How To Choose Exterior Bifold Doors

As exterior bifold doors continue to increase in popularity, we find our customers repeatedly asking similar questions. Understandably they want to consider as aspects of what it is they're investing in so they can make they can an informed decision on which bifolding doors are best for them and their homes. Here is a selection of the best advice we can give on buying the correct bifold doors for you.

How Much Do External BiFolding Doors Cost?

Like with anything, you can choose to spend a little or a lot and how much you spend is up to you.
There are bifold doors which can cost thousands, or there are bi fold doors which can be
bought on a budget. The most stylish range of door cost upwards of around £2,500 and more budget-friendly range can cost as little as £1200. There are a variety of high-end finishes that come with
some door ranges that will significantly alter your budget, for example, choosing a door with double
glazing will in the short term raise your budget, but will be a more eco-friendly option that will help
you save on heating bills in the long term.

What Material Should I Choose For My External Doors?

Consider the overall aesthetic of your house and choose a material which will suit it. If you have a
period property or a conversion, consider an oak finish or timber frame. 

If you have a more minimalist style, then pick a sleek style like these aluminum patio doors.

You might want to take into consideration what your garden or patios overall style is. If you're
planning on putting garden furniture into the space that leads on from your doors, then pick a style
which will complement the furniture.

Aluminium frames, if maintained properly will last a longer time than wooden frames, so although
generally more expensive, they may be worth the investment if you're going be at your property for a
long enough timescale. Wooden frames are a cheaper option and an option that is sometimes
preferable because they can be treated at home, which means you can change the colour yourself
by simply painting them, they might not be as weather-resistant as the aluminium bifold frames.
As mentioned above, the double glazed doors might be a worthwhile investment in the long term
due to the energy savings, however, they do make ranges more expensive. They're great for
conserving energy and if your external doors lead right onto a living room, it's definitely worth
splashing out the extra money to keep the living room warm and cosy during winter.

Check out our detailed article on choosing between aluminium or wood bifold doors for more information. 

What Are The Easiest Doors To Look After?

This all comes down to the materials used, traditionally UPVC doors the easiest to look after in terms
of cleaning them – which is obviously an essential part of making sure your patio doors work
correctly. They aren't liable to rust and are the most adaptable to the UK's versatile weather
conditions.

Wooden or oak frames will take little maintenance, but be susceptible to the weather more so than
synthetic materials. Although your frames will be treated they will need to be re-treated every few
years, so this is an ongoing cost that you might want to account for when choosing your door
frames.

Aluminium external doors take a little more care and attention and are slightly harder to fix if they
incur any problems. Aluminium, however, does last the longest out of all the materials, so it's really
balancing the key considerations of investment, aesthetic and maintenance time that you will want
to think about before you purchase any patio doors for your home.

How Much Space Will I Need?

This is one of the most important points to gauge when choosing which style of exterior doors is right for you. Folding external doors take up a surprisingly large amount of room, you might want to choose doors that slide if they will be opening up into a smaller garden or patio. Some door systems will have a main lead door that will house the locking system and then have doors that concertina off of them, some of the more high-end door ranges will have systems that open in the middle or a system that will offer a number of doors that are fixed and then some that concertina off. The door system that suits your needs will depend on how much space you have available to fit the systems into, how much external space you have and the kind of effect you're are looking for.

What Sizes Do BiFolding Doors Come In?

Bi-folding doors can be found in numerous shapes and sizes and different companies will offer
different systems and sizes. Our range of bifolding doors comes in the following sizes:

1800mm/6ft
2100mm/7ft
2400mm/8ft
2700mm/9ft
3000mm/10ft
3600mm/12ft
4200mm/14ft
4800mm/16ft

Are External Patio Doors Safe?

Of course, if you're going to be adding glass doors to the exterior of your home you're going to want
to know if they're safe. Patio doors used to feature a very basic cylinder lock that allowed intruders
to snap the lock and gain entry quickly and quietly. However, modern door designs have far more
advanced locks that allow your house to remain a safe environment. Patio doors more often than
not have a hook and bolt system that is considerably hard to break, and a system of doors that have more
than one fixed spot will be harder to break into for unauthorized entry. The safest way to keep your
home secure is to install an alarm so you might want to take this into account for extra piece of
mind.