Advice Alternative options for Slim Framed Sliding doors
Slim framed sliding glass doors like minimal windows are the first choice for architects looking for a modern and minimal finish to their glazing.
Minimal framed sliding door systems are arguably the best solution to get natural light coming in from maximisation of the glass area.
When opened a minimal amount of door frame is visible. The slides give a fashionable, modern look; a satisfying minimalist aesthetic giving the home a character and a comfortable feel.
This creates a link between the indoor and outdoor living space and can also be merged from the openings.
The design options available for these minimal systems have grown exponentially over the years but what if you are looking for a slightly alternative design?
Are you are looking for a timber-framed solution?
Our minimal windows sliding doors have a slim aluminium profile and most slim framed sliding systems will use an aluminium frame. But did you know that you can now get the same minimal framed design but in a warm timber frame?
The Carminati Skyline sliding doors from IQ Glass are a unique and exclusive timber framed door system perfect for luxury architectural designs. The ultra-thin frame offers you a vertical profile of only 37mm. In fact, it is so minimal that it is the slimmest timber door in the world… yes! In the world.
This prestigious timber door system is available in a wide range of timbers including pine and oak. These timbers are then treated from a catalogue of finishes, offering you the latest architectural timber finishes and providing you with excellent technical performances.
The beauty of a timber frame, as opposed to a thermally broken metal one, is the increased levels of thermal insulation. Whereas a thermally broken metal frame would offer you a Uf value of something in the region of 2.5 W/m2K (requiring a highly insulated glass unit to bring the Uw value to below 1.6 W/m2K) the Uf value of the Carminati Skyline frames is 1.1 W/m2K on its own! This means that it is much easier to achieve high levels of thermal insulation without having to increase the frame sizes of your doors.
A timber frame offers a dramatically different design and feeling to a room than a metal one does. Obviously minimal windows will give you a slimmer frame (21mm compared to the 37mm of Carminati) but if it is a timber frame that you are after then you can’t get more minimal than Carminati.
Matching windows and hinged doors are also available in the same Carminati Skyline range so you can match all the openings in a building.
The Carminati Skyline range is available exclusively to IQ Glass in the UK. To find out more about the system please contact the team on 01494 722 880 or email hello@iqglassuk.com
Do you want an entire wall of glass that disappears?
The minimal windows sliding panes can easily be designed to slide away into hidden pockets within a wall. This will create an entire wall of glass that disappears. But if you are looking for something a little more dramatic the HIRT Swiss Descending Window could be the ‘wow’ factor you are looking for.
This system creates large glass walls that can disappear within seconds beneath the floor at the press of a button. Magic right? Within the descending wall, you can include a large pane of fixed frameless glass or you can include an opening door system, such as minimal windows. This means that you get the minimal design of minimal windows on a day to day basis PLUS the ability to sink the entire wall below the ground when it is nice enough weather.
The HIRT Descending Fronts are not only available in straight windows but also in curved and corner windows according to your building specification.
This high tech window is designed to give a modern and sophisticated look to a building with all surrounding framing hidden by the building finishes. Not to mention the sound level is below 70 Db which makes it almost silent.
When the façade is fully open the threshold created is completely flat. A resulting indoor and outdoor living space is created, combining the areas on those lovely sunny days.
The HIRT Swiss Descending Window is available exclusively to IQ Glass in the UK. To find out more about the system please contact the team on 01494 722 880 or email hello@iqglassuk.com
Are you looking to reduce the cost?
The minimal windows systems are a premium window and door product and do come at a cost. We speak to many specifiers that are looking for a minimal framed design but have tight budget requirements to hit.
In these instances, we normally recommend a slightly larger framed solution from our friends at Hedgehog Aluminium. The first alternative option is generally the Sieger 30 sliding doors. These sliding doors have many of the same design characteristics as the minimal windows (slim framed and frameless surrounds) with a marginally larger sightline of 30mm.
These lower cost sliding doors do not have the wide range of design capabilities that minimal windows do (for example they cannot be opened at the corner or be designed to slide into pockets). The locking solution is not as minimal and you cannot go to panes as large as minimal windows. However, if you are looking for a simple three-pane slider with minimal frames and minimal windows are out of budget then this is a good compromise.
The Hedgehog Aluminium showroom is based at Sky House Design Centre where the minimal windows are on show so if you would like to compare the systems you can do.
If you are looking for something else?
More alternative sliding door solutions can be found in this broad Sliding Doors Guide from the IQ Group. You will find minimal windows featured within it as well as some possible alternatives.
We have a wide range of knowledge about the glazing market and are happy to offer alternative solutions if minimal windows will not be suitable for you. If you would like any further technical information about any of the products mentioned in this article please give the team a call on 01494 722 880 or email hello@iqglassuk.com.
