Double Glazed Bifold Doors
Double Glazed Bifold Doors
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Benefits of Bifold Doors
A bifold door is a great product when you have a new build, conservatory, or you’re carrying out renovations which allow you to choose the size of your opening.
A large patio entrance
Bifold doors can be a great choice for a patio; it allows you to get as much natural light into your property and gives you a nice wide opening to the garden, which is great in the summer. The size of the opening is important, since many patio door openings tend to be made smaller than an opening that would accommodate a bifolding door. If you’re looking for a solution that allows as much natural light into the property as possible, a bi-fold door might be a good choice for you.
A good view to outside
Even if it’s too cold to open the door to the patio, the bifold doors can still be a great addition to the property. If all you’re doing is drinking a coffee in the morning or making breakfast for the family, it can still be great to have a nice wide view of the garden, rather than having to look through a small window.
Space saving
Bifold doors are designed to save space. The concertina effect of the door (i.e, when it opens, it folds in on itself) makes it a great door for the London market, which is always strapped for space. A large set of French doors, while looking great, isn’t as practical in this way as it would have two door sashes coming into the home as opposed to the one set that bifold doors have. Since these doors are likely to be used as a patio entrance to the home, you’ll probably want to save as much space as possible in your kitchen or your living room.
Security
Bifold doors are just as high security as our other doors, with multipoint locking, but bifold doors can also be locked into the frame, which adds an extra layer of security. Satin glass can also make the door obscure so no one can see in, but given that the main point of the bifold doors is to create an elegant entryway, blinds or some other similarproduct might be a good idea!
Usage of Bifold Doors
Bifold doors are typically used as patio doors. It’s not really a suitable door for the front of the property, but really stands out in terms of being able to supply a practical and elegant solution for a patio door. Covering a huge opening, it is great to have a bifold door at the rear of the property in summer months. Even in the winter, it can be good to have a nice view of the patio or garden through those bi-folding doors.
Operation
Bifold doors, or folding sliding doors, are generally operated by a handle which allows you to slide the door back and forwards in it’s opening. Once the handle is engaged, the bifold doors should slide across the retaining rails and concertina, folding neatly together.
Aftercare
Your patio doors, whether a upvc bifold, aluminium bifold or timber bifold, need to be maintained in accordance with our aftercare procedure. Essentially this boils down to not allowing moisture to collect on any part of the door, and operating them every now and again to keep the action smooth. Drying clothes near the patio door is going to lead to them getting waterlogged timber and becoming stuck. Although we operate a 10 year guarantee on our door bifold, we cannot return to fix damage caused by water ingress due to excessive condensation, or damaged caused to the doors by neglect. All our double glazing is cared for afterwards in the same way, i.e occasional operation and wiping of excessive moisture, so our double glazed patio doors are no exception.
Bifold Door Options
Bifold doors can come in several different styles, but the main variable with bifold doors is generally the number of actual doors in the product. If your home is too small to accommodate the larger designs, we can always offer a similar design with less doors in the frame, allowing it to fit smaller openings in your home.
Colour
You can choose any colour from the extensive RAL range, and if you don’t think the RAL range goes with the rest of the theme in your home, you can always just let us know a type of paint that you prefer. We’re happy to paint with Farrow & Ball, Deluxe, or whatever other paint range you might want. We always strive to deliver the perfect product for your home, so feel free to let us know about any particulars!
Door Sashes
The number of door sashes on your bifolding doors can be altered to accommodate the size of the opening in your home / patio. If your opening is larger, you’ll need more doors. Generally speaking, the larger the opening is, the better. During the summer months you’ll be able to get a great breeze through the house, let all that natural light in and have great access to the outside.
Glass
The glass on a bifold door will come toughened as standard, as there are government regulations that require doors to be made with toughened glass. Your options don’t end here, though. You can always go for acoustic glass, satin glass, or laminated glass from our range of other glass if you want to customise your door further.
Style
The style range for bifold doors is extensive as all our products are bespoke. We can use any kind of timber moulding that you might like, so if you’ve seen something in the street, at your friends house or on the internet please let us know and we’ll see if we can replicate it. Our factory has a large range of options available so we’re sure we’ll be able to create the doors that you’re after.
Plastic Vs Timber
The main advantage of timber in this area is that a upvc bifold is terrible for the environment. A upvc bifold creates a huge amount of waste during the production process and the disposal process, since disposing of these products also creates waste. Plastic bifold doors fill landfills up and down the country; it’s big, heavy and difficult to dispose of – and has more plastic used in the manufacture process than you’ve ever used with disposable products like lighters and food wrappers.
Cost of Bifold Doors
How Much do Bifold Doors Cost?
As with all our double glazed doors or windows, cost can differ greatly and is based on dimensions, material and quantity. Expect to pay around £1,000 per linear metre of frame width (for a high-quality system with a specific specification of glass and furniture).. We will ask for a deposit on ordering, with another payment prior to booking the installation, then a final payment once you’re happy with the work.
Lead Times
Since all our products are bespoke, they can take up to then weeks from order confirmation to delivery or installation. The manufacture process usually takes around 6-8 weeks, with a further 1-2 usually needed to get you into the schedule (we’ll usually have a full schedule!).
Planning Permission – Will I Have Any Issues?
Not usually. Planning permission isn’t required when installing bifold doors in most houses, since they generally occupy the rear of the property, but if the house is listed or in a conservation area, it is always best to check with your local authority’s conservation officer before you make any decisions. Particularly historic buildings will be unlikely to be granted permission but your average Victorian terrace shouldn’t have any issues.
Which Bifold Doors are Best?
The way the door actually looks will probably play a big part in your decision, but the functionality of living with them should also be something at the forefront of your mind. In general, try to get a few quotes and compare quality of the materials and the level of installation (as in, what will these guys do for me, and at what price?) as well as how our lead times will fit into your schedule. Core Sash Windows can offer two types of materials for your new double glazed doors – either aluminium or timber.
Aluminium Folding Doors
Aluminium products are an excellent choice because of their tough but durable composition and are a great choice for new builds or contemporary-style homes as they can come in a slimmer frame than timber due to the higher durability of the material.
Benefits include:
- Slimmer profiles
- Maintenance – no timber swelling!
- The paint on the aluminium is all powder coated, so it should last a lifetime
- Again due to the higher durability, each individual door sash can be made wider than timber doors (meaning fewer doors are required within the frame). This is great for the natural light!
- Despite the powder coated finish, you can still choose any colour you’d like!
Timber Bifolds
A beautiful and traditional option for people wanting to maintain their traditional style or looking to install in an older property, timber doors can come in a wide variety of colours or lacquers. Engineered timber is an excellent choice of material as it’s a more durable material than standard timber.
Engineered softwood products are cheaper than hardwood products of the same type, and are generally guaranteed for the same length of time. That’s why we always recommend our customers go for engineered softwood unless they have a specific requirement for hardwood.
As with all timber double glazing, they will require TLC to maintain their appearance.
How Big Should Bifold Doors Be?
When you decide how big you want your double glazed door to be, you need to get the size of the openings. You can either ask one of our members of staff to provide you with a measuring guide or you can ask us over for a free on-site survey so we can measure it accurately ourselves. Once we’ve measured up, if you accept our quotation we will return to come and measure the door once more to make sure we’ve got it all right.
In Summary, are Bifold Doors a Good Option for my Home?
Fitting sliding or bifolding doors into any home is a great idea. From barn conversions, conservatories and new builds, maximising the glass area is generally seen as good thing desire and increasing natural light has actually been proven to have a great effect on your mood. So if you’re looking to stay in your home permanently, or if you’re just looking to increase the value of your current home, bifold doors are an idea that will work.
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