There are greenhouses with sliding doors and there are greenhouses with double doors. We have compared the advantages and disadvantages of both variants for you.
For many plant lovers, a greenhouse in the garden is the ultimate when it comes to their own hobby. This enables a constant climate at any time of the year, which allows crops and exotic specimens to be planted and fruits or vegetables to be harvested at any time. When purchasing a greenhouse, however, many questions arise regarding your own preferences, because there is a particularly large selection of different variants between pavilion greenhouses, cold frames, greenhouses with skylights and lean-to greenhouses. Choosing the greenhouse doors alone can be difficult. Because you are not always immediately sure whether sliding or wing doors are the better choice. But what are the differences and what exactly are the advantages of both variants?
Why is it so difficult to choose the doors for the greenhouse?
If you browse a hardware store, an online shop or other providers for a suitable greenhouse for your own garden, every company offers it in numerous variations. There is not only something for every budget, but also for every available space and all conceivable preferences. A big difference between the models is the type of access the greenhouse provides. Many versions have a sliding door or double sliding doors, while others have one or two swing doors. The problem: Both variants look similarly good and only differ in that they are advantageous in different ways. Basically, you have to decide between the various advantages.
The fact that the prices for the greenhouses with different door types do not really differ does not make the purchase decision any easier. Only if you want to change the door system later, you have to reckon with disadvantages such as a lot of work and immense costs. It is therefore particularly important to make the right decision from the start.
Advantages and disadvantages of the different doors
BothDoor types for the greenhouse have their own advantages, but also one or the other disadvantage. As a result, it happens that gardeners prefer certain door types with regard to sliding or wing doors due to their own experience or optical and other requirements, while other users don't care which door closes the greenhouse. But now to the pros and cons of greenhouse doors:
Advantages and disadvantages of sliding doors
✔ No space needed to open the door inwards or outwards
✔ After opening, the door fits snugly against the greenhouse and cannot be slammed shut by the wind or quickly damaged by other influences
✔ More stable in storms
✔ Many users find it more elegant in terms of handling and appearance
✔ Provides a lot of space as a double door
✘ The door is difficult to close and operate if the frame is insufficiently assembled or damaged
✘ Sliding ability can decrease over time
✘ Not quite as tight
✘ Right requires maintenance and is a bit more difficult to replace
✘ Frames for double sliding doors can look ugly on the greenhouse
Advantages and disadvantages of swing doors
✔ The door still closes properly without any problems, even years later
✔ Maintenance of the door is much easier
✔ The door is usually easier to replace if the need arises
✔ easy to handle
✔ can ensure that the greenhouse is sealed and protected from outside temperatures with the appropriate seals in any weather
✔ provides a lot of space as a double door
✔ can also come with a floor-to-ceiling doorstep for accessibility
✘ need space to swing inwards or outwards
✘ look conventional instead of modern and chic
Whatever door you choose for your greenhouse, the pros and cons are the most important - the main thing is that you have good access to the greenhouse that suits your needs.
What to consider when choosing doors?
If, despite all the advantages and disadvantages, you cannot really decide between the two types of door, there are various things to consider when making your selection in order to get a little closer to your dream model.
Size of the doors
Whether you tend towards sliding doors or the good old wing doors for the greenhouse - both variants must be able to offer exactly the space you need. That means: Both variants should only be bought in the size that allows comfortable walking through.A conventional wing or sliding door is usually less than 80cm wide and up to 2m high to allow one person to go through. However, this does not take into account the equipment that often has to be carried or pushed into the greenhouse. A wheelbarrow, for example, is about 80cm wide and needs the lowest possible threshold to be pushed into the greenhouse - and is needed there more often than previously thought. So if you use this a lot, you should use a double wing door or sliding door to get exactly this passage width.
By the way, when choosing the door, you also have to think about certain furnishings of the greenhouse that you want to make. These must be able to be carried into the greenhouse or assembled inside for the setup to go smoothly.
» The general rule is: The wider the sliding or wing doors are, the better they are in terms of air circulation. Because when they are open, they allow good ventilation of the greenhouse when gardening and thus ensure that germs are less able to survive inside. Excessive humidity, which does not benefit some plant species, can also be better compensated for. For this reason, windows in the greenhouse are also of great importance.
Do you want to lock the greenhouse?
If you want to store valuable tools or rare plant specimens in the greenhouse, there is always a risk of theft. Therefore, when choosing the door, it is also important to make sure that you can lock it if necessary. A simple lock can prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the greenhouse or even wantonly damaging it from the inside. The lock also often prevents the wind from causing the doors to slam open and also causing damage. If the door doesn't close properly, for example if a sliding door was installed incorrectly, animals can also get into the greenhouse.
Is accessibility required?
If access to the greenhouse has to be barrier-free, wing doors are more suitable. These are also available with a very low and easily accessible threshold, which is not only better suited for wheelbarrows. This factor must also be taken into account if the user himself often has trouble walking and falls easily, for example in old age.
External influences
You should also make sure that the doorsand their frames are as robust as possible so that they can better withstand all weather conditions. For example, double glazing is much better for greenhouses than single glazing, which is easily damaged.
Conclusion
We cannot give a general answer to the question of the optimal solution. If you are planning to buy a greenhouse, then you should think carefully about the requirements you place on your greenhouse and, of course, on the door. If you want to drive into the greenhouse with a wheelbarrow, you should prefer a double wing door. These are wide enough and come along without an obstructive threshold. In this way you also enable barrier-free access. In return, they take up space on the outside or inside when the doors are open. Sliding doors, on the other hand, take up less space and look more modern. On the other hand, they do not allow barrier-free access and cannot seal as well as wing doors.
Before you buy the greenhouse, make sure you think about how you want to use it. Your own preferences and the available space should also be taken into account when considering.