Choosing the right size
If you’re going to pay someone to install your sliding doors for you then we recommend that you use the same person to measure the opening. If they are happy to take responsibility for fitting the doors, then they should be confident in measuring the opening also. If you are planning to install them yourself then by all means you should measure them up yourself. The measuring of your doors is a key part of the process so take your time and make sure you are one hundred percent confident prior to ordering your doors.
To correctly measure your new sliding doors, you need to work out the size of the masons opening and take into account the bottom track detail of the door that you will be ordering. The XP Slide LS25 has a deep twin track, which is sat on a 190mm external cill, this gives an overall track height of 68mm. The doors outer frame needs to be set 30mm back from the outer brickwork so the base needs to be fully supported even over the cavity to make sure all the weight of the door is sat on a solid base.
Preparing the base for the door to be installed onto.
The base needs to be solid to take the weight of the doors. The doors also need installing onto a base that is completely level, this can be achieved by using packers. The doors also need to sit on top of a damp proof membrane. The membrane needs to be properly installed before the installation can take place.
How to measure
Firstly, check the opening is square and level. Take a large spirit level and measure the cross corners of the aperture, to make sure that the opening is perfectly square and true.
Take three measurements for the width and three measurements for the height – one at each end, and one in the middle of the opening. Deduct at least 10mm from the smallest of those measurements to get the size of the door. The tolerance is up to you, this can be determined by how level the opening is and how confident you are with your measuring. Always deduct the tolerance from the smallest of the three measurements, this will ensure there are no sizing issues when you come to install the door.
The width and height of your sliding door should be the size of your masons opening, minus a fitting tolerance of between 10 and 15mm. If your opening is already formed and you can’t see set sizes on our website that suit your opening, then you will need to order a bespoke set of bi-fold doors. We can offer this service through our parent company Express Bi-Folding Doors, you can visit their website by clicking here.
Once you know the size of the doors that you are going to order you need to think about the threshold and the bottom tracks. The total height of the bottom track is 68mm so if you want a flush internal finish with your floor running level with the track then you need the sink the bottom track of the door by slightly less than 68mm beneath your finished floor level.
The doors themselves are heavy so installation will be a two-person job. As long as the opening was measured properly and you’ve purchased the correct size, you should find installation to be a relatively stress-free process, the outer frame will need fixing into position level and square and then the panels need glazing and packing square to ensure the doors operate correctly.
We recommend a skilled DIY enthusiast or tradesmen install the doors. The outer frame needs assembling and installing level and plumb. The panels then need inserting and once complete need glazing & packing correctly.
TIPS
Silicone bonding of the interlock is required. We’ll provide the silicone bond that literally glues the slim 25mm interlock frame to the glass, this needs to set after installation so once the bonding is complete we recommend locking the door shut for 24 hours to allow the bond to set properly. A small inconvenience that allows for stunning slender sightlines.
Remember to measure your door frame at three different heights, and subtract 10mm from the smallest measurement, to ensure you get the right door size door when purchasing.
If you are unsure or have any questions please e-mail [email protected] or phone us on 0345 340 9316.