Lift and slide doors across Greater London
These are the points a surveyor will go through with you when you choose lift and slide doors for a home in Greater London:
Before lift and slide doors are ordered for a Greater London extension, the structural engineer needs the panel weights so the beam and its bearings can be designed to carry them.
If your Greater London home has an exposed elevation that takes driving rain, the compressed seals of lift and slide doors give a tighter closure than brush-sealed sliders.
- Low thresholds of around 15–25 mm, or a flush finish with external drainage, are possible on many systems, so even a heavy door can give level access to a terrace.
- When the handle is turned down, the full weight of the panel compresses the seals, giving firmer resistance to draughts and driving rain than a brush-sealed slider.
- Turning the handle raises the panel clear of its gaskets before it moves, so the seals are not scuffed along the frame and keep their shape for longer.
Guide prices for lift and slide doors in Greater London
Guide prices are the same across Greater London: the fitted price depends on the size, system and specification, not your postcode. These figures are for a standard 2.1 m high door, fitted, including VAT and removal of an old door of similar size.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4 m | 2 panels | £7,495–£9,195 |
| 3.6 m | 2 panels | £9,695–£11,795 |
| 4.8 m | 3 panels | £11,795–£14,395 |
| 6.0 m | 3 panels | £13,995–£16,995 |
Every size is on the lift and slide doors page.
Daylight and glass in Greater London
Daylight in Greater London runs from about 7 h 50 min in December to 16 h 38 min in June, with the noon sun at roughly 15° and 62° respectively. Use that to choose your glass: standard low-E double glazing for north and east elevations, and consider solar-control or triple glazing for sunny south and west walls.
Towns we cover in Greater London
We survey and fit lift and slide doors in 90 towns across Greater London, including the BR1, BR3, BR6, BR7, CR0, CR4 postcode districts.
Approvals in England
In England, a replacement sliding door is a controlled fitting under the Building Regulations. In an existing home, a door with more than 60% glazing must reach a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better (or a Doorset Energy Rating of band C) under Approved Document L, and glass in doors must be safety glazing under Approved Document K. We arrange compliance through a competent person scheme installer or by notifying Building Control, and you receive the certificate.
Questions about lift and slide doors in Greater London
How soon can you survey in Greater London?
Surveys in Greater London are booked at a time that suits you, and we offer survey dates when we reply to your enquiry. After you approve the written quote, manufacture is typically 6–8 weeks from survey sign-off.
How heavy and wide can lift and slide panels be?
Lift and slide panels can typically be larger and heavier than standard sliding panels, often several hundred kilograms each, depending on the system and glass. Our range covers overall widths from about 2.4 m to 6 m in two or three panels. Very large panels need a structural opening sized for them and careful handling, often with lifting equipment, which is planned at survey.
How does a lift and slide door work?
A lift and slide door works through a geared handle: turn it and the mechanism raises the panel a few millimetres onto rollers so it slides freely; turn it back and the panel lowers onto the frame, compressing the seals. The seals are never dragged while the panel moves, which helps them last, and the lowered panel stays exactly where you leave it.
Will I need Building Regulations approval for a large lift and slide door?
A large lift and slide door often needs Building Regulations approval for the structural work, because forming or widening an opening in England needs an application, structural calculations and usually a steel beam. The door itself is a controlled fitting, installed by a competent person scheme installer or notified to Building Control, with safety glazing throughout. Scotland needs a building warrant for a new or wider opening; Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.