Portal systems of windows and doors: pros and cons, common problems and how to solve them

Recommendation points

• What to look for when choosing and installing a sliding portal
• Problem # 1
• Problem # 2
• Problem # 3

In this article, we will talk about what a portal is and how sliding systems of doors and windows work on its basis. What are the rollback mechanisms and what is their difference. We will also provide prices for the most popular models of sliding portals and describe common problems and methods of their elimination..

Opening portals in 90% of cases are divided into two types – swing and sliding. Swinging arms are considered to be traditional, since they are found in the overwhelming majority due to their familiar appearance and design..

The principle of the sliding system can be judged from its name. In this case, the sash is suspended on hinges that move along rails integrated into the frame from the inside. At the moment of opening, the hinges unfold, and the sash leaves the seat inside the room. Then the sash moves directly to free the opening – the hinges with the sash move along the slats along the plane of the frame. Often the sash handle has the option of intermediate fixation. When moving backwards, the hinges fold in and the sash fits into the seat.

According to the scheme of movable flaps, there are three most popular options:

1. “Patio” – one sash weighing up to 100 kg.

2. HS-portal or simply “Portal”. Two sashes weighing up to 160 kg, diverging in different directions. Can clear an opening up to 3 m.

3. FS-portal or “Accordion”. Sashes weighing up to 80 kg are interconnected alternately – one row of hinges for the fold on the outside, the other on the inside. As a result, when sliding, the sashes fold in the manner of accordion furs. This arrangement allows to close openings up to 6 m.

Portal window system can be external and internal, blind and glazed, plastic and wooden. The essence of the differences boils down to the way of opening, since the seats and frame design are usually identical. The parts themselves – hinges, rails, rods – are fundamentally similar and repeat the original design of the hinge-recoil mechanism, originally proposed by the German company Roto. With an increase in the size of the sash, its mass increases, which leads to the need to use more powerful and large parts.

Almost any material can be used in the manufacture of portals. The three most popular designs are:

1. Reinforced plastic. They are reliable, simple and technologically advanced, like all metal-plastic products. The main advantage is a large assortment of frame and sash profiles, which allows you to choose even a budget model.
2. Aluminum. Exceptional durability and reliability. But at the same time, thermal insulation indicators are below average. More suitable for unheated balconies, verandas, greenhouses and summer gardens.
3. Wooden (“euro tree”). TOP segment products with the highest price. They can be made of precious wood species, which makes them an exclusive element of the interior and exterior at the same time.

Sliding portals are especially sophisticated, in which the canvas, when opened, goes into a niche inside the wall. In this case, the door is part of the partition structure and is designed together with it. A hanging rail hidden in the upper part of the portal, on which the door leaf is hung through rollers, can serve as a retractable mechanism. In another version, the support rail (profile groove) cuts into the floor, and the canvas has a support roller (or rollers) that fits into this rail.

Sliding (sliding) systems are less common due to the higher price, but at the same time they have a number of tangible advantages over swing systems:

1. Clearing the opening does not require additional space near the frame. This allows you to install such windows and portals in narrow corridors and rooms with an unconventional wall arrangement.
2. An open sash does not take up space next to the frame, does not require fixation, and remains motionless. The sliding sash is easier to adjust and will not slam shut from a draft.
3. There is no risk of damage to the opposite wall or frame in case of impact as on a swing leaf.

The main advantage of window portals – a visual increase in the space of a room due to a completely transparent wall – is best manifested when used as a passage to a terrace. In city apartments, this is no less important – the loggia, glazed with blind portals, will make the view from the window full and panoramic.

What to look for when choosing and installing a sliding portal

Problem # 1

The possibility of freezing a glass unit often stops those wishing to install a transparent portal at the exit from the room (at the border of the temperature drop). There is only one way to avoid this – to organize additional ventilation with heating inside the room. Traditionally, heating radiators are installed under windows for a reason. The hot air rises and heats the glass, preventing condensation from forming. For heating portals, which “rest” directly on the floor, convectors are used built into the slab or floor screed. They can be connected to a heating system or “warm floor”.

Problem # 2

Installation defects. Violations during the installation process can turn into any surprises. TOP-3 problems of incorrect installation:

1. Over time, the system jams, wedges, goes hard. Most often found on multisection “accordions”.
   What to do? Arm yourself with a hexagon, patience and use the tips from our article.
2. Drafts. Incorrectly applied polyurethane foam is the main cause of drafts.
   What to do? Open the frame perimeter or draft and check the quality of the insulation.
3. Installation on temporary mounts. If you find that the window or portal is installed only on the trim of the U-shaped suspension and foam, you should strengthen the structure.
   What to do? Drill holes into the wall directly through the frame and install dowels or dowels Ø 10 mm and length 150–180 mm.

Of course, these are not all possible defects. In most cases, in order to correct the situation, it is required to open the exterior or interior decoration. If you have the opportunity to control the installation of the portals, do it. And demand an explanation at every step.

Problem # 3

Attractiveness of portals for burglars. It is believed that any sliding system is easy to open or hack. Violators are constantly improving their skills, but manufacturers do not stand still. When choosing an external portal, pay attention to the presence of an anti-burglar system. Most manufacturers offer anti-burglar kits for existing models of windows and portals.

Prices for window portals rub. for 1 sq. m *:

A type	“Patio”	HS (“Portal”)	FS (“Accordion”)
GOODWIN, Russia	7 800	9,500	11,500
VEKA, Germany	8 800	9,700	12 650
Deceuninck, Belgium, Germany	11,500	13,000	16800
Roto, Germany	9,500	11,500	12 800
Rehau, Germany	10,500	12,500	14,000
Fakro, Poland	9,000	11,000	14,000

* – prices for sets of portals can vary significantly depending on the location of the object

Remember that even expensive portals from reliable manufacturers require careful handling and periodic preventive maintenance. Moving parts must be lubricated once a year (in spring) together with oil wiping of rubber seals.