2-leaf sliding doors: when, why and what to consider?

Sliding doors are more practical than swing doors in some rooms. They are a good choice especially for barrier-free living and in small rooms. Read here when you should use doors that consist of two door leaves and what you should bear in mind.

Two-panel sliding doors consist of two door panels that slide to either side. 2-leaf sliding doors are a good choice if there is not enough space to the left and right of the passageway for a single-leaf sliding door. What must be considered with all sliding doors: The adjacent walls must offer enough space to allow the sliding doors to slide open completely. So: Always measure beforehand!

It is possible to guide both door leaves on two synchronously running tracks. Both door leaves can be slid parallel to the left or right. However, this sliding door construction is often not as tightly closing as is the case with sliding doors with one track. If the sliding door construction consists of more than two parts, it is also referred to as multi-leaf sliding doors.

The running track on two-panel sliding doors that runs in front of the wall is visibly mounted on one side of the passageway. With single-action doors, space is lost due to the swinging range of the door. Sliding doors make this space usable. However, wall space next to the passageway is lost because the door leaves of the double-leaf sliding door run in front of the wall.

With double-leaf sliding doors that run in the wall, the running rails are not visible. The advantage: you save space and the lateral wall surfaces are not lost either. When the sliding door is opened, the door leaves disappear into the wall and are no longer visible. It is best to plan this type of construction before the shell of the house is built. This construction can also be installed later. However, an additional wall must then be drawn into the room and the subsequent installation is usually very costly.

Box systems are a good alternative for keeping the running rails out of sight. They can also be retrofitted and cover the running rails of the 2-leaf sliding door.