Sliding doors are often viewed as being quite modern, however most people don’t realise they have been used for centuries- although they are a lot more durable and reliable now. In this blog we will be looking in to the history of sliding doors, and how they have changed.
Roman Sliding Doors
Sliding doors were being used as early as the 1st century, in Roman houses, the evidence is in the archaeology findings from Pompeii, Italy. Though there is no way to prove that the Romans invented sliding doors, or that they were the first people to use them, this is one of the earliest archaeological findings to show that sliding doors were being used, even in the first century.
The doors built by the Romans were suspended from the ceiling, meaning that they were able to move freely. They did not require much space to open, which gave people more space in their homes; This is also a common reason for people using sliding doors in the modern day.
Japanese Sliding Doors
Since the 7th century, Japanese houses have been using doors which they call a ‘Shoji’. These doors are made of translucent paper called ‘Washi’ which comes from the native Kozo tree. The translucent paper is attached to a light wooden frame, and held together by a bamboo grid.
In the twelfth century, historical drawings show that there were decorative sliding doors which opened and closed, whereas originally, the doors were just designed to divide rooms.
Modern Sliding Doors
Sliding glass doors began production in the early 20th century before WW2. It is believed that the idea of glass sliding doors came from the Japanese Shoji, where the translucent paper was instead replaced with glass. During WW2 glass doors were being manufactured, which quickly led to sliding glass doors being one of the most popular kinds of door. Now, sliding doors are not only popular in homes, they can also be found in many different buildings, like hospitals, schools, hotels, and much more.
