Styling Options for Bi-fold Patio Doors

With more & more homeowners looking to maximise use of light & space when looking at having a set of picture windows or doors, bi-fold patio doors are quickly becoming a firm favourite. The functioning of the panels, moving to the side of the door frame with very little effort to create an almost fully clear opening is a very attractive feature. Resulting in opening up the interior of your home to the outside world in a way that other types of patio doors cannot hope to match.

Construction

For the material used to manufacture the doors you can select softwoods, hardwoods, wood veneers, aluminium or UPVC.

Each of these materials offers a different look, feel and price range.

Wooden bi-fold doors would typically need regular maintenance to keep them in good shape (including veneered doors), whereas aluminium and UPVC both have proven track records of low maintenance & longevity.

Glazing is also an important feature. The type of glass can impact on energy efficiency, safety and visual appearance.

Single glazed exterior bi-fold doors are not the way to go, at the very least you should opt for double glazed sealed glass units. The glass itself should be tempered or toughened – better still (although a lot costlier) would be laminated glass.

The benefits of double paned glazing are obviously that it can reduce the loss of heat from the home and cut down on UV rays coming in, but with toughened or laminated panes they are far more difficult to break than you would think.

This safety element from double or triple glazing is especially important, not only to protect from unwanted visitors but also because the glass reaches floor level and therefore can be more susceptible to accidental impacts.

For added energy efficiency, low-e glass and inert gas filled units can be used.

Colours

There is an awful lot of choice here, with RAL powder coated aluminium bi-fold doors offering 100’s of different shades. UPVC can be found in at least a dozen or more colours, not including the wood-grain effect surface options.

Wood can obviously be pre-painted or stained to any colour you want.

Finishing / Door Furniture

Handles, hinges, bolts, locks all can be selected from different materials. Chrome and brass are commonplace, but you can also find door furniture in other colours.

The threshold for the door is an area that these days can be flush fitting, allowing for ease of access and just as effective as a raised threshold for keeping out bad weather.

Door Configurations

The number of panels from a typical installer will range from 2 panels up to 6, but there are some that will build a set with 8 panels.

The way they open can be varied depending on what suits your home best such as:

• 2 panel – Both Doors L/R
• 3 panel – 2 Doors L/R – 1 single
• 4 panel – 2 Doors L/R – 1 single & 3 to L/R
• 5 Panel – 2 or 3 L/R – 1 single & 4 to L/R. All 5 to L/R.
• 6 Panel – 3 to L/R. 5 to L/R & 1 single door. All 6 to L/R

There are also bespoke configurations which can be fitted to the corners of a room, which opens up a huge clear area and dramatically alters the aspect of the room they are fitted to.

To give you some idea of costs, se the price guide below.

• You can find a price guide for doors that will give you a basic idea of what it would cost to buy them on the cost guide page.
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