What Are BiFold Doors?

Bi fold doors and windows have multiple sections, fold into one side of the frame and do not sash in or out to open and close. These types of door opening options make bifold door designs appealing for room configurations where there is a large window space but less room for a door to open, such as a balcony or patio doors.

Bifold doors and windows are reliable home improvement tools as they offer excellent natural light and are more compact than sliding doors. You can install a bifold door in both internal and external areas and can create an open plan feeling that ties together multiple indoor spaces. As experts in installing a range of windows and doors, we have the knowhow to explain all about bifold doors.

The Pros and Cons of Bifold Doors

Advantages of bi fold doors

Flexible living spaces with lots of natural light, suitable for all seasons.
Add property value, many bifold doors can create extra space and have chic designs.
A good level of security, despite a lot of glass, and privacy potential.
Simple installation, tricky spaces can use multiple doors and will easily fit.
Simple cleaning and maintenance, with full access to the entire frame and glass inside or outside the building.
Lightweight and smooth door movement when in use.

Disadvantages of bi fold Doors

Can be expensive to install over larger areas.
Excess water can be an issue without adequate drainage as bifold doors are at a very low level.
Large doors can take up a lot of space when in their folded or ‘open’ position.
Big spaces mean opening the doors for quick or frequent access can be labor-intensive.
Poorly-positioned installations may result in privacy issues.

Aluminum bifold doors and windows

Despite often being thought of as only suitable for contemporary style houses and extensions, they can actually suit all kinds of house styles thanks to the wide range of colors and finishes they are available in — plus very often a contemporary contrast in an otherwise traditional style property is no bad thing.

The main advantages of aluminum bifold doors and windows are:

They come in a massive range of sizes. Incredibly wide panel sizes are made possible thanks to the strong, lightweight properties of aluminum
The stability they offer — they will not warp, twist or rot as they age
The range of colors and finishes they are available in, including woodgrain
Their low maintenance
They require no preparation before being fitted, no priming or painting
Providing they are constructed with a thermal break, they offer fantastic thermal efficiency
They can be manufactured with very slim sightlines
As aluminum is strong they are very secure, provided they are fitted with a good locking system

Where to use bifold doors and windows?

It is a sensible idea to choose bifold doors in some settings, but a customer’s specific requirements can influence this decision. While there are advantages to large window spaces in smaller rooms, there are disadvantages for smaller windows in larger rooms. As a result, you should carefully consider the layout of your space before you decide upon a bifold door design.

Folding PVC Window and Accordion Door Systems are preferred in wide openings opening to terraces, balconies and gardens.

Folding window systems can be used easily in window openings up to 6 meters. Sash widths can be made up to 90 cm. Turn only opening or Tilt&Turn systems can be preferred in the sashes.

According to the width and height dimensions of the PVC-Alu Window, the sashes can be stacked on the right, left or both sides at the same time. Thus, folding accordion door systems produce high comfort solutions for many years without blocking your view. Excellent sound and heat insulation is provided by the seals on the PVC-ALU Profiles used in folding accordion doors and the hinges specially designed for the system.

20mm, 24mm double glazing or 32mm triple glazing systems can be used in folding accordion window systems. In addition, the use of jalousie glass is also possible. Sashes can be opened and closed easily thanks to the trolleys and rails specially designed for folding accordion door and window systems. They are very easy and practical to use.

How to install bifold doors and windows?

Folding systems are used to create the widest possible openings in cases where the joinery width is large in doors and windows or when door and window systems are opened. It is often used on doors. If both width and height are high, bi door application is mandatory.
These are door applications where the sashes can be folded over each other like an accordion and there are no fixed parts or columns in wide openings.
There are many different applications according to the number of folded sashes. 3+0, 2+1, 3+1, 3+2, 4+1, 4+2, etc. like, there are two or more sashes on one side. While all the sashes can be gathered in one direction (right-left), the most correct and healthy one is to apply the one in any direction as a single sash.

In applications such as 2+1, 3+1, 4+1, single sashes are active sashes and others are passive sashes. Thus, the chance of double opening of the single sash arises. The connection between the sashes is made with the sash adapter movable (mullion-connector) profiles. Folding passive sashes move on special aluminum rails screwed to the inner surface of the case by being bedded with a vertical. Active sash, on the other hand, works like double opening windows or doors. When these are opened, first the active sash is opened as required by the espagnolette it has, then the scissors or handles on the passive sash are turned and the locks are released, the sashes are pushed towards the outermost sash and dragged by folding them from one side.

Without leaving the aluminum slide in which they move, the bearing verticals of the sashes will make an angle with respect to the other free verticals and will perform the folding as a result of the narrosash of the angle. If the number of passive sashes is more than two, assisting the movement with the other hand during opening and closing will ensure both the smooth operation of the system and its longevity. It will be enough to do the reverse of everything that is done when closing or opening, respectively. The vertical position of the handles facing down is the closed (normal) position.

All handles should be in the open position when the flaps are open. With the flaps closed, bring all handles to the closed position. When the sashes are in the closed position, make sure that the espagnolette scissors on the vertical adapter profile where the passive sashes meet the active sash are in the closed position. Never turn the scissors closed when the sashes are in the open position, or never force the sashes to close when the scissors are in the closed position. Since folding doors are used in large-sized sashes, any undesirable force will act as a few times the force applied by the moment-moment handle rule and cause malfunctions. Avoid sudden and hard movements during opening-closing operations. Acting quickly in these situations can cause carelessness and thus injury.

Price and Costs of bifold doors and windows

If you want to install bifold doors cost-effectively, getting to know what bumps the prices up ahead of execution is a good idea.

Your Choice of Door Material

As seen in our price comparison table above, the type of door material you choose impacts your price – the difference between uPVC and aluminum gives a big price difference for the same five-door product.

The Number of Doors You Need

As with all home renovation projects, the larger your project, the higher your cost – and the same is true for the number of doors you need on your bifold.

While this isn’t necessarily a factor you can change, if something is proving costly, you may want to consider shortening the space for the bifold by having a wall built instead, or opting for a standard patio door if the original project is out of your price range.

The Quality of Doors You Choose

The profile quality vary with their thickness, insutation features, gap sizes. All these points directly affect the profile price. When you consider the accessory and glass options, the costs have wide ranges. And this means the selection of quality directly affects the cost of bifold doors and windows.

For further questions, please feel free to contact with TGP Systems Sales team.