24 Ott Counter frames for retractable doors? An all-Italian pride
Frames for retractable doors are an invention that is lost in the mists of time. But let’s take a closer look at the origins by retracing the main historical traces in this article all the way up to the present day, in your homes.
Sliding systems in Greece and ancient Rome
In this journey back in time, one must go as far back as ancient Greece or the conquering lands of the Romans. It is not easy to establish a certain period, but we can take for granted that traces of track systems existed as early as the first century A.D. in Pompei. Traces of track systems can still be seen today that testify to the presence of track systems as early as the first century A.D.
Victorian England
Other evidence can be found in England in the late 19th and early 20th century, in the living rooms of Victorian-style homes, where the door slides either resting on a track on the floor or suspended, fixed to a rail above.
FUSUMAS IN JAPAN
And we come to the oriental furniture of the 1800s in Japan where sliding doors became very popular under the name of Fusuma. Doors made up of panels, opaque vertical rectangles and a wooden lattice structure, covered with cardboard, paper or fabric placed on both sides. These doors – useful for redefining room spaces, or for closing off cupboards – were made to slide from side to side with the fingers inside the two wooden rails placed on the floor and beam where the Fusumas were housed.
Painted with natural or landscape elements they were coloured in black and white or with very bright shades using colours on a gold or silver background. In terms of their function, they are the closest to external sliding doors, but the invention of the counter frame for retractable doors is an Italian invention of the 1960s.
Fun fact: depending on the geographical area the counter frame for sliding doors is also known by the name of false frame or false jamb.
COUNTER FRAMES FOR RETRACTABLE DOORS
Frames for concealed sliding doors are metal structures consisting of a casing inside the wall and a sliding track that allows the panel (or door leaf) to slide into the wall. The main function of the counter frame is, therefore, to precisely identify the area where the door or window will be installed, allowing for precise and aligned holes, and this is in the case of counter frames for concealed doors and windows.
The best-known type of sliding door subframe is one that uses a fastening system at the top. Whereas in cases where the weight of the sliding panel is significant enough the better option is to fix it at the bottom, which allows for better weight distribution.
How to choose the perfect counter frame for sliding doors?
We know how difficult it may be to choose the perfect counter frame for your sliding doors, but here we are with some tips for you:
- First, you have to consider the strength and reliability of the product, because once installed it will form a single block with the wall.
- The sliding system – consisting of a carriage and a track – must always have a smooth and light movement.
- The structure must remain intact and not suffer deformation during installation or during use over time. Nonetheless, the subframe must contribute to maintaining the wall in which it is embedded in good condition, preventing the appearance of cracks in the plaster.
- Choose counter frames that are easy to install and maintain.
- Above all, choose only quality products – made in Italy of course – and rely only on qualified personnel who have known the industry for years.
We at Eurocassonetto use only first-class Italian materials and we have been operating in the market since 1973. All this has led us to be a solid point of reference for the Sicilian regional economy today. In 2007 we became an S.r.L., and under the leadership of the new company generation, we became synonymous with specialisation and industrialisation towards the production of concealed sliding systems, with related marketing on the domestic and foreign markets.
Do not forget to contact us at info@eurocassonetto.com. We will always support our customers with commitment and dedication.
