In 2018, the new Schuco ASE 60 sliding door was introduced by Schuco.  That same year this door won the Red Dot Design Award 2018 under the Interior Design Elements category.  The Schüco FWS 35 PD.HI used with the sliding patio door ASS 77 PD.HI also won awards in this category, as did the Schuco FireStop system, an internal slimline door with a fire rating.   A latest generation sliding door, with impressive aesthetics and clever design features. We review the latest Schuco ASE 60 sliding door and tell you everything you need to know.  Also mentioned is its other variant the Schuco ASE 80.HI model.

What is the Schuco ASE 60 Sliding Door?

Schuco is already internationally renowned as a leading aluminium systems company.  In the UK, their bifolding and sliding doors are especially popular, not only as top-of-the-line doors but for brand kudos, engineering and design.  While there are similar looking doors to Schuco, you only need to slide or fold a Schuco door to see the real quality behind the product. The Schuco ASS70 FD bifolding door is slim, highly engineered and one of the best bifolds on the market. There is also the ASS70 sliding door is also widely used in the UK available as an inline or lift and slide door for the home.

With the ASE 60, Schuco has set out to enhance an improve a winning concept. However, the trend for thinner sliding doors continues and especially at the door mullion, also known as the interlock. So not only has the company created a better, thinner and more attractive door, but they have also made it easier to make for the fabricators and better to fit for the installer. The ASE stands for Aluminium Sliding Element and the number denotes the frame thickness.

As well as this, this new door provides enhanced thermal insulation up to passive house standards when chosen as a 80mm deep system. As with any modern sliding door you also get a choice of tracks meaning multiple leaves slide to the left or to the right. For fabricators especially, Schuco makes life easy thanks to multi-functional profiles.  The logic behind this is to streamline the stockholding and number of components fabricators hold. So whether you choose the ASE60 or the ASE80 model, most use the same parts whether you choose an inline or a lift and slide version.

Finally, this new door comes with the same broad range of sizes the company is well known for as well as continuing the brand reputation of architectural design freedom. This makes Schuco ideal for architectural glazing and more ambitious design projects.

Comparing Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60 sliding doors.

So what is the difference between these two models? It mainly comes down to U-Values,  frame depth and how thick you want the glass to be.  Most people will opt for the ASE60 for new build applications, but we see situations where the Schuco ASE 80.HI will suit replacement applications for the deeper frame depth.

For clarity on the maximum sizes, both the ASE 60 or the ASE 80 go up to 3.2metres wide and 3.5 metres high, or 3.5 metres wide and 3.2 metres high. Schuco says this makes their door the largest possible on the market.  This is not strictly true as there are doors such as the Panoramah system that go up to 27 square metres per panel. But if you take the combined width and height then, yes, Schuco has engineered a door at a quite impressive size capability.

Importantly, we need to focus on the interlock.  The UK home improvement market has significantly over-marketed the thin interlock message.  Our advice is it does not matter.  There are some outstanding doors on the market with thicker interlocks than the 20mm found on minimalist structurally bonded sliding doors.

Obviously, size governs the thickness of interlock available on these and other dry-glazed doors.  So while your local Schuco installer may market the 40mm sight lines this does not mean it comes with any size door.  You will more likely get the 92mm interlock on the biggest size doors for strength and wind loading. However, for most standard size doors at say, 2200mm high the 40mm interlock comes as an option.  A Schuco door is an engineering masterpiece and the thicker sightlines at the interlock should in no way put you off. Look at the overall product and, importantly, slide it to see just how well it works.

Features of the Schuco ASE 60 and Schuco ASE 80.HI Sliding Doors.

As you would expect with any Schuco product, you get insulated aluminium sections, durable powder coated finish, security testing to the latest standards as well as exceptional weather performance.  Therefore, we focus on other features of the door and around the design in particular.

First of all, one of the reasons the Schüco ASE 60 and 80 won the Red Dot Design Award is overall appearance.  A clean, sleek appearance is what this door offers homeowners and a great selling point for installers.  Flush locking points, concealed grooves and a better-looking door when open is just a start.

When you see the doors, take a look at the locking system. These doors come with a near flush lock design. Open other quality doors and you’ll find the locking systems is relatively prominent.  While this does not matter too much, the Schuco doors come with a more seamless appearance whereby the major lock components are less visible. As well as this many of the components in the sliding panels are also hidden from sight thanks to a panel that closes the profile off neatly.  Even better with Schuco doors is the ability to have the vents sliding on the outside or the inside of the frame. This comes about as a result of the doors being symmetrically identical.

Also on the locking system, you get a choice of where the bolt pins locate.  You get the option of the bolt pins fixed in the vent frame as well as the standard option of going into the outer frame.  Again this offers a cleaner overall design to the whole product with less visible hardware.

The Schüco SmartStop and SmartClose are other excellent design features. Relatively new amongst sliding doors is a soft close mechanism. While we’ve never heard of people slamming their sliding doors shut, Smart Close does slow the door down gently as it approaches the frame.  Then the Smart Stop feature draws the door slowly into the closed position.  As a result, you get a more intuitive door panel that appears to bring itself into the frame, adding an extra feature to the overall closing process.

Other products to compare with the Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60.

For anyone looking to buy a premium brand sliding door, it makes sense to compare some products.  There is no bad door on the market, but if you’re looking for similarly engineered doors and with comparable aesthetics, we suggest the following doors at similar price points. There are, of course, many different sliding doors on the market, from many different brands, but we consider these to be comparable in terms of sight lines, engineering, features and brand.

1.  Reynaers Hi-Finity Sliding Doors.

The Reynaers Hi-Finity sliding doors is another excellent sliding door with impressive engineering and design. Reynaers offers another door with an excellent brand reputation as well as another door going up to 3.5-metre sizes.  The Hi-Finity also comes with a 35mm interlock as well as some intelligent design features like Schuco.

2.  Sunflex SVG 30 Sliding Door.

Also worth looking at is the Sunflex SVG30 re-engineered sliding door.  This particular door comes with a 30mm interlock, an excellent low threshold as well as being a Sunflex brand.  Well worth looking at.

3.  Air 500 and 600 LS.

The air 500 or 600 LS sliding doors are also re-engineered by Everglade Windows with an excellent surface finish, 25-year warranty and luxury door hardware options.

4.  Solarlux Cero Doors.

We think the Solarlux Cero is excellent and another German-engineered sliding door for the home.  Great in use, slim to look at and with outstanding build quality.  The range of colours is also excellent as is the thermal performance and quality of the door components.

5.  Reynaers CP130 and CP155 Sliding Doors.

Alongside the more expensive Hi-Finity door, we suggest the CP130 or CP155 products.  With a very high specification, four threshold options and a very good system, these are another brand of sliding doors to compare with the Schuco.

Schuco ASE60 sliding doors review.  Conclusion.

With any Schuco door, you get elegant, functional and highly reliable doors.  These are not the cheapest doors on the market, but they are some of the best.  While they don’t have the one-manufacturer supply route of products by Sunflex, Origin, Centor or Air doors, they do come through a highly trained network of manufacturers, supplied to good installers all over the UK.

The SmartClose and SmartStop features are great to see on a quality sliding door. We especially like how this door is also designed to be sophisticated yet easy to make, thanks to its modular and scalable profile system. The hidden hardware, impressive sizes and great thermal performance are other great design features Schuco is well known for. And even if you need big doors needing the thicker door mullion, our advice is, it does not matter. A Schuco door will enhance any home with a luxury sliding door that is engineered to last and is outstanding in many ways.

Use our contact form to get in touch for further information, where to buy or to ask any questions.

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A to Z Glazing provide and install fully fabricated Aluminium and UPVC doors and window frames, mainly installed into public and commercial buildings. A to Z Glazing can offer all there doors to match any RAL or Pantone colour, with a dual colour option also available.
A to Z Glazing ensure all doors meet current safety standards for any required glazing as well as the fabrication itself, and can offer advice on Anti Ligature options and Compliance with building control.

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Windows with built-in blinds come in all the major materials.  As well as aluminium windows, pvcu, timber, and even composite hybrid windows all suit any of the integral blind systems on the market.

Integral blinds provide many benefits over conventional after-market blinds. We explain everything you need to know when buying new windows with blinds between the glass.

Information about windows with built-in blinds.

First of all, buying integral blinds for any window means getting in touch with a reputable supplier of windows and doors. Virtually all integral blind systems reach the homeowner through a network of home improvement businesses and window installers.  Few manufacturers of integral blinds supply the end-user directly as they are higher up the supply chain as manufacturers of double glazed units.

Therefore if you need a price for integral blinds for any windows as well as doors, you need to get a price for the windows at the same time.

Aluminium, as well as PVCu and timber windows all, use the same integral blind systems.  The deciding factor in whether any new or replacement window suits integral blinds is the glazing cavity, as well as the thickness of the sealed unit it accepts.  Most modern windows with built-in blinds come with a 24mm or 28mm glazing cavity for double glazed units.  Triple glazing also suits integral blinds being a deeper cavity – typically 32mm or more.

When you place your order for your new windows, the window manufacturer issues your installer with the glass manufacturing sizes.  These sizes form the basis of the order to the integral blind manufacturers.  Your integral blinds come made to these sizes.  Once your window supplier receives the glass with blinds, he glazes them into your new windows at your property as part of the overall installation.

Many PVCu and timber windows come factory glazed.  Where you need these types of windows with built-in blinds, your windows supplier either provides the units to the manufacturer or the manufacturer deals directly with a supplier of integral blinds.

The benefits of buying windows with integrated blinds.

One of the most significant benefits of buying windows with built-in blinds is less wear and tear.  The blind sits permanently sealed within the double glazed unit. Therefore, they never need cleaning, they do not gather any dust, and the blinds remain protected.  There is no risk of any damage from wind, children, pets or general wear and tear from being exposed to the internal environment of a home.

Another benefit of integral blinds staying clean and dust-free means a longer service life compared to after-market fabric, plastic or wood blinds.

The glass supplied with modern windows and doors is already of an excellent specification.  As standard, most windows today come with quality glass, having a soft-coat low-emissivity coating, warm edge spacer bars and argon gas fill. Doors also have the same specification with the glass always toughened or laminated safety glass.  The result of this good specification is excellent energy efficiency.  However, when you fit an integral blind between the glass, the performance of the unit improves further.

Integral blinds sit very neatly within the glass also offering excellent privacy, with fewer gaps compared to cheaper wood, metal or plastic horizontal blinds. As with any other blind, they tilt as well as raise and lower.

Finally, the manually operated blind often comes with a simple magnet operation or electric option.  This makes windows with built-in blinds a safer product compared to dangling cords.  There is even a solar control integral blind option, opening and closing the blinds as daylight changes.

Origin windows with built-in blinds alongside Origin bifolds, supplied by Open Living in Letchworth.

What to consider when buying windows with built-in blinds.

One primary consideration when buying any windows with integral blinds is that the blind is part of the glass unit. This is a permanent fixture. Therefore, we suggest you visit a showroom and see how full-size windows with blinds look. Only by looking at a product can you decide if windows with built-in blinds are for you.

Furthermore, every integral blind needs a perimeter frame to house the mechanisms for the blind system.  Consequently, windows with integral blinds have less visible glass than standard glass units. Every integral blind differs.  Some have very visible raised and stacked blind slats, others less visible.  You should expect to see a thick sight line at the top of the units with the blind raised.

Despite the reduced glass sizes, the benefit is no new curtains or blinds.  Also, many modern aluminium windows and doors are slim, contemporary and highly attractive products. Therefore where after-market curtains and blinds obscure your glazing, integral blinds let you enjoy the fine lines and colour of your new windows and doors while enjoying privacy and shade from the closed blinds.

Windows with built-in blinds also look great inside the home or office.

Getting a quotation for new windows with integral blinds.

To find out how much windows with built-in blinds cost requires extra and necessary information such as your window sizes, blind colours, preferred blinds operation and details relating to the window frames. Only then can you get an accurate quotation for your home improvement project.

Contact us to find out where to buy or get a price. You can use the contact form on this page for further information or for us to put you in touch with a local supplier offering brands of aluminium windows with built-in blinds.

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Aluminium rooflights are an excellent addition to a home and especially a new extension. Adding light from above, rooflights work within other contemporary glazing products such as the latest modern sliding doors and bifolding doors.  The Titan Edge Flat Rooflight is one of the newest rooflight products on the market, offering some excellent features over other products.  We review the Titan Edge rooflight and why you should consider it for your home.

Contemporary Titan Edge Flat rooflight.

The company and people behind the new Titan Edge rooflight come with many years experience with roof products and glass. Now, this experience creates an altogether new type of rooflight. Designed and made in Hampshire, Titan rooflights bring innovation and excellent aesthetics compared to other brands. The team looked at other products on the market, making this product better. The skylight design we’ve seen looks beautiful, modern and elegant.  And with this great appearance comes excellent thermal performance, built-in security, safety and it is easy to fit too.

The rooflight comes in Grey RAL 7016, Black RAL 9005 or these colours outside with white inside at no extra cost. You can order other colours on special order. For the sizes, you get the choice of  1000m x 1000m, 1000 x 1500m or 1000 x 2000m as standard. Different sizes are available to special order too.

The new Edge rooflight stands out for its edge-to-edge glass. As a result, the external appearance is unlike other rooflights, relying on aluminium trims and edging materials.  There are also other features you’ll find on this product.

A polished smooth external design.

Not only do the glass edges create smooth edges, but they also provide the ability for water just to run off the glass. While other rooflights are, of course, weather resistant, this design is excellent in wet weather.  The rain just falls away from the edge of the rooflight without silicone or edge trims for possible water collection.

Our advice is to see this rooflight and then compare it to other products. We’ve seen rooflights from Atlas, Sunsquare and others – this simply looks much better.

Sits flatter to the roof for a seamless appearance.

The Titan flat rooflight stands 63mm above the upstand of the roof.  This again is less than other products on the market.  Therefore when looking at the rooflight from above, such as a bedroom window down to the flat roof, the look is neater and seamless. There is just less protrusion.

Enhanced Security with the Titan Edge Flat rooflight.

As standard, the glass on this rooflight is laminated on the inside pane.  Not only does this offer better noise reduction, but also a valuable safety feature.  Should the glass break, the interior laminated glass holds together and does not drop glass down into the room.

Laminated glass is just like a car windscreen. A plastic layer between two pieces of glass holds broken glass together and will not come away.  Laminated glass also gets used in Secured by Design certified windows and doors, thanks to its improved security features.  Consequently, in residential property,  the shatterproof  laminated glass is a peace of mind feature.  Another benefit is laminated glass offers a 98% reduction in UV rays, protecting furniture and fabrics from sun fading or bleaching.

While other rooflights come with the option of laminated glass, often this is not offered to homeowners.  Most rooflights typically come with 6mm toughened glass. While toughened glass is strong, when it does break, it shatters into thousands of small and relatively harmless pieces.

Thermally Efficient with 1.3Wm2K U-Values.

The glass construction you get with the Titan Edge flat rooflight is a 32.4mm glass unit. Outside you get low maintenance solar reflective toughened glass. The laminated glass mentioned is 6.4mm thick also has a low-emissivity coating.  There is argon gas between the two panes and a warm-edge spacer bar.

In the summer months, this glass construction helps cool the room below.  In the winter, it helps keep the rooflight energy efficient with low U-Values. Therefore with other high performance glazing, helps reduce energy bills.

Titan rooflight benefits for installers.

Most modern flat rooflights come with a clever design and intended to make installation easy.  The Titan product is no different.  It is easy to fit but with a valuable benefit for installers.

When the fully-made and glazed rooflight comes to the site, it is in one piece and with fixing straps already attached. This, with the benefit of no additional trims or accessories, means installation, is always quick, neat and easy. Installers tell us that there is far less tidying up of the overall installation using this rooflight compared to other products.  Finally, a smart ‘pocket’ on the inside for the plasterboard to sit looks altogether neater in new extensions.

Titan Edge Flat Rooflight, what we think.

Rooflights in a new extension have several benefits.  First of all is the added light from above.  Then you get to enjoy the daylight hours more, relying less on putting the lights on in the autumn and winter months.  Rooflights are desirable, attractive and add real value to a home, a flat roof or an extension. With the Titan rooflight, the designers have taken all the great features of existing products and made them better.  Above all is the glass edges that work well if you’re looking for a very contemporary styling and to complement other modern products such as slimline sliding doors or frameless slide and fold doors.

There is a considerable amount of choice with rooflights today, and you won’t get a bad product anywhere. Any well made and correctly fitted rooflight will be functional and durable.  Our advice is to look at the glass and performance specifications and look at product appearance and how they will look from inside your room and when looking at them from above or outside. The Titan rooflight is one of the newest and cutting-products on the market and well worth considering on appearance, design, security and thermal performance.

If you want to upgrade the performance of the rooflight, options exist for alternative higher performance glass.

Prices start from around £900 supplied and fitted with the larger size at approximately £1200 including fitting.

The Titan Edge Flat Rooflight comes from a network of professional installers. Use our contact form to get in touch for more information and where to buy.

Images courtesy of Aspire Bifolds in Surrey, specialists in contemporary windows and doors as well as installers of this product.

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There are a number of laws such as The Consumer Rights Act 2015, seeking to protect you when the unthinkable happens after buying double glazing. But what do you do when your window company goes into administration or ceases trading altogether, having taken your deposit and you without windows and doors?  This recently happened with a Bristol-based home improvement company, also supplying Origin windows and doors.

Peace of mind when buying Origin windows and doors.

First of all, Origin doors and windows suppliers are established and professional businesses. That said, suppliers such as Origin are not contractually obliged to help when one of their dealers ceases trading. The two businesses are separate with a clear manufacturer-installer relationship. The sticky situation of an installer going into liquidation leaves you stranded having paid a deposit you’re unlikely to get returned.  Then you have the added headache of trying to complete your project at an extra cost too.  Worse still are you feeling let down by your supplier and the brand you chose to buy.

Clarity on buying goods and services is easier to understand in the event of things going wrong.  As well as this, there are several Insurance Backed Guarantee schemes available. Insurance Backed Guarantees work to protect the deposit you pay, often necessary when placing an order for new windows and doors.  Some businesses ask for up to 50% deposit, others more.

If you’ve previously had experience of a supplier no longer trading you may have found yourself hitting a brick wall with the manufacturer firstly having no legal obligation to help, and not inclined to be helpful.

Instead of stepping away from this issue, Origin chose an unprecedented route. They decided to help those customers having existing orders with this Origin dealer going into liquidation.

How origin helped customers at risk of losing money.

The reputation of Origin and its products is first-class. Few businesses in the home improvement sector offer the 20-year guarantee, service levels and customer care like Origin.   They agreed to take on any orders by their dealer. Then they decided to take on the liability of their dealer and honour the work.  Even better, they then agreed to carry out the work at the price sold and asked for no further deposits or financial outlay by the homeowners.  As a result, customers won’t pay any more than expected or agreed.  Finally, Origin themselves arranged installation of the products and will honour the guarantee.

What is even more impressive, is Origin has since adopted this course of action as future company policy.  It is their intention to provide support for future buyers of their products.  It is worth remembering that Origin chooses their dealer base very carefully, but they have no control over how these independent businesses operate. But what they can now do is mitigate the risk to you the homeowner in the event that one of their dealers ceases trading. And we know other manufacturing businesses in the UK working under the Approved Dealer network business model do not offer a similar level of support and customer care like Origin.  We can also tell you that we’ve never heard of, until now, of any issues with Origin products or one of their dealers.

When buying new windows and doors, choose your supplier carefully.

Therefore, while companies like Origin and others operating with a dealer network are under no obligation to help, they’ve decided to be there when the unthinkable happens. We applaud Origin’s move to step in should this rare event happen in the future.

Buying windows and doors from Origin provides you with some great benefits.  You don’t just get high quality, expertly crafted windows and doors.

• Doors and windows with a quality 20-year guarantee.
• A full range of bifolding doors, sliding doors, windows, front doors and even garage doors.
• The biggest choice of personalisation options such as colours and hardware options.
• The fastest lead times when you need to complete your project fast.
• Windows and doors from one of the best-known names in the UK.
• A quality dealer-network with support from the manufacturer when needed.

Origin as a business cares about their customer experience. While there is nothing wrong whatsoever in buying new windows from a smaller business, sometimes dealing with a larger and established business could leave you better protected in the future. Origin has the size, resources and processes in place to make the difference should things go wrong with your home improvement project.

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Steel look and steel replica screens for internal use continue to attract a lot of interest. One stand-out product, looking unlike any other on the market, is the minimalist version by FGC (Frameless Glass Curtains) and available nationwide.

FGC is already renowned in the UK for their advanced frameless bifolding doors, porches and other contemporary glass products.  However, for authentic steel look internal screens, this particular product, we think deserves an in-depth look.

Information about steel-look internal screens.

First of all, the sightlines of this steel look internal screen are thinner than any comparable aluminium system.  Bear in mind that most aluminium steel look systems remain exterior windows and doors, fitted internally.

The steel look internal screens are for internal use and this product specifically, comes with minimal sight lines of about 20mm all round. This slim dimension extends to the horizontal and vertical glazing bars too. Therefore, this particular product lends itself brilliantly to many different uses inside the home such as:

• A steel-look room divider
• Contemporary industrial style fixed screen or with a door
• As interior doors when used with just the door leaf
• Screens for hallways or large picture windows.
• An internal set of doors between a lounge or dining room and to separate off a conservatory.

If you are considering an industrial or steel-look screen in the home, the ultra-slim sight lines of this screen are hard to beat.  For aesthetics alone, you get consistent sight lines on the entire arrangement.

Standout features of internal steel-look screens and doors.

Next is the construction of this product. What isn’t obvious is the construction being from interior frameless glass doors.  These types of doors are popular in offices and around the home. The system is also excellent as a frameless glass porch. Creating this steel-look design means re-engineering and modifying a frameless door and screening system. However, the result is excellent.

The core construction is 10mm toughened or 11.5mm thick laminated glass with smooth, polished edges.  The doors use simple metal patch fittings to connect the glass or hang the doors.  You get options of open in or open out single or double doors.  These steel look internal screens use the same product.  However, it is capped with aluminium trim on the glass edges, giving the metal-framed door appearance. Then, the glazing bars applied to the glass,  create the grid-effect typical of metal screens and Crittall® style windows.

• Thin proportions replicating the sight lines of industrial look screens and metal windows.
• All metal components come powder coated in the desired colour with black, the most popular.
• The screen construction is around polished toughened or laminated safety glass.
• The door uses a smooth closing system and features no threshold at all.

For the door, you get a choice of locks, but a simple black lock body and the modern handle is all that’s needed for an internal screen. The screen houses the lock keep making this door functional and reliable, yet with the minimal amount of visible hardware.

Find out more today and get details of prices and where to buy.

As you can see from the images in this article, this property renovation has two of these screens – one to the kitchen, another to a bathroom. In a matt black powder coated finish, this beautiful slimline internal screen provides the desirable steel-look with minimal framing too. The toughened glass provides safety and you get options for sandblasting the glass for a contrasting glass appearance and privacy.

As good as systems such as the Alitherm Heritage, Reynaers SL38 or Aluk steel look systems are, we’ve yet to see anything with the thin proportions and outstanding modern appearance of this product.

Best of all is the thin door leaf and a product overall that few of the aluminium steel look systems match with the added benefit of no threshold at all.

We think these internal steel look internal screens with doors are ideal for internal glazing.  Get in touch today using our contact form for more information and where to buy.

Crittall® is a registered trademark of Crittall Windows Limited which is unconnected to the Aluminium Trade Supply Website.

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Panoramic bifolding doors are designed unlike other folding doors on the market.  It is fair to say these aren’t actually bifolding doors because of its hingeless system as well as the way the doors slide, turn and open.  A well engineered, high quality door system, Panoramic slide and turn doors offer innovation, premium grade materials and expert craftsmanship. The way these doors work and the added versatility over regular bifolds is their best feature.

In this Panoramic bifolding doors review, we give some background on the company as well as a full run-down on the door itself.  There are several great reasons why this slide and turn bifold door is worthy of consideration alongside other brands.

Information about Panoramic Doors

The original concept for the Panoramic door came about when Alan Rees, attended a trade show in America.  By listening to problems customers face often creates a great idea for a new product or business.  While bifolding doors are excellent as one of many types of patio doors for the home, often their functionality does not work for every kind of project.

Therefore, the people behind this altogether different type of bifolding door set about creating a door for the American market first. The UK version of this door arrived in 2012. Continuously improved and updated, the Panoramic bifolding door offers an alternative for homeowners and the trade to consider.  The door is reliable, functional, secure and thermally efficient.  You also get all the advantages of colour choice thanks to powder coated aluminium.  It also cleverly comes with a range of options to improve the user experience and interior comfort.

As a business Panoramic Group also has Pano Glass, Alumen and Wellglaze Doors and Windows. Therefore, in addition to slide and turn doors, you get a complete range of products for the home. The Panoramic Group offers sliding doors, slimline patio doors, flush sash windows, contemporary front doors, screens, blinds and glass products.

Specifications and features of Panoramic slide and turn doors.

As you would expect from a cutting-edge and latest generation aluminium product, the construction of the doors is from thermally insulated aluminium. A multiple chambered PVCu core separates the internal and external aluminium profiles.  This profile construction creates a thermally efficient door with low U-Values of 1.6 Wm2K.  For new extensions and renovations, the doors meet current Building Regulations too.

Also available with the doors is toughened glass as standard or a laminated glass upgrade.  Therefore, this door has all the performance specifications of some of the best bifolding doors on the market.

These doors are ideal for a new extension or as a replacement for old French doors with side panels, patio doors and even early generations of bifolding doors.

Importantly, it is the independently moving panels that differentiate Panoramic bifolding doors from other sliding folding doors.  Unlike conventional bifolding doors that are connected with hinges, here, each panel moves on its own.  While arguably more operations are needed to open a multiple panel door such as a six or seven panes large door, in our view, this is subjective and not a negative.   Every type of bifolding door needs several operations to move the panels from the locked position.  Moreover,  the independent panels provide more features than conventional bifolds.

No visible door hardware.

Cleaner sight lines, especially from inside the room are the first feature of these doors.  Compare these to hinged, concertina doors, and you will see no visible hardware.  No hinges, no door magnets, no intermediate handles, no visible door rollers and no flush bolt handles.  Even the fully stacked doors look neater. The only hardware visible on Panoramic slide and turn doors is the handle on the main traffic door.

You also get the choice of eight different handle colours including graphite, bronze, chrome, gold and the expected black and white.  There is even an option for keyless entry using the latest Yale locks.

The ingenious way these doors work means all the security with none of the visible hardware.

More opening options.

It is the added functionality the independent panels, providing more opening options over hinged bifolding doors.  You can move each panel anywhere you wish, and all the time there is no encroachment on the inside or outside space.

Above all, these doors look like big windows, thanks to no visible hardware, and offer multiple ventilation options.  Open the traffic door and move the doors to any position you like for ventilation. This slide and fold arrangement means you move the panels to the middle, the ends or have just one air gap.  As a result, you get added options such as letting children go in and out of one side, while adults sit and relax on another side of the doors. It’s also great for creating a gap for pets to go in and out of the house without having to open a door every time.

Even better is these doors again being ideal for terraced houses with only one rear door. They behave like a window, like a partition and of course, like a fully opening bifolding door.  Everyone accepts bifold doors don’t get used every day.  This design of bifold lets you leave the door panels anywhere you want in a safe, ventilated position.

Just like a bifold, these doors come with the traffic door option. The traffic door lets you use the bifolds daily without having to move the panels back every time. This feature with any bifold is useful in terraced houses, for instance, where often there is only one back door.  However, unlike many bifolding doors, the Panoramic product offers a hold open facility to the traffic door for added control and functionality.

Better ways to use your furniture and the inside of your home.

With any inward or outward opening set of bifolds, you need to leave a fair amount of space clear to get to the doors as well as leaving space for the doors to concertina together.  Consequently, bifolds mean keeping patio furniture clear on open out doors and your house furniture clear from the inside of the doors.

Once more, the slide and turn, independent panel design let you make more of your room. As the doors stay flat in their track until they reach their folding destination, you get more space in your room.  You can position a television, table and chairs or sofa right up to the doors.  On the outside, these doors are perfect for small patios. Usually, a sliding door remains the only option for small outside spaces.  Panoramic bifolding doors provide a solution to those homeowners wanting a bifold instead.

Quality range of colours.

Choosing a Panoramic door gives you the same extension colour choices as other aluminium doors.  What you also get is some unique colours other brands don’t easily offer, if at all.

As standard, the door comes in Black, White, Anthracite Grey.  Then you have a textured grey finish which is rougher to the touch and very contemporary.  Given the modern, square and consistent sight lines of this door over other bifolds, the textured finish works very well.  There is also a Solid White Oak option and a Mahogany finish for those wanting a wood effect appearance.

Of course, you also get the full choice of over 150 RAL colour, including a different colour inside and out.  The internal timber finish is an excellent touch too, giving a bit of real-wood luxury to the product.

Comparing Panoramic Doors to other bifolding doors.

Our at-a-glance guide gives an overview of the features the Panoramic slide and turn door has over some popular brands like Origin, Smart Systems Visofold 1000 and the Aluk product.  The nature of these doors means there is no direct competitor on a like-for-like basis. However, it does indicate how these doors compare with three of the best selling brands.  You can also reasonably compare Panoramic bifolds with other top brands such as  Schuco, Reynaers or Sunflex, even though all of these are slimmer in appearance.

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Origin French Doors provide all manner of solutions both as stand-alone door sets or French Doors with sidelights.  French doors make ideal patio doors for the home in both existing and new openings.  Our buying guide on Origin French Doors explains all you need to know about the product and how double doors work inside or outside the home.  You can also read our guide about choosing between Bifolding, sliding or French doors.

Information about Origin French Doors.

First of all, both single and double doors in the Origin system use the same profiles as the renowned Origin bifolding doors. The benefits of having one system in the home are to do with consistency.  The profiles, colour, specifications, appearance and source of the product are the same.

While any bifolding door system is suitable in creating single doors, French Doors or French Doors with sidelights, your supplier may not offer a double door option.  For instance, there are suppliers of Schuco or Reynaers bifolding doors only selling a bifold and selling residential hinged doors from other systems for commercial and other reasons.

Choosing French doors in the home offers a number of practical solutions too.

• Doors opening in or out.
• Fully glazed doors or doors with midrails.
• French doors with side panels, creating impressive glazed screens.
• Doors and associated glazed panels fitted with opening casement windows.

Importantly, the features making Origin bifolds so desirable, also come to the hinged door version of the product too.

Consistent Sightlines.

As you get the same profiles as the bifold, these matching doors look ideal where French doors sit with Origin bifolds. Therefore doors on the same elevation from one brand look the same even down to the handles, hinges and gaskets.

Using bifolding door profiles in French Doors is easy to do and aesthetically looks better than double doors in an alternative system. Depending on how you configure the doors, you also get the same handles as the bifolds, giving you similar aesthetics inside the home too.

Colour matched seals and gaskets.

One great feature found in Origin bifolding doors is the colour matched gaskets.  Only Origin offers seven different gasket colours to match the aluminium surface finish.  Choose from Grey, Black, Light Grey, White, Light Oak, Bronze and Chestnut Brown gaskets. As a result, these seven gasket colours offer a colour matched solution for all the popular colours of bifolding doors.

For instance, the grey gasket works with the popular light, dark and metallic grey powder coated finish.  There are also white gaskets for the white colour doors and even the woodgrain doors from Origin come with a colour matched gasket option.

20-Year guarantee.

When buying Origin French Doors you get the same 20-year guarantee available across most of the product range.  Again, this long warranty offers a single point guarantee for a residential project comprising Origin aluminium windows, front doors and bifolding doors.

Matching door hardware.

Again, Origin is relatively unique in offering colour matched hardware on bifolding doors. This colour matching also extends to French doors or doors with side panels.

Therefore, where other door brands only offer the option of silver, white or black hinges, an Origin product lets you have matching colour door furniture.  There are also options for contrasting colours or the upgrade to stainless steel hinges or door handles.

Five advantages of French Doors in the home.

As well as any product benefits in French doors, there are a number of practical benefits in the home too.

Better Security.

With Origin French Doors having an 8-point locking system and other brands coming with four, five or six point locking, a French door offers enhanced security.  While windows come with multi-point locking systems, doors have bigger locks, deeper throw hooks and enhanced security cylinders.

As a result, a French Door and even French doors with side panels offer excellent security despite the bigger glass sizes and bigger opening panels. Origin doors also come with high security hinges and the system itself comes tested to the latest security standards.

Improved light in the home.

With double doors come bigger glass panels and more light. Small rooms or rooms on North facing elevations benefit from having doors instead of windows.  Not only is there more natural light, but you also get the improved functionality, ventilation and access doors provide over windows.

Additional Access.

One great way to utilise Origin French Doors or any other double door is for improved access. Most Origin installers have the skills to take an existing window and enlarge the opening for a set of doors. Not only are you adding extra doors in the house, but also benefit from additional access to the patio or garden. Any home benefits from an extra door to the outside and a room is more desirable with a door in it over a smaller window. When selling a home, extra doors and routes to the garden are appealing for prospective buyers too.

Better U-Values and lower energy bills.

The more glass in a window or door, the better the thermal performance.  As a result, having a door with high specification insulated glass units, helps lower heating bills. You also get the added protection of toughened or laminated glass in a door, more secure than standard glass in windows above 800mm from finished floor level.

Larger sizes than PVCu doors.

A great benefit of buying aluminium doors over PVCu is slimmer sight lines and bigger door sizes.  French doors with side panels especially, provide less visible aluminium and bigger glass panels than comparable PVCu doors.  Furthermore, with Origin doors going up to 1200mm wide and subject to design, up to 3000mm high, you get all the benefits of expansive glazing associated with sliding doors in a more cost-effective product.

Get in touch today for more information about buying French Doors.

Use our contact form to get in touch and find out more about aluminium French doors, doors with side panels or other aluminium door products.

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The Origin OS-77 Sliding Door by Origin now provides homeowners and Origin dealers with a more standardised aluminium door as well as a more affordable option to the structurally glazed inline sliding door. Made in the UK, brand new and designed for both new build projects or as a replacement to old patio doors.  In this review of the Origin OS-77 sliding door, we explain some of the features, compare it with other brands and tell you more about its construction and specifications.

What is the Origin OS-77 Sliding Door?

With a resurgence in patio doors for the home and especially sliding doors, the latest OS-77 door, and the thinner OS-44 models offer homeowners two more expertly-crafted door options from Origin.

Like all their products, only Origin makes their doors. Therefore you not only get the well-known Origin quality and service, but you also get the renowned 20-year guarantee. The new OS-77 is not intended to replace the existing structurally bonded, slimline sliding door.  Instead, these doors address the need for the more conventionally-styled door. As a brand, Origin remains one of the best known in the UK for made-to-order aluminium windows and doors.

Like all Origin products, these new sliding doors come via a network of Approved Origin Dealers, trained and approved to sell the entire range of Origin windows and doors for the home. The range also includes bifolding doors, two types of aluminium windows, front doors, residential doors and even garage doors.

Having seen the product recently, what you get is a very attractive door with a modern square profile.  It is not intended to create large panoramic doors. This door suits standard height doors in existing openings and the typical door heights designed in most new extensions.

Why Origin products differ from others on the market.

Before we take a look at the specifics of the new Origin sliding doors, it’s worth mentioning that the introduction of these doors now provides a complete one-brand solution in the home.  Aside from a roofing system, Origin pretty much has the entire house covered.  The advantage to the homeowner is the peace of mind in who makes your doors.

While many well-made brands exist, often installers source windows from one supplier, doors from another, sliding or bifolding doors from another.  For instance, they may like to sell Aluk or Smart Systems windows but prefer bifolds from another supplier, front doors from another.  While a 10-year guarantee is commonplace with residential installations,  the warranties available from supplier to your installer vary. As a result, your supplier offers you an extended guarantee without them having the same comeback to a supplier higher up their supply chain.

Origin like other sole-manufacturers differ.  The quality of the products is consistent, the colour matching precise, the service levels steady and the lead times better.  For the trade, this means a reliable source of supply from one manufacturer.  Assuming they like the products available, the homeowner benefits too. One brand also means a single-point of guarantee and, arguably, greater peace of mind.

As recently highlighted, when an Origin dealer ceased trading, the one-source supplier also offers the rare ability for the manufacturer to step in when things go wrong.

Origin Inline sliding doors – product highlights.

First of all, these doors look modern and ideal for replacing old doors as well as for new extensions.  You get mitred door corners that look neat.  On the inside of the doors are square glazing beads. The door proportions look good and especially on dark coloured doors such as the popular grey colour.

Visually, the doors look similar to other good patio doors on the market such as Reynaers CP155 or CP130, Smart Systems Visoglide and the Schuco product too.

The doors come in a 2, 3 or 4-panel configuration as well as the option of double or triple tracks. Door sizes range from a minimum of 1.8 metres wide for smaller doors, right up to 6.6m on a three panel set.

Glass options are flexible with toughened glass as standard.  Then there are upgrades such as laminated glass, solar or acoustic glazing, switchable glass or integral blinds. With thermally insulated frames and good specification units, the doors exceed current Building Regulations for thermal efficiency.

The OS-44 is the slimmer mullion option for a slightly narrower sightline.  While the thin interlocks on sliding patio doors are heavily marketed, our advice is to look at the aesthetics of the entire door set, not just the slim interlock.

Aside from the thinner interlock at 44mm compared to 77mm, there is nothing different between the two sets of doors.

Consumers are often misled into thinking a slimline sliding door is thin everywhere. With many products, this is not the case.  Some of the best brands come with interlocks bigger than 60mm, and a smaller profile comes with size limitations too.

Therefore while a door comes with a slimline mullion/interlock, you may not be able to have it.  It’s also worth checking with what profile the door achieves its weather and security certification.

Comparing Origin Sliding Doors with other brands.

With today’s standards for security, weather performance or components, there is no ‘bad’ product on the market.  Furthermore, installation and how well a product is made is what creates a reliable and functional product.

However, buyers interested in the more conventional sliding door such as the Origin OS-77 or OS-44 will invariably be looking at popular brands such as the Visoglide and Visoglide Plus products, sliding doors from Aluk and Reynaers.

Other Origin sliding door features.

As expected from a modern sliding system, Origin sliders come tested to the latest security and weather performance standards.  Doors meet the required security ratings and weather performance standards.

For installers, a range of accessories such as trickle vents, sub-cills and drip bars offer additional options as well as helping with varying site conditions. Glass options include units up to 36mm as well as the facility for integral glass blinds.

As powder-coated aluminium products, the doors come in any of 150 standard RAL colours or a different colour inside and out. Origin remains the best supplier in the UK for fast lead times on standard colour doors. Expect these doors on the unbeatable Your Lead Time Not Ours service.

The standard colours on fast lead times include Grey 7015 Matt, Anthracite Grey 7016 Matt, Metallic RAL 9005 and White RAL 9910 Gloss.

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Stellar aluminium windows and doors come from Epwin Window systems, a major UK manufacturer and trade supplier.  Designed as a brand new system for the retail and commercial markets, Stellar aluminium offers windows, doors, bifolding and sliding doors.

Stellar Aluminium Systems windows and doors.

The range of windows and doors from Stellar aluminium systems are designed in-house. They offer homeonwers high performance products and manufactuers easy installation. Installers also benefit from a range of features and innovations making Stellar easy to fit.

The main features around the design of Stellar are slimmer sight lines, improved window aesthetics, a more adaptable window system and high security.

In designing the product, Epwin worked on products giving more glass area.  Fabricators of the windows benefit froma range of common parts such as compatibility with PVCu cills and trims. As well as this, there are characteristics designed into the system making Stellar products suitable for both contemporary as well as traditional houses.

Aluminium Windows and Doors by Stellar.

For houses, Stellar offers an entire range of windows and doors giving a one-brand solution in the home.  Every product comes with the latest thermal break technology, meets relevant industry standards and a durable powder coated finish.  Also designed into the windows and doors is a range of high secuirty locking systems with quality window and door furniture.

As a result, Stellar windows and doors offer residential property a slimline system in a range of styles, designs and excellent functionality.

Aluminium Windows.

For aluminium windows, there is a choice of a flush casement, a fully flush casement, fixed light windows, bay windows and combination window/door screens.

The standard flush casement has the inset sash on the outside with a conventional stepped detail on the inside. The fully flush casement replicates the exterior feature on the inside of the window.

This product works with both traditional houses as well as modern homes or new extensions. Fixed light and bay windows offer further choice with all the ancillary profiles such as bay poles, cills, trims and other accessories all available within the system.

Stellar aluminium doors.

For side doors or back doors, there is a choice of single or double doors. These use an attractive symmetrical sight line without the ‘picture frame’ detail found in other types of residential doors.

All door products come with multi-point locking, security cylinders and durable door handles and a choice of accessories. The doors integrate with the window system for creating door/window screens.

Finally, there is a low threshold option for use inside the home, such as closing off a conservatory.

Sliding patio doors.

Capitalising on the patio door market, Stellar offers a lift and slide door with sliding panels up to three metres wide.

The door comes with a range of interlock options as well as a choice of regular, low or wheelchair-friendly thresholds.

Also available is a lift and slide operation, four-point locking, weather tested to current standards and a C-Energy Rating.

Bifolding Doors.

The Stellar bifolding door comes designed for residential property with options for opening in or out doors up to seven sashes.

Door panels of up to 1000mm wide and 2400mm wide meet the requirements of most replacement door projects. Of course, they work well in new extensions too. The doors come with slim sight lines, certified security and a range of RAL colours.

Contact us for where to buy Stellar Aluminium Systems windows and doors.

Use our contact form to get in touch with any questions. We can also help with where to buy Stellar casement windows, residential doors, bifolding or sliding patio doors.

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At Grand Designs Live 2019 held in Excel London from 4th to 12th May, there are many exhibitors for aluminium windows, doors and glazing.  As well as this, you will see timber, PVCu and composite windows in doors. In this article, we explain why upper-tier home improvement companies exhibit at premier exhibitions such as Grand Designs Live. We also explain why, if you are embarking on a home improvement project, it makes sense to visit an exhibition.

Windows and Doors at Grand Designs Live.

Exhibitions focusing on home improvements, building projects and general renovations provide an excellent opportunity for you, the homeowner to see just what technical and design innovations exist with the latest glazing systems.  Not only do get to see just how sophisticated modern windows and doors now are, but there are other great reasons to visit too.

A better experience than a home improvement showroom.

By far, the biggest reason to visit Grand Designs live is the sheer variety of products on display. You will see much more than even the best local showroom, simply because of the bigger exhibition space and a bigger variety of companies to discover.

As well as this, even the best local home improvement company cannot sell every product there is. Therefore if you’re looking for something different this is the place to find it.

One recent trend in home improvements is big glass windows and doors. Bigger floor space and height, let specialist window and door companies exhibit some stand out products. An excellent example is the advanced Reynaers Hi-Finity sliding door you can see in our image above, at an impressive 3.5 metres high.

Unique patio doors.

With patio doors being one of the primary products for any home renovation or new extension, you always get to see a big range of bifolding and sliding doors. What you also get to see is bifolding doors you might not know about.  One of these is the frameless sliding and fold door from FGC. Many other frameless doors come designed for projects such as verandahs or pool enclosures that don’t need a fully weather rated exterior door.

FGC doors come with no visible mullions, glass spacer bars and full security with weather performance. They also come with one of the lowest bifolding door thresholds for that desirable seamless link.

Frameless bifold doors with virtually no aluminium, unlike other bifolding doors on the market.

Expert help with your home improvement project.

You might think that all window and door companies are the same.  They are not. Many of the people exhibiting at Grand Designs Live specialist in home renovations and building projects.  For instance, the national window companies and other local firms prefer to stay away from complicated jobs. They rarely work an architect, preferring simple window replacements.

Therefore, when visiting an exhibition, you get to talk to more specialist glazing companies – people that work with architects, builders, homeowners and their tradespeople.  So you’re more likely to not only find the right product but also one of the best businesses to work with.

For instance, companies like FGC have a huge amount of expertise in working with architects and builders.  Sliding doors from Sunflex via ID Systems come with German-engineering and ultra-slim sight lines you’ll only find in the best showrooms.  Then there are luxury brands like Centor at Grand Designs Live, with Centor bifolds made like no other on the market.  You also get to see composite materials like the wood/aluminium windows and doors from Internorm, one of the best brands of Hybrid Windows.

As well as this you can see the latest in contemporary front doors, steel-look products even the latest timber windows.  Everything you need for your new extension all under one roof.

A better shopping environment.

Many people don’t like the idea of visiting a home improvement showrooms believing there is a pressured sales environment.  In fact, few window companies work in this way these days.  That said, an exhibition provides an opportunity to browse lots of modern or traditional windows and doors. Best of all you see them at your leisure without the more ‘confined’ environment of a window showroom.

The post Reasons to visit Grand Designs Live 2019 appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Garnalex, the trading name of Garner Aluminium Extrusions Ltd, extrudes aluminium extrusions and offers aluminium window and door systems.  Based in Denby, Derbyshire, the company is newly formed by Roger Hartshorn, previously from Eurocell, Liniar, HL Plastics and other successful fenestration businesses in the UK.

Aluminium extrusions from Garnalex Systems.

Using state-of-the-art extrusion presses, technology and the latest product systems, Garnalex Systems is set up to provide all manner of aluminium extrusions to the trade. Part of the £9 million investment into their Derbyshire operations is the trade supply of extrusions.  Garnalex is also to bring out their own aluminium residential window suite of products, residential doors and other systems.

Autumn 2019 sees the introduction of extrusions to customers with the new window and door products coming in 2020.

The 170 Tonne extrusion press has the capability of producing 4 tonnes of aluminium extrusions per hour. These will be general aluminium profile and not just door and window systems. The latest extrusion press also allows profile dies to change 6 times faster than older machines, optimising the production as a result.

Faster lead times, more stock profiles and better deliveries are one of many service levels offered by Garnalex Systems.  The key difference between Garnalex Systems and other aluminium systems companies is they produce the aluminium extrusions.  Other systems companies buy from external extruders, even if they are in the same group of companies.

Garnalex aluminium windows and doors.

The Garnalex aluminium window and door systems promise to revolutionise.  Manufacturing, installation, performance and design all promise differences compared to the present systems on the market. Other innovations include better-looking products with more functionality. Garnalex also offers an improved service to manufacturers and suppliers overall.

Customers interested in making or selling Garnalex windows and doors sign up to workshops with the training provided by aluminium systems companies generally.

More information will be published on Garnalex as it becomes available.

Contact us for more information about Garner Aluminium Extrusions and Garnalex Windows and Doors.

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The original Origin bifolding door, now called the OB-72 has remained one of the best-selling and best-known folding sliding doors on the market.  Now Origin has a brand new and additional model the OB-49. Modern, slimmer and also providing some of the thinnest French doors and single residential doors on the market.  We carry out a full Origin OB-49 bifolding door review, telling you everything you need to know about this latest folding sliding door.

Origin OB-49 bifolding door review.

New for 2019, this sleek and slim bifolding door comes with all the quality, functionality and desirability of the classic Origin bifold.  It has the same components with substantially thinner sightlines and an overall square and more modern appearance.

The OB-72 remains available with excellent reasons to consider it, despite being a thicker profile.  We go into these reasons later in the article.  Now you have two bifolding doors available from Origin, both having the same high quality hardware, smooth-glide action, incredible personalisation options and the legendary Origin customer service.

Some of the best bifolding doors on the market remain unchanged over the years. The Schuco ASS70, Reynaers folding doors, Centor, Solarlux and others all offer great propositions for a new folding door in the home.  Sunflex has the mid-range SF55 model, which is another excellent proposition, made in Germany and also high tech and slim.  However, the market has changed when it comes to new patio doors for the home.  Sliding doors are back and as popular as a bifold.  Steel replacement systems are very on-trend.  So what does the new Origin OB-49 bifolding door offer as a proposition compared to some of the already excellent brands on the market? We’ve picked out four good reasons to consider the latest Origin product as part of your home renovation project.

Thin bifolding door sightlines.

The door industry markets the sightlines of its bifolding doors heavily.  On the one hand, sightlines are one of the best reasons to choose aluminium over upvc products.  However, looking at the overall product proposition remains important and not just sightlines.  How the doors slide and fold, the quality of the hardware, the guarantee and the overall product proposition is what matters more.

However, if a slim bifold is what matters to you, then Origin OB-49 bifolding doors don’t disappoint. They now come with sightlines of just 110mm at the door mullions compared to 154mm for the OB-72 model.  And they now come in the top five slimmest bifolding doors, even beating Schuco and Sunflex.

Thinnest aluminium French Doors and single doors.

What you may not know is that bifolds are ideal as single doors or French doors.  Most installers will use a dedicated residential door system such as the very good Aluk Optio 58BD or the Smart Systems Alitherm and Alitherm Plus models.

On a set of French doors in the home Aluk doors offer a 209.5mm sightline where the doors lock in the middle.  Smart systems give you a 166mm sightline. An Origin door will provide you with 110mm.   The overall 49mm sash combined with the frame provides you with neat proportions on a single door too.

Therefore, if you’re looking at a new back door or set of French doors, there narrow sightlines of the Origin bifold, made as hinged doors gives you very good looking slimline doors.

The Origin OB-49 bifolding door as a steel-look product.

The current trend for doors and windows in the steel-style suits both traditional houses with old metal windows. Also ideal for this latest generation of doors is new extensions wanting industrial-styled doors, New York screens and residential windows.

It’s worth point out that there is no dedicated steel-look bifold. Every door is simply customised with aluminium glazing bars and different glass units, achieving the desirable multiple panel effect.  So you can have this appearance with any door on the market. However, steel windows and doors are slim. Therefore, the thinner the bifold sightlines, the more credible the overall appearance.

Up to now, products such as the Visofold 6000 bifolding door, offered one of the most credible steel look bifolds. This remains the case with its 98mm door mullions and overall excellent appearance.  However, the OB-49 is now another contender, with all the other benefits of Origin bifolds such as colour matched gaskets, the more extended warranty and the better door components and handles.

Make your existing Origin bifolds thinner.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the new Origin OB-49 bifolding door uses the same outer frame and components as the existing OB-72.  Therefore, one quirky upgrade to a current set of Origin doors is to make them thinner.

It is entirely possible to replace your existing door panels and glass with new panels and glass using the thinner system.  There is a fair cost involved in doing this, but if you were so inclined, it’s possible to do this and upgrade your doors to the new thinner model!

Origin OB-49 bifolding door compared with the OB-72.

The current and retained OB-72 model remains a well made, high quality bifolding door with a 72mm sash profiles and a more traditional chamfered appearance. The OB-49 uses the same frame and components having a 49mm frame, square beads and an overall square look to the door profiles. The slide and fold action remains the same as does the quality, the locking systems and other features found in Origin folding sliding doors.

The OB-72 being a larger door also offers bigger door sizes and an open corner option, whereas the new slimline bifold does not.

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In 2018, the new Schuco ASE 60 sliding door was introduced by Schuco.  That same year this door won the Red Dot Design Award 2018 under the Interior Design Elements category.  The Schüco FWS 35 PD.HI used with the sliding patio door ASS 77 PD.HI also won awards in this category, as did the Schuco FireStop system, an internal slimline door with a fire rating.   A latest generation sliding door, with impressive aesthetics and clever design features. We review the latest Schuco ASE 60 sliding door and tell you everything you need to know.  Also mentioned is its other variant the Schuco ASE 80.HI model.

What is the Schuco ASE 60 Sliding Door?

Schuco is already internationally renowned as a leading aluminium systems company.  In the UK, their bifolding and sliding doors are especially popular, not only as top-of-the-line doors but for brand kudos, engineering and design.  While there are similar-looking doors to Schuco, you only need to slide or fold a Schuco door to see the real quality behind the product. The Schuco ASS70 FD bifolding door is slim, highly engineered and one of the best bifolds on the market. There is also the ASS70 sliding door is also widely used in the UK available as an inline or lift and slide door for the home.

With the ASE 60, Schuco has set out to enhance an improve a winning concept. However, the trend for thinner sliding doors continues and especially at the door mullion, also known as the interlock. So not only has the company created a better, thinner and more attractive door, but they have also made it easier to make for the fabricators and better to fit for the installer. The ASE stands for Aluminium Sliding Element and the number denotes the frame thickness.

As well as this, this new door provides enhanced thermal insulation up to passive house standards when chosen as an 80mm deep system. As with any modern sliding door, you also get a choice of tracks meaning multiple leaves slide to the left or to the right. For fabricators especially, Schuco makes life easy thanks to multi-functional profiles.  The logic behind this is to streamline the stockholding and number of components fabricators hold. So whether you choose the ASE60 or the ASE80 model, most use the same parts whether you choose an inline or a lift and slide version.

Finally, this new door comes with the same broad range of sizes the company is well known for as well as continuing the brand reputation of architectural design freedom. This makes Schuco ideal for architectural glazing and more ambitious design projects.

Comparing Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60 sliding doors.

So what is the difference between these two models? It mainly comes down to U-Values,  frame depth and how thick you want the glass to be.  Most people will opt for the ASE60 for new build applications, but we see situations where the Schuco ASE 80.HI will suit replacement applications for the deeper frame depth.

For clarity on the maximum sizes, both the ASE 60 or the ASE 80 go up to 3.2metres wide and 3.5 metres high, or 3.5 metres wide and 3.2 metres high. Schuco says this makes their door the largest possible on the market.  This is not strictly true as there are doors such as the Panoramah system that go up to 27 square metres per panel. But if you take the combined width and height then, yes, Schuco has engineered a door at a quite impressive size capability.

Importantly, we need to focus on the interlock.  The UK home improvement market has significantly over-marketed the thin interlock message.  Our advice is it does not matter.  There are some outstanding doors on the market with thicker interlocks than the 20mm found on minimalist structurally bonded sliding doors.

Obviously, size governs the thickness of interlock available on these and other dry-glazed doors.  So while your local Schuco installer may market the 40mm sight lines this does not mean it comes with any size door.  You will more likely get the 92mm interlock on the biggest size doors for strength and wind loading. However, for most standard size doors at say, 2200mm high the 40mm interlock comes as an option.  A Schuco door is an engineering masterpiece and the thicker sightlines at the interlock should in no way put you off. Look at the overall product and, importantly, slide it to see just how well it works.

Features of the Schuco ASE 60 and Schuco ASE 80.HI Sliding Doors.

As you would expect with any Schuco product, you get insulated aluminium sections, durable powder coated finish, security testing to the latest standards as well as exceptional weather performance.  Therefore, we focus on other features of the door and around the design in particular.

First of all, one of the reasons the Schüco ASE 60 and 80 won the Red Dot Design Award is overall appearance.  A clean, sleek appearance is what this door offers homeowners and a great selling point for installers.  Flush locking points, concealed grooves and a better-looking door when open is just a start.

When you see the doors, take a look at the locking system. These doors come with a near flush lock design. Open other quality doors and you’ll find the locking systems is relatively prominent.  While this does not matter too much, the Schuco doors come with a more seamless appearance whereby the major lock components are less visible. As well as this many of the components in the sliding panels are also hidden from sight thanks to a panel that closes the profile off neatly.  Even better with Schuco doors is the ability to have the vents sliding on the outside or the inside of the frame. This comes about as a result of the doors being symmetrically identical.

Also on the locking system, you get a choice of where the bolt pins locate.  You get the option of the bolt pins fixed in the vent frame as well as the standard option of going into the outer frame.  Again this offers a cleaner overall design to the whole product with less visible hardware.

The Schüco SmartStop and SmartClose are other excellent design features. Relatively new amongst sliding doors is a soft close mechanism. While we’ve never heard of people slamming their sliding doors shut, Smart Close does slow the door down gently as it approaches the frame.  Then the Smart Stop feature draws the door slowly into the closed position.  As a result, you get a more intuitive door panel that appears to bring itself into the frame, adding an extra feature to the overall closing process.

Other products to compare with the Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60.

For anyone looking to buy a premium brand sliding door, it makes sense to compare some products.  There is no bad door on the market, but if you’re looking for similarly engineered doors and with comparable aesthetics, we suggest the following doors at similar price points. There are, of course, many different sliding doors on the market, from many different brands, but we consider these to be comparable in terms of sight lines, engineering, features and brand.

1.  Reynaers Hi-Finity Sliding Doors.

The Reynaers Hi-Finity sliding doors is another excellent sliding door with impressive engineering and design. Reynaers offers another door with an excellent brand reputation as well as another door going up to 3.5-metre sizes.  The Hi-Finity also comes with a 35mm interlock as well as some intelligent design features like Schuco.

2.  Sunflex SVG 30 Sliding Door.

Also worth looking at is the Sunflex SVG30 re-engineered sliding door.  This particular door comes with a 30mm interlock, an excellent low threshold as well as being a Sunflex brand.  Well worth looking at.

3.  Air 500 and 600 LS.

The air 500 or 600 LS sliding doors are also re-engineered by Everglade Windows with an excellent surface finish, 25-year warranty and luxury door hardware options.

4.  Solarlux Cero Doors.

We think the Solarlux Cero is excellent and another German-engineered sliding door for the home.  Great in use, slim to look at and with the outstanding build quality.  The range of colours is also excellent as is the thermal performance and quality of the door components.

5.  Reynaers CP130 and CP155 Sliding Doors.

Alongside the more expensive Hi-Finity door, we suggest the CP130 or CP155 products.  With a very high specification, four threshold options and a very good system, these are another brand of sliding doors to compare with the Schuco.

6.  Origin OS-77 and OS-44 Sliding Patio Doors.

The latest generation of inline sliding patio doors from Origin offers the legendary Origin build quality with a 20-year guarantee. These doors also come at very fast lead times for those wishing to complete a build project quickly.  You also get excellent self-levelling running gear and premium quality door furniture. These are also well work looking at and comparing with Schuco.

Schuco ASE60 sliding doors review.  Conclusion.

With any Schuco door, you get elegant, functional and highly reliable doors.  These are not the cheapest doors on the market, but they are some of the best.  While they don’t have the one-manufacturer supply route of products by Sunflex, Origin, Centor or Air doors, they do come through a highly trained network of manufacturers, supplied to good installers all over the UK.

The SmartClose and SmartStop features are great to see on a quality sliding door. We especially like how this door is also designed to be sophisticated yet easy to make, thanks to its modular and scalable profile system. The hidden hardware, impressive sizes and great thermal performance are other great design features Schuco is well known for. And even if you need big doors needing the thicker door mullion, our advice is, it does not matter. A Schuco door will enhance any home with a luxury sliding door that is engineered to last and is outstanding in many ways.  And as always, buying large sliding doors offers more benefits in aluminium than in PVCu.  

Use our contact form to get in touch for further information, where to buy or to ask any questions.

The post Schuco ASE 60 Sliding Door Review appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

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In 2018, the new Schuco ASE 60 sliding door was introduced by Schuco.  That same year this door won the Red Dot Design Award 2018 under the Interior Design Elements category.  The Schüco FWS 35 PD.HI used with the sliding patio door ASS 77 PD.HI also won awards in this category, as did the Schuco FireStop system, an internal slimline door with a fire rating.   A latest generation sliding door, with impressive aesthetics and clever design features. We review the latest Schuco ASE 60 sliding door and tell you everything you need to know.  Also mentioned is its other variant the Schuco ASE 80.HI model.

What is the Schuco ASE 60 Sliding Door?

Schuco is already internationally renowned as a leading aluminium systems company.  In the UK, their bifolding and sliding doors are especially popular, not only as top-of-the-line doors but for brand kudos, engineering and design.  While there are similar-looking doors to Schuco, you only need to slide or fold a Schuco door to see the real quality behind the product. The Schuco ASS70 FD bifolding door is slim, highly engineered and one of the best bifolds on the market. There is also the ASS70 sliding door is also widely used in the UK available as an inline or lift and slide door for the home.

With the ASE 60, Schuco has set out to enhance an improve a winning concept. However, the trend for thinner sliding doors continues and especially at the door mullion, also known as the interlock. So not only has the company created a better, thinner and more attractive door, but they have also made it easier to make for the fabricators and better to fit for the installer. The ASE stands for Aluminium Sliding Element and the number denotes the frame thickness.

As well as this, this new door provides enhanced thermal insulation up to passive house standards when chosen as an 80mm deep system. As with any modern sliding door, you also get a choice of tracks meaning multiple leaves slide to the left or to the right. For fabricators especially, Schuco makes life easy thanks to multi-functional profiles.  The logic behind this is to streamline the stockholding and number of components fabricators hold. So whether you choose the ASE60 or the ASE80 model, most use the same parts whether you choose an inline or a lift and slide version.

Finally, this new door comes with the same broad range of sizes the company is well known for as well as continuing the brand reputation of architectural design freedom. This makes Schuco ideal for architectural glazing and more ambitious design projects.

Comparing Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60 sliding doors.

So what is the difference between these two models? It mainly comes down to U-Values,  frame depth and how thick you want the glass to be.  Most people will opt for the ASE60 for new build applications, but we see situations where the Schuco ASE 80.HI will suit replacement applications for the deeper frame depth.

For clarity on the maximum sizes, both the ASE 60 or the ASE 80 go up to 3.2metres wide and 3.5 metres high, or 3.5 metres wide and 3.2 metres high. Schuco says this makes their door the largest possible on the market.  This is not strictly true as there are doors such as the Panoramah system that go up to 27 square metres per panel. But if you take the combined width and height then, yes, Schuco has engineered a door at a quite impressive size capability.

Importantly, we need to focus on the interlock.  The UK home improvement market has significantly over-marketed the thin interlock message.  Our advice is it does not matter.  There are some outstanding doors on the market with thicker interlocks than the 20mm found on minimalist structurally bonded sliding doors.

Obviously, size governs the thickness of interlock available on these and other dry-glazed doors.  So while your local Schuco installer may market the 40mm sight lines this does not mean it comes with any size door.  You will more likely get the 92mm interlock on the biggest size doors for strength and wind loading. However, for most standard size doors at say, 2200mm high the 40mm interlock comes as an option.  A Schuco door is an engineering masterpiece and the thicker sightlines at the interlock should in no way put you off. Look at the overall product and, importantly, slide it to see just how well it works.

Features of the Schuco ASE 60 and Schuco ASE 80.HI Sliding Doors.

As you would expect with any Schuco product, you get insulated aluminium sections, durable powder coated finish, security testing to the latest standards as well as exceptional weather performance.  Therefore, we focus on other features of the door and around the design in particular.

First of all, one of the reasons the Schüco ASE 60 and 80 won the Red Dot Design Award is overall appearance.  A clean, sleek appearance is what this door offers homeowners and a great selling point for installers.  Flush locking points, concealed grooves and a better-looking door when open is just a start.

When you see the doors, take a look at the locking system. These doors come with a near flush lock design. Open other quality doors and you’ll find the locking systems is relatively prominent.  While this does not matter too much, the Schuco doors come with a more seamless appearance whereby the major lock components are less visible. As well as this many of the components in the sliding panels are also hidden from sight thanks to a panel that closes the profile off neatly.  Even better with Schuco doors is the ability to have the vents sliding on the outside or the inside of the frame. This comes about as a result of the doors being symmetrically identical.

Also on the locking system, you get a choice of where the bolt pins locate.  You get the option of the bolt pins fixed in the vent frame as well as the standard option of going into the outer frame.  Again this offers a cleaner overall design to the whole product with less visible hardware.

The Schüco SmartStop and SmartClose are other excellent design features. Relatively new amongst sliding doors is a soft close mechanism. While we’ve never heard of people slamming their sliding doors shut, Smart Close does slow the door down gently as it approaches the frame.  Then the Smart Stop feature draws the door slowly into the closed position.  As a result, you get a more intuitive door panel that appears to bring itself into the frame, adding an extra feature to the overall closing process.

Other products to compare with the Schuco ASE 80.HI and ASE60.

For anyone looking to buy a premium brand sliding door, it makes sense to compare some products.  There is no bad door on the market, but if you’re looking for similarly engineered doors and with comparable aesthetics, we suggest the following doors at similar price points. There are, of course, many different sliding doors on the market, from many different brands, but we consider these to be comparable in terms of sight lines, engineering, features and brand.

1.  Reynaers Hi-Finity Sliding Doors.

The Reynaers Hi-Finity sliding doors is another excellent sliding door with impressive engineering and design. Reynaers offers another door with an excellent brand reputation as well as another door going up to 3.5-metre sizes.  The Hi-Finity also comes with a 35mm interlock as well as some intelligent design features like Schuco.

2.  Sunflex SVG 30 Sliding Door.

Also worth looking at is the Sunflex SVG30 re-engineered sliding door.  This particular door comes with a 30mm interlock, an excellent low threshold as well as being a Sunflex brand.  Well worth looking at.

3.  Air 500 and 600 LS.

The air 500 or 600 LS sliding doors are also re-engineered by Everglade Windows with an excellent surface finish, 25-year warranty and luxury door hardware options.

4.  Solarlux Cero Doors.

We think the Solarlux Cero is excellent and another German-engineered sliding door for the home.  Great in use, slim to look at and with the outstanding build quality.  The range of colours is also excellent as is the thermal performance and quality of the door components.

5.  Reynaers CP130 and CP155 Sliding Doors.

Alongside the more expensive Hi-Finity door, we suggest the CP130 or CP155 products.  With a very high specification, four threshold options and a very good system, these are another brand of sliding doors to compare with the Schuco.

6.  Origin OS-77 and OS-44 Sliding Patio Doors.

The latest generation of inline sliding patio doors from Origin offers the legendary Origin build quality with a 20-year guarantee. These doors also come at very fast lead times for those wishing to complete a build project quickly.  You also get excellent self-levelling running gear and premium quality door furniture. These are also well work looking at and comparing with Schuco.

Schuco ASE60 sliding doors review.  Conclusion.

With any Schuco door, you get elegant, functional and highly reliable doors.  These are not the cheapest doors on the market, but they are some of the best.  While they don’t have the one-manufacturer supply route of products by Sunflex, Origin, Centor or Air doors, they do come through a highly trained network of manufacturers, supplied to good installers all over the UK.

The SmartClose and SmartStop features are great to see on a quality sliding door. We especially like how this door is also designed to be sophisticated yet easy to make, thanks to its modular and scalable profile system. The hidden hardware, impressive sizes and great thermal performance are other great design features Schuco is well known for. And even if you need big doors needing the thicker door mullion, our advice is, it does not matter. A Schuco door will enhance any home with a luxury sliding door that is engineered to last and is outstanding in many ways.  And as always, buying large sliding doors offers more benefits in aluminium than in PVCu.  

Use our contact form to get in touch for further information, where to buy or to ask any questions.

The post Schuco ASE 60 Sliding Door Review appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

London-based Maxlight Ltd is often seen at the best exhibitions such as Homebuilding and Renovation, Grand Designs and others.  Maximum light, minimal frame and advanced glazing is a Maxlight speciality.

Our high specification sliding doors made by Maxlight feature the thinnest aluminium sightlines, high specification glazing and the finest glass and manufacturing quality.  They all feature high-grade thermally insulated frames offering the best performance and at impressive lead times. We provide double and triple track patio doors, centre parting sliding doors, the latest pocket sliding doors and even open corner doors. There is even the facility for us to custom-build a bespoke sliding door design and arrangement.

Cutting edge pivot doors enhance a modern extension with sim frames, flush floor detail, soft-close function and even a hold-open facility. You also get to create doors at the largest possible widths and heights.  Also available is a range of sophisticated rooflights and skylights to complement a new extension or existing roof.

The post appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.