Sliding door questions

A sliding door has large glass panels that glide past each other on tracks, while a bifold door has narrower panels that fold up concertina-style at one or both ends. Sliders give bigger panes, slimmer sightlines and no panels sticking out into the room or garden when open. Bifolds can clear almost the whole opening but show more frame when closed. Our sliding vs bifold guide compares them in detail.

uPVC suits the tightest budget, aluminium suits most mid-range projects, and timber or alu-clad suits buyers who want natural wood inside. As guide prices, fitted, including VAT at standard 2.1 m height, uPVC starts from £1,695, aluminium from £3,295 and timber or alu-clad from £5,095. Aluminium allows slimmer frames and larger panels than uPVC. The right choice also depends on the size, colour and thermal performance you need.

A sliding door can be several metres wide, because the overall width is made up of multiple panels. Standard aluminium panels go up to roughly 2.5–3 m wide and 2.5–3 m high depending on the system, and lift and slide panels can be larger still. Our guide prices cover overall widths up to 6 m for aluminium, slimline and lift and slide doors, and up to 8 m for corner, multi-track and large floor-to-ceiling doors. See sliding door sizes.

Most sliding doors up to about 3 m wide work well with two panels. Wider doors usually move to three or four panels so each one stays a manageable size and weight. Fewer panels mean fewer interlocks and more uninterrupted glass. A multi-track door lets panels stack behind each other, so a larger share of the opening clears when the door is open. Your surveyor will suggest a panel layout that suits your opening.

Triple glazing is worth considering if heat loss, noise or a cold, north-facing room is your main concern. A good thermally broken aluminium slider typically achieves a whole-door U-value of around 1.2–1.6 W/m²K with double glazing and around 0.8–1.1 W/m²K with triple glazing, depending on the system. Triple glazing adds weight and cost and slightly reduces light and solar gain. For south-facing doors, double glazing with the right coatings is often enough. Compare both on the quote tool.

Aluminium sliding doors can be powder coated in almost any RAL colour, with anthracite grey, black and white offered on most systems. You can also choose dual colour, such as grey outside and white inside. uPVC doors come in white or a range of foiled colours and woodgrains, and timber can be painted or stained. Special colours may add to the price and lead time. See colours and finishes.

Yes, we supply and fit internal sliding doors, including steel-look glass doors on a top track and pocket doors that slide into the wall. Internal glass doors can divide a kitchen from a living space while keeping the light. As guide prices, fitted, including VAT, at standard height, internal glass sliding doors start from £1,695 and a single internal pocket door is £895–£1,595. See internal glass sliding doors.

A guide price is our typical fitted cost for a given door type and width, including VAT, at standard 2.1 m height. For example, a 2,400 mm aluminium sliding door has a guide price range of £4,295–£5,295, from entry to premium specification, and uPVC sliding doors start from £1,695. Extra height, triple glazing, special colours and building work add to it. Your final price is fixed in a written quote after survey. See all guide prices.

The guide price includes the survey, a made-to-measure door with double glazed safety glass, delivery, removal of your existing door, fitting, sealing and trims. Building Regulations compliance is arranged through a competent person scheme installer or by notifying Building Control. Forming or widening an opening is extra: for example, the guide price for forming a 3 m opening is £3,795 including VAT, covering steel, padstones and making good. Your written quote lists exactly what is and is not included.

Deposits and payment stages are set out in your written quote, so you know what is due and when before you agree to anything. The quote shows each payment stage for your job, such as any deposit at order and the balance, with the amounts and timings in writing. Nothing is ordered until you confirm the surveyed specification in writing. If any payment term is unclear, ask us before you sign.

Yes, supply only means we make the door to your measurements and deliver it for your own builder or fitter to install. Supply only costs roughly two thirds of the fitted guide price, plus standard mainland delivery at a guide charge of £95, with remote deliveries by arrangement. Your installer is then responsible for fitting and for Building Regulations compliance. Because the door is made to measure, check every measurement before you order. See supply only sliding doors.

Yes, every guide price on this site includes VAT at the current standard rate, and so do the figures from our quote tool. Guide prices are also fitted prices at standard 2.1 m height unless a page says otherwise, so supply only and taller doors are priced differently. Your written quote after survey shows the VAT clearly, so you can see the price before and after tax.

The price only changes after survey if the specification changes. That can happen if the measured size differs from your estimate, you choose different glass, colour or hardware, or the surveyor finds the opening needs structural work. Once you accept the written quote, the price is fixed for that surveyed specification. If you later ask for a change, we price the change in writing first.

Yes, the survey is free for new sliding doors and replacements, with no obligation to go ahead. A surveyor measures the opening, checks the structure and talks you through the options, and you then receive a written quote. Repairs work differently: we quote from photos or a diagnostic visit, and any call-out charge is agreed with you before we attend. Request a quote to arrange a survey.

On survey day a surveyor measures your opening precisely and checks everything that affects the door. That includes the lintel or beam above, the floor level and threshold detail, the condition of the surrounding brickwork, drainage outside and access for delivering large panels. The surveyor confirms your choices of glass, colour, handles and threshold, and flags any structural or regulation issues. You then receive a written quote for the surveyed specification.

Typical lead times after you sign off the surveyed specification are 2–4 weeks for uPVC, 4–6 weeks for aluminium, 6–8 weeks for slimline and lift and slide doors, 8–10 weeks for timber and alu-clad, and 3–5 weeks for internal glass doors. These are typical times, not promises, and special colours or glass can add to them. We give you an expected fitting date when you place your order.

On fitting day the installers protect the area, take out the old door, fit the new frame level and square, then glaze, adjust and seal it. Typical fitting time is one day for a straight swap of a two-panel door and 1–2 days for larger doors. New openings typically need 3–5 days of building work before the door goes in. Before leaving, the installer shows you how the locks, handles and any blinds work.

Yes, taking out your existing door and frame is part of a replacement fitting, and the installers take the old door away when they leave. The old frame is cut out carefully to limit damage to the surrounding plaster and brickwork. If you want to keep the old door, for example for a garden building, tell us before fitting day. Your written quote confirms removal and disposal.

Fitting a sliding door creates some dust and debris, so the installers lay dust sheets, protect floors and furniture near the opening, and clear up before they leave. Making good means repairing and finishing around the new frame, such as plaster to the inside reveals, trims and sealant outside. Your written quote sets out what making good includes and whether any decorating is part of the job. Where an opening is formed or widened, making good is part of the building work.

We survey, supply and fit sliding doors across Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly and some remote Highland postcodes are covered by arrangement, with surveys, fitting and delivery quoted individually. Supply only doors can be delivered across the UK, with remote deliveries by arrangement. Check your town on our areas page.

Yes, in England a replacement sliding door is a controlled fitting under the Building Regulations. The work must be done by an installer registered with a competent person scheme, who self-certifies and notifies it, or be notified to Building Control. Either way you should receive a certificate confirming compliance, so keep it for when you sell. Under Approved Document L (2021 edition), a door in an existing home with more than 60% glazing must achieve a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own building rules, so the requirements differ from England. Wales has its own Approved Document L (Wales) and its own planning rules, published on gov.wales. In Scotland, like-for-like door replacement in a house usually does not need a building warrant, but the work must still meet the Scottish building standards for energy and safety. Northern Ireland applies the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) through district council building control, with energy guidance in Technical Booklet F1.

Planning permission is not usually needed to replace doors on a house, because this is normally permitted development if the new doors are similar in appearance. Flats, listed buildings and homes covered by an Article 4 direction may need consent, so check with your council before you order. If you are unsure, your local planning authority can confirm. Our planning permission guide explains more.

Yes, in England glazing in doors is in a critical location under Approved Document K, so it must be safety glazing. That means toughened or laminated glass classified to BS EN 12600, which either breaks into small, blunt pieces or holds together when broken. Every sliding door we supply and fit uses safety glass as standard. Laminated glass can also add security and reduce noise. See sliding door glass options.

Forming or widening an opening is structural work, so it needs a Building Regulations application, structural calculations and usually a new steel beam or lintel on padstones. In Scotland it needs a building warrant. Forming a 3 m opening has a guide price of £3,795 including VAT, covering steel, padstones, making good and structural calculations. See sliding doors for new openings.

In England and Wales, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply if new steelwork for a wider opening bears on a wall you share with a neighbour. In that case you will usually need to serve notice on your neighbour before work starts, and they can agree or appoint a party wall surveyor. A straight door replacement in an existing opening does not normally involve the Act. We flag party wall questions at survey so you can serve notice in good time.

Manufacturer guarantees on frames, hardware and sealed units are passed to you, and our workmanship guarantee is set out in writing in your quote. Your quote and handover documents explain what each guarantee covers and how to make a claim, so keep them with your Building Regulations certificate. Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are unaffected and sit alongside any guarantee.

Yes, we repair sliding doors, including worn rollers, damaged tracks, faulty locks and handles, and misted sealed units. Repairs are chargeable and priced before any work starts: we quote from photos or a diagnostic visit, and any call-out charge is agreed with you before we attend. The free survey applies to new doors and replacements only. See sliding door repairs.

Clean sliding door tracks by removing grit and debris so the rollers can run smoothly. Vacuum the track with a narrow nozzle every few months, wipe it with a damp cloth and mild soapy water, and check the drainage slots are clear so rainwater can escape. Avoid oil or grease on the track, as it collects dirt. Wipe the weather seals and brush pile gently, and follow the manufacturer's care guidance for any lubrication.

Misting between the panes means the seal on the sealed unit has failed and moist air has got into the cavity. It cannot be wiped away from inside or out, and the unit loses some of its insulation. The fix is usually to replace the sealed unit, not the whole door. Condensation on the room-side surface is different and usually relates to humidity. Check whether the unit is still under the manufacturer's guarantee, then send us photos for a repair quote.

Made-to-measure sliding doors are excluded from the usual 14-day cancellation right under regulation 28(1)(b) of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which covers goods made to the customer's specification. That is why nothing is ordered until you confirm the surveyed specification in writing. Take your time to check sizes, colours, glass and hardware before you sign. Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are unaffected.

If something is not right, contact us first so we can look into it and put it right. Tell us what the problem is, with photos if they help, through our contact page or the details on your quote. We acknowledge your complaint, investigate, and give you a written response setting out what we will do. Your contract is with S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd, and your Consumer Rights Act 2015 rights are unaffected.