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Patio doors in residential buildings

Whether as a tilt and turn door, lift and slide door or parallel sliding and tilting door - patio doors ensure seamless transitions between interior spaces and gardens.

Like windows, patio doors are also available in different materials: primarily PVC-U, timber and aluminium. However, the same requirements apply to all types of patio doors with regard to aspects such as burglary protection, accessibility, driving rain and wind resistance. We provide an overview.

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Käuferle - leading German manufacturer of garage doors, partition systems, windows and doors

Value inside.

Käuferle is a leading German manufacturer of garage doors, partition systems and enclosures. Around 25 years ago, we also began offering our customers a wide range of windows and doors. This also includes customised solutions for patio doors made of PVC-U - a material that is as robust as it is easy to clean, light-resistant and weatherproof, helping to protect your assets in the best possible way.

Tilt and turn doors, lift and slide doors and parallel tilt and slide doors in PVC-U

Käuferle products are always well thought out in terms of craftsmanship and are part of holistic solutions. Our patio doors therefore offer the right solution for every building situation. What sets them apart are the different types of opening. What they have in common is the high quality of workmanship, the high security standards and the modern technical equipment.

Individual, customised solutions

Our patio doors are processed and installed taking into account your specific project specifications, installation situations and dimensions. If required, we will be happy to assist you with the planning. Our aim is to create door solutions that provide plenty of daylight, thermal and sound insulation, security and protection. Our unique selection of colours, shapes and functions also opens up great scope for design.

Security and burglary protection for patio doors

Why patio doors deserve a lot of attention when it comes to burglary protection

Patio doors are easily accessible on the ground floor. They are usually located in places at the rear of the building that are not easily visible and are often concealed by hedges, privacy screens or sun protection elements. And they offer burglars a large target area due to their size alone - especially if they are double-leaf. In terms of burglary protection, patio doors should therefore be looked at particularly closely.

Securing the patio door, but how?

There are many options for securing patio doors: Security glass, high-quality locking systems with lockable handles and alarm systems. Patio doors can also be secured by roller shutters with anti-lift devices. Alarm systems and security glass are always recommended for homes in generally unsafe neighbourhoods. Lockable handles are suitable for average residential areas and as a first measure - which can also be retrofitted.

Basic burglary protection with lockable handles

Two thirds of all burglaries do not occur at the front door, but at windows, balcony and patio doors. The mechanical security of patio doors should therefore be a top priority. Lockable handles prevent patio doors from being opened easily if the glass is broken through. Bar locks (which can also be retrofitted) offer additional protection. Vertically sliding rods connected to the handle secure the patio doors with additional upper and lower locking points.

Resistance classes for windows and patio doors

The properties of burglar-resistant doors and windows are categorised into seven resistance classes (RC) in accordance with DIN EN 1627. Basically, the longer a window or patio door resists, the higher its resistance class. Important facts about burglar-proof windows, resistance classes and retrofittable security elements can be found here.

Door types, dimensions, accessibility

Width and height of single-leaf patio doors

The standard width and height for single-leaf patio doors are 80 to 90 x 200 cm. These figures describe the external frame dimensions, so it quickly becomes clear that smaller widths are not recommended. This is because the clear passage width when the door is open is relevant in everyday life, which can be up to 20 cm smaller depending on the manufacturer and frame material. Heights of up to 250 cm are generally possible without any problems.

More clear width and daylight thanks to double-leaf patio doors

Double-leaf patio doors without centre mullions allow the entire clear width to be used as a passageway when the doors are open. With this opening mechanism, only one of the two doors can be opened as a tilt and turn door, while the other must be designed as a swing door. If both doors on double-leaf patio doors are to have a turn/tilt mechanism, a centre post is required. Fixed glass side panels can be added to single or double-leaf patio doors to allow more light into the interior.

Patio doors without thresholds and steps

Stepless access to the terrace cannot be achieved with standard frame profiles. However, there are threshold constructions that only require a threshold of around 2 cm to ensure watertightness. Patio doors with magnetic seals are completely threshold-free. When the doors are closed, two magnetic strips ensure that the floor joint is sealed. If the terrace is lower than the interior, external steps can be easily removed by raising the terrace level.

Sliding doors - large openings, easy to operate

The most convenient type of sliding door for patio doors is the lift and slide door, which can be moved to the side almost silently and easily with the help of running wheels in the frame. Just like conventional patio doors, lift and slide doors also have the highest burglary protection standards and thermal and sound insulation values, depending on the equipment and material. Innovative sealing systems also guarantee maximum wind and driving rain tightness as well as optimum sound insulation.

Advantages of parallel tilt and slide doors

Parallel tilt and slide doors can be tilted for ventilation and slid open sideways for access with a smooth-running single-handed lever handle. When opening, the sash initially moves to the tilt position; when the handle is turned further, the sash returns to the parallel position and can then be slid to the side in front of fixed glazing. Parallel sliding and tilting doors are often used when hinged doors are in the way or there is not enough space for them.

Protection from sun, wind and weather - adjusting and sealing patio doors

Wind and driving rain tightness

Driving rain occurs when heavy rain and wind come together. Driving rain tightness is classified in accordance with DIN EN 12208 and DIN EN 1027. Among other things, test procedures are used to measure the extent to which frame profiles deflect under different wind loads. These deflections can impair the wind tightness in rebate and sealing areas. In terms of building physics, both driving rain tightness and wind tightness are closely linked to thermal insulation, for which both types of tightness are essential.

Sealing and adjustment of patio doors

Leaks in patio doors can have various causes. Sluggish tilt and turn doors, for example, indicate that the door leaves are hanging crookedly and need to be readjusted. Such adjustments can be made using adjusting screws in the fittings (corner bearings, scissor bearings). However, defective door seals are also a possible cause of inadequate driving rain and wind tightness. These can be replaced or supplemented with sealing strips.

Sun protection and privacy screens for patio doors

External sun shading also serves as a privacy screen. However, its primary task is to protect interior rooms from excessive heat input from solar radiation. Textile screens are particularly suitable for this purpose and, depending on the design, can be used not only for privacy protection but also for darkening. An alternative are venetian blinds, which provide effective solar shading with horizontally positioned slats and at the same time offer a virtually uninterrupted view of the outside.

Frequently asked questions about patio doors

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about patio doors:

What materials are patio doors from Käuferle available in?

We rely on PVC-U profiles that create optimum conditions for all types of patio doors.
Why are lockable handles useful for patio doors?

Lockable handles prevent burglars from simply opening the doors after breaking through the glass to get into the house. The prerequisite is, of course, that the door is actually locked and the key is not inserted.
What are the basic advantages of sliding doors over tilt and turn doors?

They allow larger door openings without having to provide space in the interior for the door leaves to swing open.
Why are wind and driving rain tightness important for patio doors?

They are closely linked to thermal insulation - leaky patio doors allow cold air to flow in, which condenses on the frame and in the door reveal, causing moisture damage.