New and widened openings for sliding doors across County Antrim
Most homeowners choosing sliding doors for new openings want the same things: more light, a clear view and a door that is easy to live with.
Thinking about a wider opening in County Antrim but unsure of the size? Mark it out on the wall inside and out with tape, then picture the furniture and the view before you decide.
Turning a County Antrim kitchen window into a door to the garden? Check where drains, gullies and air bricks sit outside, because they can affect the new threshold.
- Widening a standard patio opening to a larger span can transform how a room connects to the garden, giving a wall of glass rather than a doorway.
- Structural calculations are included in the guide price, and the Building Regulations application is handled as part of the project, so you are not left coordinating engineers and inspectors.
- The door is measured from the finished opening rather than from drawings, so it fits the opening as built, not as it was intended to be built.
Guide prices for sliding doors for new openings in County Antrim
Guide prices cover the door and forming the opening — steel beam, padstones, making good and structural calculations — fitted, including VAT. Building Control fees are set by your council and are extra.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 m | 2 panels | £6,595–£7,295 |
| 1.8 m | 2 panels | £6,995–£7,795 |
| 3.0 m | 2 panels | £8,795–£9,895 |
| 4.0 m | 3 panels | £10,295–£11,595 |
Every size is on the sliding doors for new openings page.
Daylight and glass in County Antrim
Daylight in County Antrim runs from about 7 h 12 min in December to 17 h 20 min in June, with the noon sun at roughly 12° and 59° 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 County Antrim
We survey and fit sliding doors for new openings in 11 towns across County Antrim, including the BT1, BT27, BT37, BT38, BT39, BT40 postcode districts.
Approvals in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, structural alterations need approval from your district council's building control service before work starts. New openings in Northern Ireland are by arrangement.
Questions about sliding doors for new openings in County Antrim
How soon can you survey in County Antrim?
Survey dates in County Antrim are arranged individually when we reply to your enquiry. After you approve the written quote, manufacture is typically 4–6 weeks for the door after the opening is measured; building work scheduled around approvals.
How long does it take to form a new opening?
Forming or widening an opening typically involves 3–5 days of building work, including propping, cutting out, installing the steel and padstones, and making good. The sliding door is then made to the finished opening, which typically takes 4–6 weeks for aluminium, so a secure temporary closure is fitted in between. The door itself typically goes in within one to two days.
Why does beam deflection matter for sliding doors?
Beam deflection matters because a sliding door needs a straight, level head to run properly. Every beam bends slightly under load, and if it bends too much the frame can be squeezed, making panels stiff or causing them to bind. Telling the structural engineer that a large sliding door will go underneath allows them to design a stiffer beam.
Do I need a steel beam for sliding doors?
A widened or new opening usually needs a steel beam or a suitable lintel to carry the wall and anything above it, and for wider openings a steel beam is the usual answer. A structural engineer chooses the size and bearing details based on the loads. The beam is placed on padstones at each end to spread its load into the masonry.