Sliding Bi Folding Doors
Sliding Bi Folding Doors – Becoming a very popular Home Improvement
It seems that the UK population, in many instances, chooses to stay put & improve rather than move these days given the market conditions.
It’s all very well having house prices going up, but that does not give the average person much of an advantage (unless they are “downsizing”) because whilst they get more for selling, they have to pay more to buy a new property – I think it kind of cancels itself out.
One of the more common upgrades is to fit a Sliding Bi Folding Doors, allowing unrestricted access to the garden from the house & maximising natural light.
For any homes Bifold Doors are a superb option, giving a massive clear opening percentage (90%) and creating the ultimate “open plan” room.
These doors make it easy to go in and out and late in the evening when you want to shut the world out, they just glide back into place on their tracks and with a quick turn of the handle become a secure barrier – both to the elements & uninvited guests.
Bi-folding doors are manufactured in a variety of materials such as:
- UPVC
- Aluminium
- Hardwood
- Soft wood with hardwood veneers
- Engineered Timbers
You can obviously stain or paint a timber door any colour you like, but Aluminium versions have some 100+ RAL colours available. UPVC can be found in around a dozen or more colours with options for simulated woodgrain surfaces.
Typically you would be looking at a minimum 10 year guarantee but some aluminium doors have up to 20 year warranties which should be included in the fitting costs.
Choosing top or bottom hung doors is something to think about, as if you have a large set (6 to 8 panels) the weight is all taken by the top tracks, so it may be wiser to have bottom hung doors as the loading then goes to the floor.
You would be hard pressed to find a set that was less than 2 metres wide as below this width the function & aesthetic is less impressive – the usual maximum span would be 6 to 8 panels with a width of around 6 metres.
Having so much glass means that you should be considerate of the energy efficiency levels of what you are buying – if you don’t have heat control built into the units then you could “cook” or “freeze” depending on the outside weather.
Fortunately, manufacturers are up to the mark here, offering energy efficiency ratings of “A” or better.