Lift & Slide Doors
A lift-and-slide door is a heavy-duty sliding panel system that lifts off its track on a special handle mechanism, then glides smoothly across before lowering back into the sealed position. The lift action takes the panel weight off the seal during operation, which is what allows oversized panels (up to 3 metres tall and several hundred kilograms each) to operate by hand without dragging or wearing the gasket. Crateworks builds lift-slide doors in thermally-broken aluminum for renovation and replacement projects.
Best for: Very large openings where standard sliding panels would be too heavy to operate smoothly. Modern oceanfront, lakefront, and large-format residential.
Built to your opening
Every door is made to order. You specify:
- Track count (2-rail to 4-rail)
- Panel count + size
- Pocket variant
- Glass build
- Color (RAL)
Common questions
- What is the difference between a lift-slide door and a standard slider?
- On a standard sliding door, the panel rides on rollers along the track at all times and the perimeter gasket compresses partly during operation, which wears it. On a lift-slide, the handle mechanism lifts the panel a few millimetres off the track before it slides, taking the panel weight off the gasket entirely. The system allows panels three to five times heavier than a standard slider and a tighter seal when closed.
- How big can a lift-slide panel be?
- Lift-slide panels routinely run up to 3 metres tall and 1.8 to 2.4 metres wide per panel, with panel weights into the high hundreds of kilograms. Larger configurations are possible. The opening size that works depends on the track count and structural support; we confirm at quote.
- Is a lift-slide door worth the cost premium?
- For openings under 3 metres wide with standard-weight glass, a heavy-duty sliding door delivers the same daily experience for less. For openings 4 metres and wider, oversized panels, or triple-pane glass that adds significant weight, lift-slide is the only system that operates by hand reliably over the long term. The premium is justified by the use case, not the look.
- Do these doors carry weather and structural certifications?
- We frame our exterior doors for renovation and replacement, and we only state a specific certification once the supplier has furnished the test documentation in writing. Requirements like water-tightness and wind-load vary by location. Tell us where the project is and we will confirm what we can document before you order.
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Get a quote on lift & slide doors
Send your opening sizes. Built to order in thermally-broken aluminum, sourced direct.
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