Interior Glass Sliding Doors Versus Wooden Hinged Doors: Which Is Better?

Let’s Begin

Doors are an essential part of every home. They allow us privacy and accessibility, as well as lending a sense of style and place to a space. Most interior doors in the UK are hinged doors, but there are other ways to style your entryways, arguably better ways. So, let’s dive in to the wonderful world of sliding interior doors and see if a glass sliding door is right for you.

What Is A Glass Sliding Door?

A gliding door covers the doorway by moving horizontally along the length of the wall before coming to a rest in front of the doorway. There are several ways this effect can be achieved.

Top Hung Sliding Door

These top hung sliding doors are hung from a rail that goes along the length of the wall; they can then be slid along the rail through the use of trolley wheels. They are also known as Barn Doors due to their popularity with farmers and have become a hot trend in recent years for interior design.

Bottom Rolling Sliding Door

Unlike barn doors, bottom rolling sliding doors feature tracks at the top and the bottom. They have rollers at the base of the door that roll through the track and a track at the top to help contain the door and guide it. This is a popular design as it takes weight off the wall, meaning more homes can install them.

Lift And Slide Door Gear

Life and Slide Doors feature handles that when rotated allow you to lift the door panel and slide it like a regular slidable door. When the door is not lifted, it is secured to the ground and immovable. This extra feature can be useful for partially dividing rooms.

Automatic Sliding Doors

Often seen in commercial and corporate settings rather than home ones, automatic sliding doors have motors and sensors that allow them to slide open when someone approaches them. This is extremely useful for shops and other customer facing businesses who want to keep out the elements but make their buildings easy to enter.

Disappearing Sliding Doors

Otherwise known as pocket doors, disappearing sliding doors are installed with a pocket within the wall which they slide into, instead of sliding against the wall. The benefit of this is that they are completely hidden and can add a seamless look to your home.

The History Of Sliding Doors

Much like the Bi-Fold door, doors that slide can be traced back to the Roman Empire, as there is evidence of them being featured in some capacity in the preserved town of Pompeii. However, the modern interpretations of glass sliding doors are commonly believed to be descendants of Shoji doors. Shoji doors are slidable doors made of wood and paper used in Japan during the Kamakura period. Since then, these kinds of doors have evolved and as you have seen spawned numerous variations.

What Is A Wooden Hinged Door?

Your classic Western door is made of wood and hinged. This is typically done by having two hinges on the side of the door that affix them to the door frame, allowing the door to be either pushed open and pulled closed or vice versa. The doors are often made from softwoods like pine, as they are cheaper but a bit less durable. However, more expensive doors are made from hardwood, like oak that is sturdier but mor expensive.

Wooden doors need to be treated with varnish every few years to ensure they don’t stain and help them resist absorbing water. If you are a fan of DIY, this could be a fun occasional exercise. Btu if you’re not, this could be off-putting.

The History Of Hinged Doors

The earliest dated evidence we have regarding the use of hinged doors is from approximately 1600BC where they were  used to connect wooden gates to stone walls in Hattusa, which is now Turkey. Since then, the design of hinges has consistently evolved and been refined, allowing them to persist into the modern day.

Which Is Better A Sliding Door Or A Hinged Door?

Both gliding doors and hinged doors have their benefits, which is better for you depends on your needs. Let’s analyse how each type of door could be ideal for you.

Is A Sliding Door Quieter Than A Hinged Door?

Yes, a gliding door is quieter. This is because it is not closed by connecting with the wall like the hinged door, this effect can be furthered by the use of optional soft-close mechanisms that make the doors even quieter. This means there is no “bang” when someone slams the door, which makes venturing out for those midnight snacks much less dangerous.

Does A Sliding Door Take Up Less Space Than A Hinged Door?

Yes and no. However, where it counts, yes. Gliding doors take up much less usable space than hinged doors. For example, because a hinge door must swing into the space, that area must be completely uninterrupted. As a slidable door does not, you can decorate this area to your hearts content. This is especially useful in smaller rooms where you need to maximise space.

However, they do require a length of wall for the rails to run along and the door to sit against when open, so you will not be able to hang large decorations off this wall. Despite this restriction however, you can still decorate around this wall if you measure the space the single sliding door needs and position your decorations to leave a big enough gap between themselves and the wall for the door to fit through. This way you can enjoy the bountiful amount of space that you save by installing a single sliding door.

Is A Single Sliding Door More Accessible Than A Hinged Door?

Typically, yes, they are much more accessible than a hinged door. This is because a hinged door requires the user to either open the door inwards or outwards, move through it and then close the door with either a push or pull motion. This can be extremely inconvenient for those with mobility issues for example and can be a cause for general decrease in quality of life.

The reason they are more accessible are because the motions are easier to complete and require less movement and dexterity to do so. This is because you simply slide it open or closed and don’t have to worry about door swing, positioning yourself to close or open it properly or having to perform awkward manoeuvres to complete the task.

Is A Hinged Door Easier To Install Than A Gliding Door?

The hinged door is the classic design, so lots of people have experience installing them. However, single sliding doors are just as easy, if not easier. For most designs, you simply have to install a rail or two tracks and attach the door to them, meaning it is no less simple than the installation of hinges. If you are looking for a detailed breakdown of the installation of single sliding doors, then check out our linked article.

Is A Contemporary Sliding Door More Sound Proofed Than A Hinged Door?

Typically, no. Because hinged doors seal into the frame, they are better at holding off unwanted sound. Because most doors that slide simply sit in front of the frame, rather than slotting into it, they do not block sound as well. However, to most people this difference would be negligible as the likelihood you will experience sound in your day to day life that would be blocked by a hinged door, but not by a slidable door that is a problem, is slim.

Verdict

Overall, we consider the contemporary sliding doors to be better interior doors than hinged doors. This is because of the quality of life improvements they bring, such as noise reduction, space saving and them generally being more accessible. As well as this, they add a modern look to your space that can really make it sing.

Which Is Better A Glass Door Or A Wooden Door?

As well as general types, doors come in a variety of materials. The two most popular door materials are glass and wood. But which is better for you? We would argue that glass doors are the superior choice.

Which Kind Of Door Has The Best Light Flow?

Internal glass doors have a number of benefits, one of the primary ones being light flow. With glass doors, light bounces from room to room uninhibited, allowing you to enjoy a generally brighter existence. Whereas, with wooden doors that obfuscate the light, you end up with rooms much darker and in need of artificial light. The use of these doors could even save you money in the long run, as you will need to spend less money on lights.

Which Kind Of Door Is The Most Durable?

As well as this, glass doors are more durable. This might be a surprise, but with safety glass, glass doors are just as safe as wooden doors. Plus, wooden doors will need a constant maintenance cycle of varnish and paint to keep them looking tiptop, whereas modern interior glass doors only need the occasional buffing. If you want a fantastic look for less work, then contemporary internal glass doors are ideal for you.

Which Type Of Door Retains Heat The Best?

Wood typically is a naturally better retainer of heat because of their innate insulative properties. However, thick and double glazed glass can be just as good at retaining heat. If heat is a major factor for you, you won’t find much difference between the two.

Verdict

Overall, we rule that contemporary glass doors are better interior doors than wooden doors due to the sheer amount of options they give you. With glass, you get more light flow and heat retention as well as a stylish door that helps the room feel more spacious.

The Different Kinds Of Glass Doors

Clear Glass Doors

Clear glass is completely translucent and because of this offers no innate privacy, but lets through the most amount of light. As a partition between inconsequential spaces like a corridor and a living room, this would be perfect as the added light flow would enhance the space and the extra visibility would make small spaces feel roomier and more spacious.

However, this would be less than ideal as a partition between private spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms as they would sacrifice privacy.

Frosted Glass Internal Doors

Through the etching or the sandblasting of glass, it can develop a frosted aesthetic which serves multiple purposes. Primarily, frosted glass helps you retain privacy while gaining light flow. This is because frosted glass partially obfuscates what is behind it and makes it unable to be seen from the other side. Depending on the level of frosting, you may see a blob of colour in the shape of a person, but you would not be able to make out the person.

This can be really useful for those looking to maximise light flow but keep their privacy, specially for partitions between more sensitive areas like bedrooms and bathrooms.

Tinted Glass Doors

Tinted glass absorbs heat and helps filter harsh UV light, which makes it perfect as an exterior door and is why tinted glass windows are a popular choice for cars. Tinted glass doors are made by adding colourant during the glass making process, dying the product. Having a tint may not be ideal for modern interior glass doors, where typically you want to maximise light flow.

Smoked Glass Doors

Inefficiently burning hydrocarbon emits smoke and if glass is exposed to this smoke during the manufacturing process, it becomes smoked glass. The benefit of having smoked glass doors is that it provides filtration for harsh light, which could be useful if you are in a particularly bright sun trap. As well as this, smoked glass interior doors feature deeper, darker colouration which makes them stand out from their contemporaries and ideal for someone looking for uniquely aesthetic doors.

How To Decorate A Bathroom With Sliding Glass Doors

When it comes to decorating with internal sliding doors in mind, there are two main styles to aim for, depending on whether you went for glass doors or wooden doors.

Modern Bathroom Design

Glass doors evoke the sleek feeling of modernity, and you would do well to embrace that and follow a contemporary, minimalist design ethos. Bring in some angular decorations, lots of multifunctional fixtures and focus on maximising space to compliment the clarity the contemporary internal glass door provides.

Rustic Bathroom Design

Wooden doors evoke a much older fashioned and rustic theme. Embracing more traditional and even weathered accessories would match this well. As well as this, embrace the eclectic and maximalist tendencies of the theming. Use knickknacks and souvenirs to add lots of personal decoration.

What Is The Best Door Handle For An Interior Sliding Door?

Here at Durovin Bathrooms, we offer two kinds of door handles for our glass sliding doors. The round stainless steel door handle and the T bar stainless steel door handle. Both are beautiful in their own right, but do you know which one is for you?

The round handle definitely provides a more modern, unconventional aesthetic, while the T bar provides the classic door aesthetic which might contrast nicely with your contemporary internal glass door.

How Much Does it Cost To Install Sliding Glass Doors?

Our interior sliding doors cost between £192.60 and £267.50 depending on the model which is extremely affordable for such products. However, according to airtasker.com installation can cost between £400-£5000 depending on your location.

The good news is that interior glass sliding doors increase the value of your home. This is because they are seen as a much more luxurious option in comparison to hinged doors. So, any money you spend has a good chance of being recouped when you come to sell.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money, you could always install your interior glass sliding door yourself.

How To Clean Frosted Glass Internal Doors

Much like any glass, modern interior glass doors will need cleaning from time to time. The best way to do this is with cloth and warm soapy water. Wet the cloth and use it to wipe down and then buff the glass, with a bit of elbow grease your glass will be shining as good as new in no time.

To Conclude

There’s a lot to love about interior sliding glass doors. They save space, look stylish and are easier to use. So, what are you waiting for? Durovin Bathrooms has a wide range of interior sliding doors and door handles all waiting to help you elevate your home. If you want to do some further research on interior sliding doors, why not check out our other blogs? We have numerous qualities analysing the different aspects of these marvellous doors, so check them out.