Bifold doors can transform your living space and add value to your property. In this guide, we help you to choose the best bifold doors for your home. We cover material, opening styles and how to choose the right option for your living space.
Also known as ‘concertina doors’, bifold doors can fold back to open up the entire doorway. The doors slide along a track and stack against the wall, either running left to right or right to left. Exterior bifold doors are a popular choice for connecting your home and garden.
When you choose bifold doors, you’ll need to consider a range of factors such as position, material, size and type of glazing.
Bifold doors are about celebrating natural light and opening your home up to the outdoors. Place them on a sunny wall that opens onto a patio. This will create a smooth transition between home and garden. Fitting bifold doors to a room you use often, like a living room or kitchen diner means you'll get to enjoy them more.
Don’t forget to consider privacy. Poorly positioned bifold doors may allow your neighbours to see into your home.
Aluminium bifold doors are lightweight and strong. This means they’re easy to operate, but secure and resistant to the weather too. Aluminium is resistant to corrosion and rust and needs very little in the way of maintenance.
Aluminium has the best strength-to-weight ratio of any window frame. This means it can have slimmer frames which help maximise your enjoyment of views and natural light. We only sell aluminium bifold doors because it is the best material for the job.
It depends on the size of your space and the size of the room you are adding the door to. You might have a large rear wall, but only a small kitchen diner to add the door to. Whatever the size, a bifold door makes a great statement for any home.
Our bifold doors are always made to measure to your space. Though we do have maximum widths (6200mm) and heights (2400mm) to be aware of when you’re planning your project. Our design team work with you to create the perfect doors for you.
When doors are so large and move all at once, it's obvious to wonder about bifold door security. Our bifold doors have multipoint locking, fitted at intervals along the sliding track. The doors can only slide along the track when unlocked from the inside.
The lock on the primary door needs to be strong. Our bifold doors use a Yale 3-star cylinder lock. Each glass panel also features toughened glass for added security and all the hinges are strong and durable. Glazing beads on the inside also stop the glass being removed from the outside.
Bifold doors are all about bringing the sun into your home, so you’ll want to place them in a location that gets plenty of sunlight. But a room that gets a lot of sun shouldn’t have triple glazing – it will get far too hot in summer. Double glazed bifold doors are the best option for keeping your home comfortable all year.
The best door configuration for your home depends on the size of the space you have and how you want your doors to work.
There’s no best colour for bifold doors and we have over 200 RAL colours to choose from. It depends on what you like, your home’s style and your design choices. You can match with your existing windows or create contrast with a different colour.
For inspiration, have a think about:
White bifold doors bring a classic look to your home. They’ll match with traditional brickwork on the outside and understated décor on the inside.
Black bifold doors look slick and stylish. They work with traditional exteriors but also match with more modern homes.
Grey is one of the most popular bifold door colours. Many of our customers choose grey bifolds to match with modern rendered exteriors.
Generally, you don’t need planning permission for bifold doors. This means there’s no need for planning applications for replacement or new bifold doors.
Building Regulations for bifold doors focus on how thermally efficient they are. This is measured using the U-value. It focuses on how effective the material insulates and how heat moves through it. The lower the value, the better the insulation.
To meet building regulations, replacement bifold doors need an overall U-value of 1.4W/m2K. New doors on a new extension need a U-value of 1.2W/m2K.
The cost of bifold doors depends on the size of your doorway and how many panels you want. We provide you with a bespoke quote for your doors. Our price includes everything including initial survey, manufacture, installation and aftercare.
You can also spread the cost of your new bifold doors with our low-rate finance plans.
Yes, often adding bifold doors to your home will increase its value. It’s difficult to say by how much as your home’s value depends on a range of factors including its size and location. Bifold doors add light, create a feeling of space and are a very desirable feature to any home.
Once the opening is clear, fitting bifold doors is a simple process. Bifold door installation is as quick as a day or even a few hours.
If you’re replacing existing doors, we’ll remove them for you as part of the installation process. The opening should be clear for our skilled fitters to come in and install them. Make sure you move any furniture and materials from the inside and outside that could get in the team’s way during installation.
Well-fitted bifold doors are just as effective as other doors at keeping cold out and heat in. They feature a thermal break in the frame to keep out the cold. Anglian bifold doors are always double-glazed which keep your home warm. Plus, they also feature insulated frames to boost their energy efficiency.
To stop open bifold doors from moving in the wind, you can fit bifold door magnets. These fix to the top and bottoms of the doors and on the wall, holding the doors in place when they’re fully open. If you’re worried about them ratting when they’re closed, high-quality doors should have seals that prevent this. Our bifold doors have gaskets and brush seals inserted into the frame and on the door leaf to create a good, firm seal.
Looking for inspiration for your home? Browse our bifold doors online or fill out our online form for a free no-obligation quote.
