Are secure sliding doors right for homes in Kent?
The right door depends on the opening, the room and the way you use the garden. Here is how secure sliding doors tend to work out in practice:
Whichever door you choose for your Kent home, pair it with good habits: lock the door, remove the key and keep side gates bolted.
If your Kent home has a rear garden reached by a side gate or shared alley, the back door is the one to specify with PAS 24 testing and laminated glass.
- Laminated glass has a tough interlayer that holds the pane together when struck, so even a cracked panel resists an attempt to break through.
- Internally glazed or secured beads mean the glass cannot be removed from the outside, closing off a route that some older doors left open.
- A doorset tested to PAS 24 has resisted a defined set of timed attacks using hand tools, giving an objective benchmark rather than a claim based on the look of the hardware.
Guide prices for secure sliding doors in Kent
The table shows guide prices for common sizes, supplied and fitted, including VAT. Your exact price is fixed in a written quote once the opening in your home has been measured.
| Overall width | Typical panels | Guide price (fitted, inc VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 m | 2 panels | £3,295–£4,095 |
| 1.8 m | 2 panels | £3,695–£4,495 |
| 3.6 m | 3 panels | £5,595–£6,895 |
| 6.0 m | 4 panels | £8,295–£10,095 |
Every size is on the secure sliding doors page.
Daylight and glass in Kent
Daylight in Kent runs from about 7 h 52 min in December to 16 h 36 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.
Where we fit in Kent
We cover Broadstairs, Maidstone, Gillingham, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Folkestone, Margate and the rest of Kent.
Approvals in England
English Building Regulations treat a new or replacement external door in an existing home as a controlled fitting: it needs a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K or better (or Doorset Energy Rating band C) if more than 60% of it is glazed (Approved Document L), and safety glass in a critical location (Approved Document K). Compliance is arranged through a competent person scheme installer or a Building Control notification, so you get a certificate for your records.
Questions about secure sliding doors in Kent
Can you match other doors and windows in my Kent home?
Usually, yes. Most aluminium and uPVC systems come in standard RAL colours and finishes, and we can quote dual colour where the inside and outside need to differ. Bring photos of existing frames to the survey.
What is PAS 24?
PAS 24 is the UK enhanced security test standard for doorsets, including sliding doors. A door tested to it has been subjected to timed manual attacks with hand tools, mechanical loading of the panels and locks, and tests on how the glass is held. It applies to the complete doorset as tested, not to individual handles or locks on their own.
Are all your sliding doors PAS 24?
Not every door we supply is PAS 24 tested, and we would never claim otherwise. Our aluminium sliding doors are available in systems tested to PAS 24, and your written quote states the exact system and specification. If PAS 24 matters to you, tell us at enquiry and we will specify a tested system and configuration to suit your opening.
Can I upgrade the locks on my existing sliding door?
Sometimes, but upgrading locks alone does not turn an old door into a tested one. A new anti-snap cylinder or a secondary bolt can improve security on a sound door, and our sliding door repairs page covers lock work. If the panel can be lifted out or the glass removed from outside, replacement is usually the better answer.