Random Thought - Sliding Doors?

I was thinking about this just a moment ago... why do we still use hinged doors so prominently? I mean, just consider how often you have a door set next to a wide expanse of wall (I'm thinking of the Dykstra corridors right now)? Rather than having a door swing open, why not slide it into the wall? And I don't mean sliding glass doors, but imagine a nice, solid wood door that slides into the wall.

I mean, you might need to include a track of some sort, which might not be the most aesthetic option, but there might be a way around that. I don't know. I just had the idea. Maybe it's just that sliding doors remind me of secret passages, and that just sounds awesome to me.

Thoughts? Would you want sliding doors, rather than hinged ones, in your home?

[Edit: Just realized that it'd be harder to weatherproof sliding doors, so maybe the exterior ones would have to be hinged. Still, you could do it inside at least.]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's the thing.

Aesthetically, sliding doors would be great, since they'd eliminate the need to have a clear space for the door to swing out, or to rest against the wall if you want it open.

Track? Not cute. Also, doors tend to get off track, especially if you run into them (perfect example - my screen door on my balcony). But even if you don't run into them, they tend to wear down over time, and whether it's because of rust, obstructions, or just general wear and tear, they won't slide as smoothly as when they were new.

Of course, since it's a more modern look, it would have to match the decor of your house as well.

Interesting thought.

Jeremy said...

Yeah, the track to me is the biggest issue. I guess you could run a track on the top, but then the door might be kinda "swingy". Though if it was partially in the wall at all times (say, a 4.5ft wide door in a 4ft wide frame, with 6 inches always in the wall), then it wouldn't sway as much.

Hmmm. You'd probably need to really plan for it to make it work. Wouldn't be something you can just throw in on a whim.

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