Sliding doors
Panels glide horizontally along a track instead of swinging, so nothing projects into the room or over the balcony. That makes them the default for Mumbai flats, where floor space is tight and balconies are narrow.
The trade-off is that one panel always covers part of the opening, and that a slider seals by proximity and brush strips rather than compression. Full detail on sliding doors.
Lift and slide doors
A sliding system with a lifting mechanism. Turning the handle raises the panel clear of its gaskets so even a very heavy leaf glides with light pressure; turning it back lowers the panel onto the seals and locks it.
That single mechanism solves the slider’s main weakness. A closed lift-and-slide compresses its gaskets like a hinged door, so it seals against rain and noise far better than a standard slider — which is why it is the right specification on a large, exposed or road-facing opening. See lift and slide doors.
Slide and fold doors
Also called bi-folds. Multiple panels run on a track and fold concertina-style to one or both sides, so nearly the whole opening clears.
This is the type to choose when you want the room and the terrace to become one space. The requirements are somewhere for the stacked panels to sit, a track set dead level, and threshold drainage sized properly. See slide and fold doors.
Casement and French doors
A pair of side-hinged leaves meeting in the centre with no mullion, so the full width between jambs clears. Hinged leaves compress a gasket all round, which makes them the best-sealing option of the four, and they suit narrower openings where a sliding track would be wasted.
They need swing space, inside or out. See casement French doors.
uPVC entrance doors
Solid or part-glazed leaves for main entrances and utility doors, with multi-point locking and reinforced profiles. The emphasis here is security and weather sealing rather than clear opening. See uPVC doors.
Choosing
Three questions settle it in most cases:
- How much of the opening has to clear? All of it means folding; some of it means sliding; the full width between jambs means French.
- Is there floor space for a leaf to swing? If not, sliding or folding.
- Does it need to seal well? If the opening faces a main road or takes driven rain, lift-and-slide or hinged, not a standard slider.
Materials follow afterwards: uPVC for insulation and value, aluminium for slim sightlines and wide spans. For how any of these are fitted, see door installation.