If you are planning to refurbish your home or are improving a property you have purchased prior to moving in, a superb home improvement you could consider is bifolding doors. They can have a genuine impact on both the overall aesthetic quality of a residential property and how you live your life in your home. Traditionally they are used to replace an exterior wall at the rear of a property, seamlessly blending the inside space with the garden area beyond while flooding the home with natural light. We’ll take a look at what bifolding doors are, the different design options, their advantages and what issues can arise if not situated or installed correctly.

What Are Bifolding Doors?

The bifold door consists of any number of glazed frames, which, when opened, slide on tracks and fold together until they are secured against the far wall of the installation. A functioning door called the traffic door is installed as part of the design so people can still exit the building when the bifolds are in the locked position. Manufactured in several different materials, in various styles and finished in a range of colours or effects, they are a great, highly versatile modern home improvement. While used to replace exterior walls, they are flexible enough to be an option internally to divide areas with a minimum of fuss quickly.

Your Design Options

There are a wealth of design options open to the homeowner considering using bifolding doors in their home; they are manufactured in three primary materials, which are –

• Upvc – a composite material and the cheapest option, it does limit the aesthetic design choices but is lightweight, durable, and strong.
• Aluminium – is a popular choice; it is a durable option that is easy to maintain and finished with many powder coating colours.
• Timber – offers a more classical finish but is the most expensive and requires more maintenance than the other options.

People often think replacing a solid wall with glazed panels represents a higher security risk; this is a mistake; bifolds are very secure with multiple locking points and modern high-security locks. They also include a variety of safety designs, including finger-safe joints and anti-bump features when small children are to be considered.

The Pros & Cons of Bifolding Doors

As with any substantial installation or home improvement, some benefits and disadvantages deserve consideration; let’s look at the life-changing possible advantages and some negative possibilities. First, the positive aspects –

• They are easy to install and offer design flexibility.
• Offer an increase in the healthy natural light in any building.
• Bifolding doors can change the way you live in your home, especially in the summer months.
• This type of sliding door is stylish and easy to clean and maintain.

Now let’s look at some of the possible problems that can occur in some situations where bifold doors are used.

• In the folded position, bifolds can take up a lot of space.
• If the doors are installed incorrectly, problems with drainage can occur.
• When installed in a large area, they are expensive.
• If installed in the wrong place, it can result in privacy issues.

The majority of these problems are resolved by partnering with a well-established installer of bifolding doors; their experience in the design and fitting processes is invaluable.

I hope this has opened your eyes to the possibilities of using bifolding doors in your property improvement project; they are a great way to bring the outside space into your home.