Sliding glass door

The doors can give access to a backyard or patio while providing a pleasant view,[3][4] and when not fully covered can be a source of passive daylighting.

The sliding glass door was introduced as a significant element of pre-war International style architecture in Europe and North America.

A specialty form, for Washitsu or "Japanese-style rooms," creates sliding Shōji and Fusuma panel doors, with traditional materials for interior uses[6] and contemporary adaptations for exterior exposure and uses.

For wide expanses, the opening point is centered, and three to six parallel tracks are used to carry the six to twelve sliding doors into the wall pockets on each side.

Their recent popularity, shelter magazine coverage and technical and structural innovations have brought many options to market.

A third sliding doors design has all the glass panels suspended from above, leaving a trackless and uninterrupted floor plane.

To reduce their negative thermal impact on the living space, glass doors should have insulated frames and be double or triple glazed, with low-emissivity coatings and gas-filling (typically argon).

Sliding glass doors are popular in Southern Europe and throughout the United States, being used in: hotel rooms, condominiums, apartments, and residences; for access to upper balconies; for large views out - enhanced natural light in; and to increase incoming fresh air.

To comply with energy conservation codes and for noise reduction, sliding glass doors are usually double glazed, and often treated for UV reflection.