Lift and Slide Doors vs. Sliding Doors

Are you searching for new doors to install within your home but cannot decide whether to get lift-and-slide or conventional sliding doors? If so, then you are in the right place. Sliding doors are a typical feature nowadays in every home. They are an excellent approach for allowing a good amount of sunlight while also making a way to the outdoors.

Although sliding doors are undoubtedly incredible, several glass and door builders have started manufacturing lift and slide doors in great quantity due to different design benefits and user-friendliness. But which is better? This blog post will help you decide which door is better, so keep reading!

What Are Lift And Slide Doors?
Before looking into which door is better, it is crucial to know what lift and slide doors actually are. So, Lift and Slide doors are a trendy pick nowadays since they allow you to advance your living room to the great expanses of the outdoors with only a couple of twists of the handle. While operating silently, these doors provide smooth functionality and an efficient layout, perfect for most houses.

Furthermore, a lift and slide door typically opens in alignment with the stationary component rather than extending into the space, letting in sufficient daylight and offering healthy ventilation. The door frames can move gently to one end or open in the center with a slight flip. In short, lift and slide doors feature modern design and functionality, making them ideal for installment rather than conventional doors.

Lift And Slide Door Mechanisms

Lift and slide doors feature an innovative mechanism that ensures your safety at all costs. With lift and slide doors, the door frame gets raised onto its tracks instead of using the entire load, as in the case of standard sliding doors. Also, the sliding frame stays firm on the door course in the locked position. Let us have a look at the mechanism of the lift and slide doors below:

1. Rotate the grip to 180 degrees to raise the door onto the sliders or the platform.
2. Once lifted, the force exerted on the track decreases significantly.
3. Then, slide the doors to your preferred position.

And it’s done! How easy, right?

Consequently, closing the lift and slide doors is also pretty uncomplicated. Just move the doors to shut them and twist the grip in the reverse direction to lock them into place!

Differences Between Sliding Doors & Lift And Slide Doors

Since both the doors work on a sliding mechanism, many people fail to see the difference between the conventional sliding doors and the lift/slide doors (even though they are completely different!). But you will have no ambiguities regarding these because this section deals with the differences between regular sliding doors and lift and slide doors:

• How The Doors Open

The first significant difference between lift and slide doors and regular sliding doors is the way they open. Sliding doors lie inside the tracks of the system and are anchored firmly. They include a sliding gear installed below the door, allowing them to slide onto the course without complexity. On the contrary, with lift and slide doors, you only twist the grip to raise the panel over its rollers.

• The Locking Feature

Another key difference is the door locking feature which is only available in the lift and slide doors. Once you open and move the lift/slide door to the desired position, the grip can get turned oppositely, locking the door there. However, the regular sliding doors do not have this locking feature which can be a disadvantage.

• Weight

The weight of the doors is also a main difference. Standard sliding doors commonly weigh no more than 200 kg for each door pane, whereas lift and slide doors may weigh up to 400 kg. Fortunately, this increased weight of lift/slide doors is not a disadvantage because of the contemporary mechanism of these doors, as explained earlier in this blog.

• Total Panels

The total number of panels varies for both types of doors. You can install 2 to 6 panels in sliding doors, whatever is feasible. However, in lift/slide doors, a maximum of 4 panels can be installed as it is large in size.

• Energy Efficiency

Last but not least, energy efficiency is another highlighted difference. Sliding doors do not offer energy efficiency. However, the exceptional manufacturing of lift and slide doors offers high energy efficiency as they are impenetrable.

Choose The Best Option For You

Now that you know the differences between lift/slide doors and sliding doors, it is time to decide which option is the best for you!

If you are searching for a setup supporting the heaviest weights, lift and slide doors would be the perfect option. As they can be locked in all positions, this type is also great if you are worried about your toddlers' protection. Moreover, the lift and slide doors are energy efficient too.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a compact yet sturdy door, you should go for the standard sliding doors. They enable you to install a maximum of six panels too. Plus, the sliding doors are cheaper than the lift and slide doors, so if you do not have a big budget, choosing Sliding doors would be the right option.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we explained everything about lift and slide doors vs. sliding doors in detail. Both doors are undoubtedly great in their ways. However, lift/slide doors definitely outweigh regular sliding doors due to their excellent mechanism and benefits. These are also manufactured at a higher pace now because of their demand. Ultimately, everything comes down to your demands and decision!

We believe we cleared all your confusion in this blog post, and now, you can choose whatever is best for you right away. Good luck!