Explore slim 17mm sightlines, smooth operation and inspiring London projects. A practical planning guide by FineLine.
This planning resource is published by Fineline. For the product collection, confirmed specifications, quotations and installation services, visit Fineline Doors.
Sliding panels move alongside one another. The arrangement of moving and fixed panels determines the clear opening and where the glass parks. Folding doors stack panels to one side, so allow for the stack and its swing. Compare the usable opening and the closed view on a plan, rather than judging by the number of panels alone.
A wider multi-track arrangement changes where the panels can collect. A corner opening involves two elevations and needs early coordination of the support above. Ask for a drawing showing both the closed position and the fully open position, including handles, access routes and furniture.
Ask to see the actual head, jamb, meeting-stile and threshold details. The term describes a visual approach; it does not mean that a door has no supporting frame, track or structural requirements. Compare the complete installed detail for your opening.
Gather photographs and approximate opening dimensions. Mark the garden side, the intended access point and the direction you want the panels to move. Identify any fixed glazing and show where the panels should park. These are briefing dimensions; final manufacture requires the agreed survey and design process.
Show the internal finished floor, external paving level and paving falls on the same section. Include floor build-ups, drainage and waterproofing. A flush appearance is a coordinated construction detail, rather than a promise that the same track can suit every exposed opening.
List orientation, shading, location and how the room is used. Request the whole-system thermal performance for the proposed configuration, glass specification, finish, installation scope, warranty terms and exclusions. Check who provides structural work, lifting equipment, drainage and making good.
In this photograph, the glazed extension opens towards a garden with changes in level. When planning a similar connection, mark the route from the room to the terrace and steps. Consider where people will walk, where furniture will sit and where open panels will park.
Prepare your project brief ↓Use the layout notes below to shape your brief. Fineline Doors holds the product collection and provides the project-specific specification, survey, quotation and installation service.
A corner opening can connect two sides of a room to the garden. Ask whether the proposed system leaves a fixed corner post and how the structure above is supported. Request a plan showing where both sets of panels park and how the corner seals when closed.
Explore open corner doors ↗Multiple sliding panels can collect on several tracks. The clear opening depends on the number of moving panels, any fixed panels and the parking arrangement. Compare the fully open width on a drawing; a wider glazed opening does not automatically mean a wider passage.
Explore glass-to-glass doors ↗Large panes reduce the number of visible divisions, but panel size and weight affect operation, handling and installation. Discuss access for delivery and lifting, structural support and the balance between fixed glazing and the doors you will use every day.
Explore larger openings ↗At Sundown, sliding glass doors with 17mm sightlines connect the home office with the garden. Slim profiles complement the timber architecture and keep the outlook open, making the surroundings part of the working day.
Smooth operation makes the doors a pleasure to use—slide them open for a break in the garden, or enjoy the view while you work indoors.
At The Grange, frameless sliding doors slide away from the corner of the glass box extension, creating a clear, uninterrupted view into the garden. This pioneering design demonstrates the flexibility of FineLine doors—bringing the outside in.
At the rear of this London townhouse, bi-parting FineLine sliding doors open from the centre, connecting the glass pavilion with the garden.
Multi-laminated structural glass walls and 51mm-thick glass fins with SGP interlayers support the insulated SIP roof. The design demonstrates the load-bearing capability of engineered glass while preserving light, transparency and garden views—a contemporary addition that brings the outside in.
Here, the fixed structural glass walls and fins form part of the roof-supporting design. The moving sliding doors provide access to the garden; their role is separate from that of the load-bearing glazing.
Multi-laminated glass combines several panes with interlayers. In this project, the 51mm-thick fins use SGP interlayers as part of the engineered structural specification. The fins provide support while maintaining the pavilion’s transparent character.
The SIP—structural insulated panel—roof, fixed glass, fins, connections and foundations work together. Glass thicknesses and support details are designed for the loads and geometry of each project; the 51mm specification belongs to this pavilion.
In Greenwich, two rebuilt garden walls frame a contemporary living space beneath a glass roof. FineLine multi-panel sliding doors connect the room with the garden, transforming a previously unused area into a light-filled place to dine, relax and spend time together.
Carefully specified multifunctional glazing combines solar control with thermal insulation, helping to limit incoming solar heat in summer and reduce heat loss in colder months. Chosen alongside ventilation, shading and heating, the right glass helps create a comfortable living space to enjoy throughout the year.
Combining low-iron glass with a suitable solar-control coating brings a clearer outlook and a more comfortable space. Low-iron glass reduces the green tint associated with standard glass, while the coating helps limit incoming solar heat without sacrificing generous natural light.
FineLine sliding doors sit comfortably within an existing home or a contemporary glass box extension. Slim 17mm sightlines and smooth operation keep the focus on your surroundings, with frames, thresholds and adjoining glazing coordinated to create a seamless visual connection.
Solar-control glass balances daylight with reduced heat gain. Saint-Gobain COOL-LITE® coatings can be specified on DIAMANT® low-iron glass. We select the glazing around your room, its orientation and the size of the glazed area, alongside shading and ventilation.
Insulating glass units help limit heat loss as well as manage solar gain. Compare light transmission, solar factor and U-values for the proposed build-up, and ask for the performance of the complete door system. The right balance depends on how you use the space.
A suitable laminated glass interlayer can reduce UV transmission and help slow fading of furniture, fabrics and flooring. This is a separate consideration from solar control and low-iron clarity. Fading can still occur, so sensitive furnishings may also benefit from shading.
Explore the glass options: DIAMANT® low-iron glass, COOL-LITE® solar control and STADIP® laminated glass. Final performance is confirmed for your chosen specification.
Discuss glazing for your project ↗
A free survey and design service helps turn your ideas into a defined proposal. Share your plans with finelinedoors, explore the specification together and agree the route through manufacture and installation.
Happy to chatBegin with your plans, photographs and approximate opening sizes. A site survey and design consultation help establish the dimensions and installation details for your project.
Choose a configuration that suits the room and the garden beyond. Discuss corner openings, sliding panels and fixed glazing with the team to develop the right arrangement.
Ask for a section through the proposed threshold showing the internal floor, track, external paving and drainage. A level-looking transition still needs a coordinated weathering detail. Agree responsibilities for drainage and waterproofing before the surrounding floors are finished.
Consider the direction the glazing faces, the amount of glass, external shading and ventilation together. Solar-control glass can reduce incoming solar heat, but it is not a guarantee against overheating. Ask for daylight transmission, solar factor and whole-system thermal performance for the proposed specification.
You do not need a finished specification to start a conversation. Bring what you have and identify what still needs to be decided.
Final dimensions and suitability must be confirmed through the survey and design process before manufacture.
Discuss your brief with FineLine ↗A headline price per square metre can hide differences in the opening arrangement, glass and installation. Ask suppliers to price the same drawings and state what is included.
Check survey, design, delivery, lifting, installation and disposal. Establish who is responsible for the supporting structure, track recess, waterproofing, drainage and finishing around the opening.
Compare the proposed glass build-up, safety-glazing requirements, solar control and whole-system thermal performance. The most suitable specification depends on the opening, orientation, exposure and use of the room.
Confirm when the manufacturing period begins, which drawings need approval and when the opening must be ready. Ask for written warranty terms and the procedure for reporting a problem. Use the confirmed quotation for current pricing and lead times.
Ask for the clear opening dimension with all moving panels fully parked. Fixed panels, track layout, handles and panel stacking all affect the usable passage. Compare this dimension alongside the overall frame width.
A flush appearance needs coordination between the door track, internal floor build-up, external paving, drainage and waterproofing. Ask for the proposed threshold section and confirm the detail suits the exposure of your site.
Solar-control glass can reduce heat entering through the glazing. Comfort also depends on orientation, glass area, shading, ventilation and how the room is used. Assess those factors together rather than relying on the glass alone.
Give each supplier the same opening dimensions and layout. Compare the glass specification, whole-system performance, installation scope, finishes, delivery, lifting, warranty and exclusions. Confirm who provides structural work, drainage and making good.
Use approximate measurements for an initial discussion. The dimensions, tolerances and supporting details for manufacture need to be confirmed through the agreed survey and design process.
Visit the FineLine collection to explore systems, then request a project quotation. FineLine will confirm suitability, current specifications, lead times and warranty terms for your chosen arrangement.
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