Patio Doors Cambridge

Patio doors slide on a track, so the panels pass in front of each other and nothing swings into the room. French doors are a hinged pair that open fully but need clear space for the swing. Bifold doors fold and stack to one side, opening almost the whole wall. Sliding doors give the largest glass area and best views, since fewer frames interrupt the glazing. Bifolds give the widest opening. French doors are the traditional look and the cheapest of the three. The right answer depends on your opening width, your budget and how often you actually open the doors fully. You can read more on our French doors and bifold doors pages.

For most Cambridge homes it comes down to uPVC or aluminium. uPVC is the value choice: thermally efficient, low maintenance and well suited to openings up to around 4 metres. Aluminium costs more but its strength allows slimmer frames, larger panes and wider spans, which is why almost every big glazed extension you see uses it. Timber sliding doors exist but are rare now, since the maintenance burden is high for a door this size. If the view is the point of the project, aluminium doors Cambridge are worth the difference. If it is a standard opening, uPVC does the job well.

Usually not. Replacing an existing door or window with patio doors of the same size falls under permitted development for most houses. Permission comes into play if you are enlarging the opening significantly, if the property is listed, or if you live in one of Cambridge’s conservation areas, where changes visible from the street can be restricted. Rear elevations in conservation areas are generally less contentious than front ones. Flats and maisonettes have different rules and usually do need permission. If you are unsure, we can advise at the survey, or check directly with Cambridge City Council before ordering.

Modern ones, yes. The old vulnerability of sliding doors was that panels could be lifted off the track from outside. Current doors are built with anti-lift blocks, multi-point hook locks that clamp the panel into the outer frame, and internally glazed toughened glass that cannot be removed from outside. Look for doors tested to PAS 24, which is the recognised security standard for doors in the UK. As with any door, the fitting matters. A correctly installed and adjusted door locks tight into its keeps, while a badly fitted one leaves gaps. All our installations include a full locking adjustment before we leave.

Technically yes, and supply-only doors are available, but sliding doors are the hardest door type to get right as a DIY job. The frame must be perfectly level or the panels will drag and the locks will not line up, the panels themselves are heavy and awkward, often needing two or three people to lift safely, and the threshold has to be sealed correctly or water finds its way in. A DIY installation also is not FENSA certified. Professional fitting is typically a single day. Given what the doors cost, most people conclude that risking the installation to save one day of labour is a false economy.

Generally yes, though the honest framing is that they add appeal more than a fixed sum. Estate agents consistently report that light, garden connection and a sociable kitchen-living space are what Cambridge buyers respond to, and glazed doors deliver all three. Replacing tired old sliders with modern doors also removes a negotiating point at sale, since buyers notice draughty, dragging doors and price accordingly. The uplift is strongest where the doors form part of a well used kitchen or dining space. What they will not do is transform the value of a house on their own, so fit them for how you live first.

Usually not, and it is worth explaining why since plenty are listed locally. Doors are made to fit a specific opening, so a second hand set almost never matches yours, and cutting frames down compromises both strength and sealing. You inherit worn rollers, tired gaskets and glass units of unknown age, with no guarantee on any of it, and the fitting cost is the same as for new doors. By the time you have paid for adaptation and installation, the saving over a new uPVC set is small and the lifespan much shorter. New, made to measure and guaranteed for 10 years is the better spend.

A straight replacement, where the new door fits the existing opening, is normally done in a day. The old doors come out in the morning, the new frame is fitted, levelled and sealed, panels are hung and the locking adjusted by the afternoon. Your home is never left open overnight. If the opening is being widened, allow extra time for the structural work, lintel and making good, which we will schedule with you in advance. We survey every job before ordering, so the timescale you are given is based on your actual opening rather than a guess.

Very little, but the track is the one thing to keep on top of. Grit and leaves in the bottom track are what wear rollers out, so vacuum or brush it out every couple of months and the door will glide for years. Wipe the frames with soapy water a few times a year, and give the rollers and locking points a light silicone spray annually. Avoid oil based lubricants on the track itself, as they attract dirt. uPVC never needs painting, and woodgrain foiled frames need exactly the same care as white ones. If the door starts to drag, the rollers usually just need a small height adjustment.

Integrated blinds sit sealed between the panes of the glass unit, so they never get dusty, never tangle and never get bent by children or dogs. They are operated magnetically or by a small motor. The case against is cost, since they add a meaningful amount to the price of a door set, and if a blind mechanism fails the glass unit has to be replaced rather than repaired. For most customers they make sense on doors where privacy matters, such as those overlooked by neighbours, and less sense on a door facing an enclosed garden. We can quote with and without so you can compare.