A guide on how to pick the best bifold doors for your property
How to choose the best bifold doors
Bifold doors are amazing, they are beautiful and functional. But what do you need to know to make sure you pick the best one? There are many considerations and you better heed the advice we give you here to make sure you pick the perfect bifold door.
You are probably finding the process of picking a bifold, or bi-fold, door complicated and annoying, but we have the expertise to help guide you in the right direction. When pondering how to choose your door, it is really a matter of initially taking the right path and this will eventually lead you to the perfect choice.
As you may be ready to install, or for some help with choosing your final door before installing, you can contact us and we will provide you with a free survey for your bifold door installation.
Before we get into the detail of our guide on how to choose your bifold doors, remember one simple thing – the best bifold doors are the ones that fit seamlessly with the look and feel of the place you are installing them.
Another broad thing to consider is the quality of your products. We only ever use high-quality bifold doors in our installations and every other type of product that we use for that matter. Do not settle for less.
The following are some things to think about on the path to picking your bifold doors:
Consider location
A critical thing to think about is the location of your doors. Will they be opening onto a patio? Will they be on a bedroom balcony looking over a town? Or will they perhaps be part of a summer house or garden room? The location means some types of door are more appropriate than others.
If your door is going to open onto a back patio then a door with plenty of glass to let in natural light will be desirable as it creates a feeling of openness and space. If it is a bedroom balcony in a city then perhaps a little less glass is helpful as there is a higher need for some privacy. If it is in a summer house, perhaps timber would suit the look of the structure.
You need to pair the doors with the location, how people will use them and the feel of the overall building to find a good match.
Consider the material
You have to consider the material of the doors and match them to your building. Materials are not strictly about aesthetics. It can be about functionality too. It is also a matter of costs, for example aluminium doors are cheaper than steel doors.
If you need a straightforward to clean and insulated design then timber is a good choice. Timber works well in areas where there is likely to be a high level of cold. Heat is another consideration, metal works well for withstanding high temperatures but does not insulate so well in the cold.
You might find the elements such as rain influence your choice. High-humidity or frequent exposure to the rain may make timber a less desirable choice for your bifold doors as there may be damage over time.
Think about hardware
Is security a consideration in your installation? If so, you can choose a sturdy metal design with a solid lock. If it is not such an issue, such as in a summer house or less busy areas, then a lock may be unnecessary.
Glazing is an important consideration too. As a highly-insulating innovation, it is essential to use double-glazed glass panels if the environment is going to be cold. For example, a bedroom balcony in a city that is cold in winter may require double glazing.
Hinges are also a consideration with hardware, you need to have more robust hinges for bifold doors with a large number of panels or that will experience frequent use. Handles are also important. They are not just decorative. The right handle will make opening and closing the door much simpler and more comfortable.
Match the colour to your surroundings
You can spend a long time thinking about colour. But, when it comes to bifold doors, just picking your favourite colour is not the way to go. You need to match the colour to the surroundings of the door, similarly to when you are choosing the material.
If you have a bifold door in a summer house or an area that is close to nature, then a darker green colour would fit in the surroundings nicely. A bright kitchen may benefit from a lighter white colour door as it will match the surroundings and create a smooth transition when the door is open.
Of course, you might want to defy any conventional colour theory and create a look that pops. A black bifold door frame will make a summer house visible from a long way away, and a black door in an older or period building may give it some modern edge.
Choose sustainable products
This may not be a consideration for some people, but it certainly is to us. It is vital to pick bifold doors that come from sustainable sources, this is particularly true of timber doors.
Just to be clear, we do practice what we preach. We commit to quality, but we also commit to using sustainable sources and ethical materials for our doors and other products.
Manufacturers, suppliers and installers that practice sustainability as a part of their ethos also tend to create products that last. Using this approach will make sure that you get the best type of bifold doors – ones that remain for many years to come.
Picking the best bifold doors made easy
It can be a challenge to pick your bifold doors, many people find it a real headache. This guide should make the process much simpler. Now that you have a better idea of what doors you would like, get in touch with us for a free survey on your installation.
Bifold doors make a great addition to many types of building, letting in natural light and featuring a compact and open design. It is imperative to make the right choice.
If you need a few more ideas you can check out our brochure, which contains information on many types of products that we provide. You can also follow us on Instagram for some inspiring images.