Bi folding doors article | IQ Glass What are bi folding doors? Bi folding doors, concertina doors, sliding folding doors, patio doors: call them what you like, but there is no arguing that bi folding doors are becoming more and more popular here in the UK and across the architectural world. However, despite their apparent rise in popularity, a sufficient source of information is lacking on the World Wide Web regarding their function, capabilities, and general purpose. This article aims to inform reads about bi folding doors, and the advantages and disadvantages of having them in your home.
General Purpose Primarily designed for home-use only, the bi folding door has benefited hugely from the rise in use in the commercial sector such as modern offices, gyms, and restaurants. When installed, the doors act as a space saving device, as well as bringing a modern feel to the room that it is being used in. Most bi folding glass doors can open much wider than conventional doors, allowing shifting furniture and larger ornaments from room to room or from inside to outside a lot easier. This also gives home and commercial site owners greater flexibility if they decide to open up their building to let the sun in during the summer months.
Functionality A lot of bi folding doors are constructed through manipulating aluminium into a solid frame which homes double glazed glass. Most bi folding doors work on the basis on being able to slide and fold at the same time. Some of these doors have been seen to be constructed for specifications as huge as 25 metres, meaning that you can basically turn an entire wall of a building into an open space in seconds. How cool is that?
Capability Bi fold doors tend to be, and need to be, very strong and robust due to their extra movement capabilities. At full specification, these doors are capable of covering areas of up to 25 metres, and can retract, via folding and sliding systems, to a 1 metre door. The product can act as a valuable thermal installation feature to your home, with many companies offering heated glass systems or triple insulation to help regulate your home’s core temperature. Obviously this feature would only be necessary for external/internal doors only and would be superficial for all bi fold doors that wouldn’t act as an external wall.
Cost The one disadvantage of the bi fold door is the sheer money that you will be expected to part with in order to secure the product as well as the installation of said product. While prices vary from company to company, you can expect to pay at least twice the amount of money for bi folding doors than you would a pair of simple sliding patio doors. Ouch. However, there is no denying the popularity of these products, which is backed up by the huge amount of companies now offering bi fold door based products, and their regular appearance on popular home architecture and interior design programs such as ‘Grand Designs’ and ‘Restoration Man’, both featured on Channel 4.