Why sliding doors need a different seal than windows
A sliding door is heavier and wider than a sliding window, it is opened many more times a day, and the gap between the moving panel and the frame is usually larger. Patio and balcony doors also face wind and rain directly. A pile strip that works on a window can leave light, drafts and dust under a door.
The usual answers are taller pile, a fin inside the pile, or siliconed yarn, often in combination. Which one fits depends on the gap, the exposure and how hard the door already is to slide.
Pile sizes often used on sliding doors (mm)
Sizes are written as base width x pile height; finned sizes add the fin height. These taller combinations appear often in door orders and are a starting point, not a stock list.
| Medium door gaps | 5x9, 5x10, 7x8, 7x9 |
|---|---|
| Larger door gaps | 5x12, 5x15, 7x13, 7x15 |
| Tall pile with UV, siliconed | 6.7x16 |
| Finned for doors | 7x8x8, 7x13x13 |
Siliconed, finned or regular pile for a door
Start from the problem you need to solve at that door.
| Situation at the door | Usual choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Door slides stiffly or is used all day | Siliconed pile | Treated yarn lowers sliding effort |
| Wind, dust or rain still pass the seal | Finned pile | The fin adds a barrier inside the pile |
| Door faces strong sun | UV-stabilized yarn | Added to regular, siliconed or finned pile |
| Indoor or wardrobe sliding door | Regular pile | Ordinary gap and exposure |
Where the seal sits on a sliding door
List each position separately when asking for a quote, because each can need a different size.
- Bottom track, where the panel runs over the sill
- Head of the frame, above the moving panel
- Interlock, where two panels overlap
- Jamb, where the panel closes against the frame
- Insect screen door running in the same frame
Measuring a door gap
Close the door and measure the gap the pile must fill at both ends and the middle of the panel, because large panels are rarely perfectly even. Use the largest reading to choose pile height, then confirm with a sample that the door still slides without excessive effort. If an old strip is still in place, measure its backing and pile with a caliper and photograph its end beside a ruler.
Packing tall pile for doors
Tall pile takes more space, so rolls are shorter, often around 150 m per roll for 12-15 mm pile. For retail and repair channels, door pile can also be packed in short bagged lengths, for example 10 m per bag with 50 bags per carton. Confirm roll length and packing for each size before production.
