Opening size and weight
Large glass panels can weigh 100 – 400 kg. Check the hinge, roller or pivot rating and the profile depth before fixing the panel size.
Architectural door systems
Aluminium Door Systems
Aluminium door systems cover every way a door can open: hinged single and double leaves, sliding and lift-slide panels, bifolds, pivots and commercial entrance doors. The right choice depends on the opening size, traffic, weather exposure, insulation target and accessibility rules. Metline supplies door profiles in 6063 and 6060, thermal break sections and accessories, to door fabricators and project buyers worldwide.
- Profile alloys
- 6063-T5/T6, 6060-T66
- Door types
- Hinged, sliding, bifold, pivot
- EU standard
- EN 14351-1
- Finishes
- Powder, PVDF, anodised
Why aluminium for door systems
A door is the hardest-working part of the building envelope. It opens thousands of times a year, carries heavy glass on its hinges or rollers, and still has to seal against wind and rain. Extruded aluminium suits this duty: it is stiff for its weight, does not warp or swell, and can be shaped into multi-chamber profiles with gasket grooves, hardware channels and thermal breaks in one section.
Aluminium also allows much slimmer frames than timber or uPVC for the same glass size, which is why it dominates large glazed doors, shopfronts and minimal-frame designs. With a polyamide thermal break, modern aluminium doors meet the energy requirements of most climates, and coated or anodised finishes keep their appearance for decades with only washing.
Types of aluminium door and where each fits
| Door type | How it opens | Strengths | Watch-outs | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hinged (swing) door | Leaf turns on butt or concealed hinges | Best sealing and security; simple | Needs swing space | Front doors, terraces, internal and fire doors |
| Double door | Two leaves, one active and one fixed or both active | Wide clear opening | Meeting stile must seal and lock well | Lobbies, villas, wide entrances |
| Sliding door | Panels slide on rollers in parallel tracks | No swing space; large glass | Brush seals limit air tightness | Balconies, patios, apartments |
| Lift-and-slide door | Handle lifts the sash off its seals before it slides | Very large, heavy panels with good sealing | Higher cost; heavier hardware | Premium homes, hotels |
| Bifold door | Panels fold and stack to one or both sides | Opens almost the whole width | Many joints; needs precise installation | Terraces, restaurants, garden rooms |
| Pivot door | Leaf turns on a pivot set in from the edge | Very large, dramatic entrances | Floor-spring and pivot loads | Feature entrances |
| Commercial entrance / storefront | Narrow, medium or wide stile doors with closers and panic hardware | High-traffic durability | Hardware and accessibility compliance | Shops, offices, public buildings |
Dedicated pages cover hinged doors, sliding doors, bifold doors, double doors and commercial doors.
How to choose a door system
Thermal performance
Exterior doors in cold or hot climates need a thermal break and insulated glass; ask for the calculated UD value at your size.
Weather exposure
Upper floors and coastal sites need tested watertightness and wind classes, deeper sills and drained thresholds.
Traffic
Commercial doors need durable hinges, closers and lock cases tested for high cycle counts.
Accessibility
Low thresholds (for example 15 mm in UK Approved Document M, ½ in under US ADA rules) and suitable handle and closer forces.
Security and fire
Multi-point locks and tested security classes (PAS 24, EN 1627 RC2/RC3) where needed; fire and smoke doors certified separately under EN 16034 or local rules.
Performance standards for aluminium doors
| Property | Europe / UK | North America |
|---|---|---|
| Product standard | EN 14351-1 (external pedestrian doors), CE / UKCA marking | AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 for sliding and side-hinged doors |
| Air, water, wind | EN 12207, EN 12208, EN 12210 | ASTM E283, E331, E330 within NAFS |
| Thermal | EN ISO 10077-1/-2 | NFRC 100 / 200 |
| Durability | EN 12400 (cycle classes), EN 1191 test | ANSI/BHMA hardware grades |
| Security | EN 1627, PAS 24 | ASTM F476 and local codes |
| Fire and smoke | EN 16034, EN 1634-1 | NFPA 80, UL 10C |
Profiles, alloys and finishes
Door frames and leaves are extruded mainly in 6063-T5/T6 and 6060-T66, with 6005A-T6 for heavy sections such as lift-slide sashes or tall pivot stiles. Door profiles usually have thicker walls than windows, commonly 1.8 – 2.5 mm around hinge and lock zones, because screws and hardware carry repeated loads there. Thermal breaks of 20 – 40 mm polyamide are typical for insulated exterior doors.
- Powder coating in any RAL colour, with super-durable grades for sun and coast.
- PVDF for long colour retention on prestige facades.
- Anodising (class 20 – 25) for hard-wearing metallic finishes on high-traffic doors.
- Dual colour with different interior and exterior shades on thermally broken profiles.
- Wood-grain transfer for a timber look without the maintenance.
See the aluminium door profile guide and 6063 extrusions for profile details.
Matching door types to projects
- Shops, restaurants and offices: storefront framing with medium or wide stile entrance doors, closers and panic hardware.
- Hotel lobbies: double or pivot entrance doors, with automatic sliding doors at main entrances.
- Villas and terraces: lift-slide or bifold doors with thermal breaks, flush thresholds and insect screens.
- Apartments and balconies: sliding doors with drained tracks and tested watertightness for upper floors.
- Interiors: slimline glazed partitions and doors with minimal frames.
- Energy-efficient buildings: insulated hinged or lift-slide doors with triple glazing.
- ScheduleList each door with size, opening type, location and performance need.
- ConfigureChoose profiles, glass, hardware, threshold and finish.
- ConfirmCheck sizes against tested limits and accessibility rules.
- SupplyProfiles, hardware and accessories, labelled by door number and packed for export to your fabricator.
References and standards
- EN 14351-1 – Windows and doors: product standard, performance characteristics
- EN 12400 – Windows and pedestrian doors: mechanical durability, requirements and classification
- EN 1627 – Pedestrian doorsets, windows, curtain walling: burglar resistance
- AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 – North American Fenestration Standard
- EN 755-2 – Extruded rod, bar, tube and profiles: mechanical properties
Aluminium (aluminum) door systems: frequently asked questions
Should I choose a sliding, bifold or hinged door?
Choose hinged doors for the best sealing and security in normal openings, sliding or lift-slide doors where swing space is limited or panels are very large, and bifolds when you want to open almost the full width to a terrace.
When does an aluminum door need a thermal break?
Whenever it separates heated or cooled space from outside in a climate with real heating or cooling demand, or where energy codes set a door U-value. Without one, aluminium frames lose heat quickly and can show condensation on the inside.
What is the difference between entrance doors and storefront systems?
An entrance door is the operating leaf and its hardware, designed for frequent use. A storefront system is the whole ground-floor glazed frontage, including fixed glass, framing and the doors set into it.
How thick are aluminium door profiles?
Main walls are commonly 1.8 – 2.5 mm, thicker at hinge and lock zones, which is heavier than typical window profiles. The actual thickness comes from the system design and test evidence.
Do you supply finished doors to our door schedule?
No. Metline supplies door profiles, hardware and accessories to your schedule, cut and machined on request, with finish confirmed before production; your fabricator assembles and glazes the doors.
Planning doors for a project?
Send the door schedule, opening types, performance needs and finish. We will propose profile series and quote profiles and hardware.
