External pocket sliding doors across Cambridgeshire
Here is what to weigh up if you are considering external pocket sliding doors for a home in Cambridgeshire:
Solid brick, cavity block or timber frame: the way your Cambridgeshire wall is built decides how the pocket is formed, which is why the survey looks at it closely.
If the wall beside your Cambridgeshire patio opening is free of windows, radiators and sockets, it may be long enough to take a pocket so the panels disappear completely.
- With every panel slid into the wall, the full width of the opening is clear, so the room and terrace join without a fixed panel in the way.
- When closed, a pocket door looks like a large-paned slider, with slim meeting stiles and plenty of glass instead of the many frames of a folding door.
- A lined and drained pocket carries rainwater running along the track out of the wall, protecting the structure as well as the rollers.
Guide prices for external pocket sliding doors in Cambridgeshire
These figures are for the door supplied and fitted, with the engineer's structural calculations, including VAT. They include forming the opening and the pocket in the wall; Building Control fees are set by your council and are extra. Your price is fixed in a written quote after survey.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m | 1 panel | £6,595–£8,095 |
| 2.1 m | 1 panel | £7,095–£8,595 |
| 4.8 m | 3 panels | £11,095–£13,595 |
| 6.0 m | 3 panels | £12,895–£15,795 |
Every size is on the external pocket sliding doors page.
Daylight and glass in Cambridgeshire
Daylight in Cambridgeshire runs from about 7 h 40 min in December to 16 h 49 min in June, with the noon sun at roughly 14° and 61° 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 Cambridgeshire
We survey and fit external pocket sliding doors in 9 towns across Cambridgeshire, including the CB2, CB7, PE1, PE13, PE15, PE19 postcode districts.
Approvals in England
In England, forming or widening an opening is structural work that needs a Building Regulations application, structural calculations and usually a steel beam on padstones. The new door is also a controlled fitting (U-value 1.4 W/m²K or better if more than 60% glazed). If steelwork bears on a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.
Questions about external pocket sliding doors in Cambridgeshire
Do you fit external pocket sliding doors in Cambridgeshire?
Yes. We survey and fit external pocket sliding doors in Cambridgeshire and across Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough and Cambridge. Start with a guide price online or call us, and we will arrange a free survey for a new or replacement door.
Are external pocket doors secure?
External pocket doors are secure when the panels lock to the frame with multi-point hardware, the glass is laminated, and the pocket is closed off so the panels cannot be reached from outside. Once shut, the front edge of the panel locks into the frame just as on a standard slider. Systems are available tested to PAS 24, and the locking specification is set out in your quote.
How wide can an external pocket sliding door be?
An external pocket sliding door in our range typically gives a clear opening of about 1.8 m to 6 m, using one panel at the narrow end and two or three panels on wider doors. Wider openings usually use pockets on both sides, or a multi-track pocket so the panels stack inside the wall. Sizes are confirmed after survey and the engineer's design.
How long does an external pocket door project take?
An external pocket door typically takes 6–8 weeks to make after survey sign-off, and the building work to form the opening and pocket typically takes 3–5 days before the door goes in. Fitting the door then takes 1–2 days. Engineer design and Building Regulations approval come first, so the whole project runs longer than a straight door swap.