Nano Door vs Multi-Slide Door
A folding wall of windows or doors [aka a nano door, accordion door, bifold patio door], appears in almost every set of construction plans that come into our office. The idea has likely gained popularity from magazine articles and photographs found on prominent social media sites such as Instagram, Houzz, and Pinterest. The concept is fantastic for a location like Arizona, but not so much for the Okanagan.
As an experienced Kelowna custom home builder, we can tell you that the only time you will be able to use these doors will be in the spring. By the time summer rolls around, it is way too hot to have your windows and doors open all day long. The majority of the homes we build are designed to take advantage of the view. With Kelowna facing West, the sun shines down in the late afternoon and through to the evening, making it inconvenient for those who want to utilize their windows and doors without heating up the house to an uncomfortable temperature right before bed. Another thing to remember – these windows and doors do not have screens, and yes, we have bugs in Kelowna.
We want to make the best suggestions for our future homeowners, which is why we recommend multi-slide windows and doors [aka a lift and slide]. Multi-slides operate on a single track, allowing you to easily open the window or door without taking up additional space, unlike a nano door which can take up to 3 feet of your valuable outdoor living area.
Multi-Slide Door
Photo Credits: Kyle Sanguin
Nano Door
Photo Credits: Boyce Design & Contracting
Nano Door
Photo Credits: Urrutia Designs
Not only are multi-slide doors more practical, but they are also approximately 1/3 of the cost and allow the option for wider window panels so that you have fewer frames blocking your amazing view of Okanagan Lake. For these reasons, we will continue to suggest multi-slide windows and doors to our clients, to ensure best practices in building their custom homes.
Check out this video of Cassidy opening the 24’ multi-slide patio doors in one of our Kelowna custom homes: