When it comes to elegance and value in your home, you can never go wrong with bi-fold doors. They are perfect for back gardens on hot summers or when relaxing in the open. What’s more, they bring the light up to the living room and increase space. Most bi-fold doors are made of glass and hence perfect for views from the comfort of your bedroom, even when they’re closed. Installing bi-fold doors is an easy way to expand any room in your house and create that indoor-outdoor feeling that everyone aspires. If you’re new to bi-folds, here is what you need to know.

What are Bifold Doors?

Most doors slide back and forth but don’t open up space. A slide and fold door slides the usual way but also folds like a concertina. This means you can stack it against a wall, opening a room to the outside. They are great for smaller rooms as they create an illusion of space since the eyes extend beyond the room.

How do they Work?

These doors have a sequence of large glass panes connected to form a concertina arrangement when closed or open. They slide on a runner, making them easy to open and close. They can operate with multi-point locks and are made of different materials, including timber, uPVC, and aluminium. You can choose between a flush or sunken threshold where the rail is sunken or low to the ground.

How to Choose the Right one

Before settling on a bi-fold door, consider the following:

1. Material

Bi-fold doors come in different materials, the most popular being aluminium, wood, or a combination.

Aluminium doors have thinner sight lines providing better support and are ideal for larger spaces. The current ones have powder coatings and hence require fewer panes within the frame. Therefore maintenance is easy.

Wooden bi-fold doors are cheaper, and you can customise colours and glazing. However, the sightlines are heavy and require regular maintenance.

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   Design

Your needs and personal preferences determine the design of the bi-fold door you choose.

• The door can be top hung or bottom rolling when it comes to design. This is a personal preference, since the door weight can be supported at the top or bottom. However, if your garden has lots of debris during winter, a top-hung door is better.
• The number of panels is also important when choosing a slide and fold door. Most people settle on a single access door. Thus, an odd number of panes (leaves) that open in one direction. This is suitable since one door can serve as an ordinary door, which is beneficial during winter if you have pets that alternate between the garden and the house.
• Another alternative is to adjust the door to have the main door with an even amount of panes. This means one door will fold opposite the others. For instance, a four-leaf door set can be configured as 3-1 where three panes fold one way, and the one on the other way hence acts as a personal door. The number of panes you choose influences the amount of glass and frames, hence the total cost.

Energy Efficiency and Glazing

The idea is to choose the best energy rating that fits your budget. This helps you minimise energy costs and increase sound insulation. Adhere to stipulated thermal requirements for both doors and windows. The type of glazing you choose will affect the cost. Double glazing functions as efficiently as triple glazing, but their prices vary. If you do the maths, triple glazing is expensive for nothing.

Why Choose a Bi-fold Door

1. Slide and fold doors allow you to create a sense of space and flood your spaces with natural light, which is good for your wellbeing. You can also view the outside from the comfort of your home.
2. They create a seamless visual and physical connection to the outdoors.
3. If you love glamour and elegance, bi-fold doors are your thing in enhancing the appearance of your home. They come in different colours and designs to suit different needs.
4. They insulate your home from noise and cold, and security is paramount with the current legal requirements.

Bi-fold doors have become the in-thing in recent times. Choose the one that aligns with your needs and preferences. They allow natural light and provide security and insulation from noise and cold.

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