Optimally coordinated hardware and gasket for sliding doors and windows
A lot of light and a feeling of very open rooms – those are arguments in favour of sliding windows and sliding doors. Space is another one. Depending on the utilisation concept, inward-opening sash windows can take up too much space in small rooms. Here, the benefits of a sliding solution are particularly evident, but also regularly present door and window manufacturers with challenges.
A lot of light and a feeling of very open rooms – those are arguments in favour of sliding windows and sliding doors. Space is another one. Depending on the utilisation concept, inward-opening sash windows can take up too much space in small rooms. Here, the benefits of a sliding solution are particularly evident, but also regularly present door and window manufacturers with challenges. The elements, some of which are very large and heavy, need a robust frame profile that nevertheless has a slimline appearance. Sliding doors and windows also need to offer thermal insulation, soundproofing and weather resistance. The requirements for the profile and gasket are correspondingly high. Anyone looking for a building element with these features needs a product, where three components are perfectly matched to the profile system: hardware, gasket and glazing. The fine tuning of these elements is of crucial importance for sliding doors and sliding windows – whether they are made from timber, PVC or aluminium – to not only look good, but to be tightly sealed, soundproofed and easy to operate.
Perfect gasket for sliding doors
From heavy rain to extreme heat – a good gasket has to withstand a lot. It should be flexible, robust and highly insulating at the same time. Sealing profiles made from thermoplastic elastomers (TPE for short) are particularly suitable for this. They are especially resistant to the effects of UV radiation, ozone and the weather. TPE gaskets are also easy to work with and can be dyed virtually any colour. This type of gasket also offers a clear advantage in terms of sustainability: TPE gaskets can be recycled, meaning they can be ground down into new granules and reused.
Gaskets and operating convenience go hand in hand
What many don't know is that the sealing profile has a direct impact on the user experience for sliding doors or sliding windows. It determines whether users perceive the movement of the lever handle to be gentle and smooth or forceful and firm. If the sliding element can be opened comfortably and without great force, this is a clear sign of quality from the customer’s perspective. TPE gaskets also score points in this regard. Unlike other materials, they can be designed with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre. That makes it possible to precisely define the operating experience.
Clever solution for sliding door systems
A familiar problem for window and door manufacturers: depending on the shape, dimensions and opening type, a custom solution is often required. It takes a lot of time until hardware, gasket and glazing are perfectly coordinated. There are often many different suppliers involved. The effort and expense involved in procurement and production is correspondingly high.
System solutions where the hardware and gasket are perfectly matched to each other – for example the Roto Patio Inowa – can make this much easier. From small sliding windows in bathrooms to impressive sliding sashes: the smooth, tightly sealed sliding hardware Roto Patio Inowa supports elements of up to 400 kg and is available for the frame materials timber, aluminium and timber-aluminium.
Comfort, security, quality and design go hand in hand here. The system, which was developed specially for sliding doors and sliding windows, utilises an innovative closing movement perpendicular to the frame and a circumferential TPE gasket from sealing profile expert Deventer - a company of Roto Window and Door Technology. The gasket is particularly robust, does not scrape the mullion while opening and offers so much volume, that the sliding element opens and closes very gently. Another advantage: the gasket is designed so that a sliding system equipped with Roto Patio Inowa remains tightly sealed for decades with minimal maintenance requirements. Thanks to the clever system solution, no system supplier or window manufacturer has to worry about details such as the optimal design of the gasket to suit the movement geometry of the hardware. As the only hardware manufacturer with dedicated in-house expertise in sealing profiles and glazing methods, Roto FTT takes care of this task. This saves time and ensures an outstanding mix of components.