2-pane sliding patio door, made to measure

A lift-and-slide door lifts the sliding pane slightly off the track before it moves aside, and lowers it again when it closes, for a tight seal. In this 2-pane version one pane stays put and the other slides across in front of it: the opening you get is never wider than the fixed pane, because the sliding pane ends up in front of it.

The standard size is 3,000 × 2,300 mm. If you need a wider opening, the 3-pane and 4-pane sliding patio doors — with more fixed and sliding panes — are the wider options in the same form.

Lifting and lowering is what sets a lift-and-slide door apart from an ordinary sliding door: when it is closed, the weight of the sash presses the seals home, for insulation closer to that of a tilt and turn window than of a simple sliding door. That mechanism is in this smallest version too, even though only one pane moves.

Of the three sliding patio doors, this is the only one with just two panes, and so the only one without a second fixed meeting stile in the middle of the door. That makes it right for an opening of up to about 3 metres, whereas the 3-pane and 4-pane versions are meant for wider walls, where two stiles combine more fixed glass with the sliding panes.

For a lift-and-slide door, measure the threshold height and the floor build-up on both sides as well as the width and height: the track the sliding pane runs in needs a flat, solid base. Have your installer confirm how it meets the floor and how that drains, especially with a low or level threshold.

You choose colour and finish freely, often with a different colour inside and out. Maintenance on a lift-and-slide door is mainly in the track: keep it clear of sand, leaves and other dirt, because that is what hinders the lifting mechanism most over time. A door you use often benefits from a track you sweep regularly; a door you rarely open suffers less, but deserves extra care when you open it after it has been shut for a while.

In a renovation, this is often the smallest step from a single door to a patio door with more glass and a wider way through, without needing the full width of a 3-pane door. In a new build, this compact sliding door is often chosen for a bedroom or a smaller room where a whole wall of glass isn't needed, but sliding access to the balcony or patio is.

For security, the locking of the sliding pane is the point to watch on a lift-and-slide door: it has to engage just as firmly as the locking point on a hinged door. Ask for a version with extra locking points if you want to put more weight on this.

The weight of the sliding pane decides how heavy the lifting mechanism has to be; the fixed pane carries no hardware load. The configurator checks whether the glass you choose suits the profile and the size.

Still not sure? Use the comparison with the other layouts in this group, above, to see which arrangement suits your situation best.