Both systems close a terrace with glass. They differ in where the glass goes when you open it — and that single difference decides which one is right for your opening.
How each one works
Sliding glass moves the panes sideways and stacks them at one end. Guillotine glass moves the panes vertically inside the frame, clearing the opening completely.
Five questions that settle it
- Do you have somewhere for the stack to sit? Sliding systems always park the panes somewhere — usually against a wall or a post. If your façade has no spare width, guillotine wins by default.
- How much of the opening must actually be clear? Sliding leaves the stacked panes in the opening; guillotine leaves nothing at all. On a restaurant frontage that opens fully in summer, that difference is visible from the street.
- Are there mullions in the middle of your view? Sliding systems need a track and usually a meeting stile. Guillotine panes sit edge to edge, so a wide opening reads as one sheet of glass.
- What is the budget? Sliding is consistently cheaper for the same opening: fewer moving parts, simpler hardware, less structure. Guillotine costs more because the counterweights or motors carry the full weight of the glass.
- Who maintains it? Sliding rollers are simple and easy to replace. Guillotine carriers, counterweights and motors need a technician. If the building has no maintenance contract, weigh that in.
Where each one usually wins
- Sliding: long façades with room to stack, balcony enclosures, projects where cost per square metre is the deciding factor.
- Guillotine: narrow frontages, openings between two fixed elements, spaces where the view is the product — restaurants, showrooms, hotel terraces.
What both require
A square, load-bearing opening. Both systems are precision assemblies running in aluminium frames; out-of-true masonry has to be corrected before installation, whichever you choose. Send a photo and the dimensions and we will tell you what the opening needs.
Get advice on your opening
Send the width, the height and a photo on WhatsApp. Tell us whether the opening has to clear completely and whether you have room on either side — we will tell you which system fits and why.