Building envelopes located within five miles of the sea are subject to harsher air conditions including higher levels of moisture and alkaline in the air.
There are common myths that sliding glass doors for coastal projects are a bad idea and should not be specified near the sea as materials such as sand and salt would get caught in the track and damage the system.
There is no smoke without fire, and while it is true that debris in the track can cause issues, this can happen with any systems and in any location, not just sliding doors by the sea.
Simply running the hoover over the track every now and again prevents debris build-up and is an important part of maintaining your sliding door system.
Glazing in a Coastal Environment – Thermal Performance
Winters by the coast can be cold with winds rolling in off of the sea, and so choosing building materials specifying glazing with high thermal performance levels is essential.
Our triple glazing sliding glass door utilises the minimal windows® 4+ aluminium framing profile with a polyamide thermal break. The deeper frame accommodates the extra pane of glass and insulating cavity, resulting in a sliding door system with unparalleled performance levels.
Argon is a naturally occurring gas that is known for its excellent insulating properties. It has long been used for insulating glazing systems as it is a tried and tested solution for creating glazing systems with high thermal efficiency.
This means specifying sliding glass doors for coastal projects is a great idea, as long as you’re specifying minimal windows®!
Glazing in a Coastal Environment – Frame and Glass Specification
When specifying sliding glass doors for coastal projects, it’s important to consider the framing material. Steel and timber frmaed doors are susceptible to damage from high moisture levels in the air.
Aluminium framed glazing is a popular choice for glazing by the coast or in locations with harsher air conditions due to its natural rust and corrosion-resistant properties.
Our aluminium framing can be powder coated with a marine-grade polyester powder coating, and for extra protection, the frames can be pre-anodised before the powder coating is applied.
The sea air has been known to leave deposits on the outer side of the external glass pane, which can mean that glazing systems by the sea need cleaning more frequently.
One option to avoid this is to specify the glazing with a low maintenance coating for an extremely smooth glass surface that debris can stick to.
If the glazing is south facing or it’s an oversized sliding glass door, we would recommend specifying a solar control heating to control solar gain from the sun’s rays.
Benefits of Specifying Sliding Glass Doors for Coastal Projects
Sliding doors are by far one of the most popular systems for high-end residential properties and holiday homes. The design of the minimal windows® systems allows the glass to be maximised with minimal sightlines.
The large glass panes and minimal framing can be used to provide clear, panoramic views of the outdoors whilst letting in a vast amount of natural light, giving any home a strong connection to the outdoors.
Oversized sliding glass doors and large glazing elevations can be utilised to enhance the design of a building, creating entire glass walls with an ultra-modern and minimal aesthetic.
Why Choose minimal windows® Sliding Doors?
minimal windows systems were developed over years, utilising the latest advances in glazing technology with high-quality framing and glass material to create systems perfect for high-end residential and luxury commercial projects.
The front sliding pane in our sliding glass doors has a specialised felt mechanism located in the base track.
When the door is pushed close this technical detail helps to move any debris out of the way, such as sand. Whilst the track still needs regular cleaning this helps prevent any debris damaging the door.
The flexibility in design means that minimal windows slim sliding doors have a wide range of frame finishing options, glazing options, configurations, as well as options for our aluminium glazing systems to be motorised.
Each system is manufactured completely bespoke, allowing the system to be designed to meet specific project requirements. When specifying minimal windows our team will work alongside architects to ensure the system achieves exactly what is needed and more.
Our slim sliding door systems have maximum sizes that they have been tested to, but they can reach large sizes.
We have designed and installed double height sliding doors up to 6m tall, as our team of skilled professionals take into account a wide range of factors such as location and wind load to design a system that works best for a specific project.
For more information on specifying glazing in coastal areas, contact the minimal windows® team today.
Shannon Normoyle
As one of the Senior Marketing Executives, Shannon oversees the website and SEO management and can often be found working on SEO strategies or writing content for the websites.
