The great indoor-outdoor debate: Should your doors hinge, slide or stack?

Hinged may not be the experience you’re after

Hinged and french doors are simple, but they’re going to limit your flow. There’s a limit to how wide a hinged door can be – and the wider the door – the more room you’re going to need to open it which can be a pain to live with. If you’re chasing indoor-outdoor flow they’re probably not going to be on the top of your list.

NZ’s favourite – the sliding door.

Sliding doors remain New Zealand’s most popular option, and for good reason. They’re simple to operate, don’t require any floor space to open, and their clean, minimalist appearance suits almost every architectural style. They’re also an excellent choice in windy locations, where large hinged panels can become difficult to manage. The single slider won’t let you get that super wide opening – for that you need to look at the next 2 categories…

Open really wide with stacking sliders.

If your goal is creating the biggest possible opening between inside and out, stacking sliding doors are worth considering. Rather than stopping at one sliding panel, multiple panels slide neatly behind one another to create a much wider opening. You’ll have plenty of choice when it comes to panel size and orientation – but more panels mean a thicker frame so everything can get quite wide. You’ll get a way bigger opening than a single slider, but if you want to go all the way…

Have you considered Bifold?

Bifolding doors were once the go-to choice for opening up an entire wall, and they’re still a great solution in some situations. Folded neatly to one – or two sides, they can create an almost uninterrupted opening. However, they do require more hardware, ongoing maintenance and room for the folded panels, so they tend to suit some homes better than others. If you have young children you do need to be aware there are more protruding edges on this style of door (compared to sliders).