So… you are planning your much awaited extension, or renovation project?!
What products and features should you add to really make the most of your available space, and make it as user-friendly as possible?
Sliding folding doors (or bi-folding doors, or concertina doors as they’re sometimes called), are an excellent way to blend your inside space with the outside. Folding door systems are especially popular when space is a bit more limited, to enable opening adjacent areas up together and give more versatility. You can even usually design the threshold detail to keep the internal and external floor levels close to each other, achieving an almost seamless transition from inside to outside, maximising accessibility. A good sense of space has been linked to a heightened sense of calm and wellbeing.
Whilst being practical, folding doors will bathe your room in natural light and add a real WOW factor to your home!
Most aluminium folding door systems are designed with a traffic door (also called pass door, or everyday door), which hinges open independently of the others, eliminating the need to open up the entire wall every time. All our folding door systems function smoothly and are easy to operate, and straightforward to maintain.
Aluminium is strong, lightweight and durable, making it an ideal choice for bi-fold doors and, coupled with superior hardware, creates a secure choice for the home. As aluminium is 100% recyclable it is ideal for those looking for energy efficiency and sustainability. Glazed with specialist energy efficient glazing, the energy efficient properties of the bi-fold doors can be increased. Over the last few years we have seen a large upward trend of including internal blinds in the sealed glass units. Other options for the sealed units are self-cleaning and/or solar control glass.
Another great plus point is that aluminium bi-fold doors are virtually maintenance-free. A simple maintenance program of a six monthly clean with a damp cloth and lubrication of all moving parts with a silicon based spray is what is recommended.
Individual panels can be manufactured up to 1200mm wide – so you don’t have to have lots of narrow panels with framework obstructing your view of the outside, this is a common misconception about folding doors! They do need a convenient space to stack, which is an additional consideration over conventional sliding ‘patio’ doors, but usually clients choose to have the panels stacking outwards into the garden where there is generally enough free space to accommodate the ‘stack’ of panels.
At Options Glazing we have a choice of systems available, to give a solution for almost any project & budget. All our door sets are manufactured completely bespoke to suit your exact requirements. We have folding sliding doors installed in our new showroom in Snetterton, South Norfolk. If you are considering a folding door for your project please do get in touch with us to discuss what we can offer!