Üni_Slide panoramic door system by Fenster Architectural Glazing

Residential aluminium has exploded over the last decade, becoming a favourite of discerning homeowners embarking on ambitious, Grand Designs-style improvement projects – and Fenster Fabrication’s signature sliding door delivers the exact blend of style, robustness and outstanding functionality that’s fuelled aluminium’s rocketing popularity.

Uni_Slide is a premium-quality aluminium sliding door system, designed to balance minimalistic aesthetics with exceptional all-round performance – while still coming in significantly less expensive than similar products on the market.

It’s capable of achieving impressive dimensions, having passed a security weather test of 2400 Pa on a door sash 3m tall and 2.2 m wide, and doors can be assembled in an unlimited run of units. The results are stunning, particularly since the system also delivers sightlines as slim as 20mm.

Designed to be best-in-class

Most fabricators assemble components produced by systems companies – Fenster itself is also a successful, respected supplier of Smarts aluminium. However, Uni_Slide is an exclusive product. So where did it come from? Fenster MD Tony Drake explains.

“Years ago, we began to see the emergence of a number of aluminium sliding door products. I was intrigued, so took it upon myself to study them in detail. Broadly, I was very impressed with what I saw. But the products were extremely expensive on the whole, and still had aspects I thought could be significantly improved on.

“It was then I decided that we needed to be able to manufacture and offer our own ultra slim sliding door system that ironed out the flaws of the other products I’d seen. Not long after this, I studied for a MSc in façade engineering at Bath University, during which time I gained valuable knowledge that helped me understand and develop the product that would become Uni_Slide. With this new-found knowledge, and a lot of help from my colleagues at Fenster Fabrications, we were able to offer an entirely new, best-in-class product.”

Standing out from the crowd

In the years since, the number of high-end aluminium products on the market has only continued to rise. So what stands Uni_Slide out from its competition?

“There’s been a steady stream of new products coming out over the past few years, all marketing themselves as premium-quality, and all looking to make gains at the higher end of the market – and some of them are genuinely excellent,” Tony continues. “But I feel that some others are only playing lip-service to good design. Really, they’re just fairly standard products given some savvy marketing.

“With Üni_Slide, you have a product that’s easy to use, that delivers exceptional security with its euro cylinder lock and multi-point stainless steel security cams, that’s incredibly thermally efficient and can take whatever the elements throw at it. And visually, it’s stunning – once installed, Uni_Slide genuinely makes it look as though there’s no door there at all, just a clear opening from the inside to the outside of the property.”

Pushing boundaries

Now, though, the firm is looking to enhance this product, and are currently putting the finishing touches on a new Uni_Slide door that will push the boundaries of what aluminium sliding doors can achieve even further.

“We’re going to take what consumers already love about aluminium products to another level – and we’re extremely excited about introducing it to the industry. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about the original Uni_Slide, or the new sliding door we’re readying for launch, please don’t hesitate to give us a call!”