Aluminium or uPVC Sliding Door

Aluminium or uPVC frame for a sliding door?

Both materials make good sliding doors, but they suit different priorities.

Aluminium is stiff, so it can carry tall, wide shutters on slim frames. That gives more glass and a cleaner look, which is why living-room doors to large balconies and penthouse terraces are often aluminium. Heavy-duty sliding series have deep sections, stainless rollers and multi-point locks. Finishes are anodised or powder coated in any colour.

uPVC frames are deeper and insulate better, and seal tighter against dust and noise, at the cost of chunkier sightlines. They suit bedrooms facing a main road and air-conditioned rooms. Large uPVC doors rely on internal steel reinforcement to stay straight.

For very large openings there are lift-and-slide systems: turning the handle lifts the shutter off its seals onto rollers, and lowering it presses it down onto the gasket. They slide easily despite the weight and seal much better than a standard slider.

Our uPVC vs aluminium windows guide covers the materials in more depth; most of it applies equally to doors.

Glass, mesh and locking

A sliding door is glass you can walk into, so toughened glass is the minimum, usually 8mm to 12mm for single glazing depending on shutter size. Toughened glass is several times stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into blunt fragments.

For heat and noise, a double glazed unit (two panes with a sealed gap) suits west-facing balconies that bake in the afternoon and bedrooms facing busy roads. Reflective or tinted glass reduces glare on upper floors.

A three-track frame adds a mosquito mesh shutter on its own track, so the glass can be open with the mesh closed on monsoon evenings. Alternatively, a pleated mesh folds away into a slim side cassette.

Locks range from a simple hook lock to multi-point locking, which pulls the shutter tight at several points and is the better choice on ground floors and terrace doors. Child-safety and key locks are available on most systems.

If what you want is a whole wall that opens, a slide-and-fold door is the alternative to consider.

Getting the threshold right for monsoon rain

Most sliding-door problems in Delhi NCR start at the bottom track.

Balconies are meant to sit slightly lower than the room, with the floor sloping away to a drain. When the levels are equal, or the balcony slopes inward, wind-driven monsoon rain is pushed straight into the track. The track then needs a raised outer upstand, drainage slots that discharge outside, and a sealed joint to the floor. We check levels at the visit and design the sill around them.

A flush or recessed track is possible where the floor can be cut to take it, giving a step-free threshold. It needs good drainage below and is usually best planned during a renovation.

Dust is the other enemy. Grit in the track wears rollers and makes the shutter jump; see sliding door off track for what goes wrong. Brush seals at the interlock and a clean track prevent most of it.

In societies, balcony doors usually sit inside the building line, but any change to the outer face may need RWA consent, so check if the frame colour will change.

What changes the price of a sliding door

We quote sliding doors after measuring; there is no fixed rate on the site.

Opening size. Taller and wider shutters need heavier sections and rollers.

Frame material and series. Domal or standard aluminium, slim heavy-duty aluminium, uPVC, or a lift-and-slide system.

Number of tracks and shutters. Two-track, three-track with mesh, or four shutters meeting in the middle.

Glass. Single toughened, tinted or reflective, or a double glazed unit.

Hardware. Roller grade, multi-point locks, handles.

Threshold work. A flush track or a raised sill may need floor cutting and making good.

Removal. Taking out an old door and frame.

Each door and its specification is itemised in the written quote, so you can see the effect of, say, double glazing on one door before you decide. Related price guidance for frames is on the uPVC window price page.

Process and looking after a sliding door

Book a site visit for ₹99, usually within 24 to 48 hours; the fee is adjusted against your bill if you go ahead. We measure the opening, check floor levels and the balcony fall, and agree frame, glass and locks. A written, all-inclusive quote usually follows within about two hours and is valid for three days.

After a 50% advance, the frame is fabricated and the toughened glass ordered to size; toughened glass production generally takes 7 to 10 days. On site we remove the old door, fix and seal the new frame, hang the shutters and adjust the rollers. The balance 50% is due on completion.

Vacuum the bottom track every week or two in the dusty months, keep the drainage slots clear, and do not lubricate the rollers with oil. Browse all options in the windows and doors catalogue, or the windows and doors in Gurgaon page.