel weight being at the bottom. This offers a safe operation as well as a smooth one. No additional reinforcement of the door profiles is needed.
How does each panel work on frameless slide and fold doors?
Each door panel has an aluminium section at the top and bottom. The doors are connected to the track using a flag and spacer profile that slides within the frame. The bottom track of a frameless door has a specially designed turning mechanism. This tells the user precisely where the doors stop sliding and are ready to fold open.
Can frameless slide and fold doors be configured to suit each property?
Just like a bifolding door, frameless slide and fold doors can open inwards or outwards. They can slide to the left or the right. There is flexibility in having door panels stacking to one side or split to stack on both sides. The traffic door found on traditional aluminium bifolds is also possible.
To summarise, frameless slide and fold doors can be great alternative to conventional bifolding doors if your main criteria is less visible frame and more glass. However, you must check the doors are fit for the purpose of where you are going to have them installed; they must adhere to building regulations and security certification if being installed as an entrance system to your home.
There are other types of frameless doors and windows. If you would like some guidance and advice on the right type of frameless door for your project, we will happily to answer your questions.
