Expert: Stephen Major - 5/25/2007

Question
iwould like to know ifyou can open a large areaof the wall with ceiling to floor sliding doors that open to theoutside patio. I live in az and would love to open the house more when weather is nice. I have seen automatic and pushopen ones in several custom homes i have seen but cannot find who to contact. thank you

Answer
Darcie,  

Let me know what town you are in and I might be able to provide more information.

--Steve Major






You are looking to accomplish two separate things.  The first is to create a large hole in the wall of your house.  This is a structural project who's success depends on the way the wall is built and the nature of the loads above.  You should contact a good building contractor or licensed engineer for guidance.

Second, you need to install an appropriate large sliding door.  Many floor-to-ceiling types, especially automatic ones, are commercial grade.  Residential sliding doors typically aren't automatic, but can be fitted with motorized hardware.  I would recommend starting your search by calling a commercial door supplier and telling them what you would like to accomplish.  They typically won't sell directly to you, but they should be able to point you in the right direction.  

Also, try searching (Yahoo or Google) on terms like "automatic sliding door" , "residential sliding door" and "motorized sliding door".  

Best of luck and please let me know if you have additional questions.

--Steve Major