The reasons bi-fold doors have advanced to the most used home accessory in the United Kingdom cannot be overemphasised. They are now being considered a luxurious fixture in both interior and exterior home décor that can be afforded by all homeowners due to their recent reduction in price.
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What are bifold doors?
A bi-fold door is a kind of door consisting of two to seven panels made from either unplasticised polyvinyl chloride or aluminium and held together with hinges. During the opening, the door panels compact against each other by sliding on a rail towards the hinge point. When completely open, the panels are elegantly joined together to take up as little space as possible. The method of operation of this door type is very similar to that of a squeezebox.
Bi-fold doors do not come in just one size, they come in a variety of sizes to fit the spot where they are to be installed in your home. Bifold doors also have many aliases: they are known as, bi-folding doors, folding patio doors, glass sliding doors, folding sliding doors, internal folding doors, concertina doors, sliding room dividers and uPVC bifold patio doors.
Why Bi-Fold Doors?
If you’re wondering why you have to opt for aluminium bi-fold doors, you might want to read on. To being with, their elegant and narrow finish makes them suitable for every home; and they usually come in high-quality matching designs. Although their top-notch designs often make homeowners think they are too luxurious and often unaffordable. Bi-fold doors are on the cheaper end of the price list but the overall cost depends on each user’s requirement as well as its number of leaves.
To accurately calculate what bifold doors prices would be, an overall estimate can first be made from the specified door’s height and width. Other factors aside dimensions that influence the cost of installing a bifold door may include the dimensions of the space where the door is to be installed, your desired door panel number, additional door components and design, as well as the door colour you choose. Having considered all these factors, you can accurately estimate the exact cost of installing a bi-fold door in your home.
What makes bi-fold doors right for me?
It is a common belief that cheaper commodities are of lesser quality. This is not so with bi-fold doors because they offer unparalleled security, thermal effectiveness and durability and yet remain budget friendly. So you don’t have to worry because you’re getting so much more with the relative less you pay for bi-fold doors.
Bi-fold door prices aren’t the only attractive feature. Bi-fold doors come in elegant designs that are apt for all types of home décor in the United Kingdom – whether traditional or modern. So, irrespective of the style of your home, you still get to enjoy a good bargain for your money.
Bi-fold doors have also been tested and found to attain the security standards of Secured by Design set by the police because every element of our doors contribute efficiently to your security.
Advantages of bi-fold doors
Enjoy a Flexible Opening Alternative
Enjoy maximum flexibility with bi-fold doors unlike with the conventional sliding doors as you can choose to open the entire door space or leave just a portion of it for swift access.
Improve the Style of your Home
With bi-fold doors, you can add a touch of modernity to your older homes and easily enhance the modern appearance of your new home. For one thing, their sleek and stylish designs that give you an uninterrupted view of your outside surrounding is one thing to kill for while their elegant look makes them very suitable for modern homes.
Increase in the amount of natural light when Installed Indoors
Bi-fold doors eliminate every trace of darkness during the day in any space they are installed in. Their glass panels allow plenty of light pass through them to illuminate shadowed regions of your home.
Incorporate your marvellous outside view into your home
One major benefit of bi-fold doors installed at the entrance of your home is that it affords you an elegant view of your outside surrounding. Its large extension of glass panel affords you a beautiful view of your garden or yard when closed. And when open, the wide opening gives you an adorable combo of your indoor décor and outside view.
You don’t have to worry about space at your entrance when opening it up completely
Unlike conventional and French doors, bi-fold doors do not take up so much space when they are completely open because they fold back in a Squeezebox manner thereby saving you some space at your entrance.
They let more natural light into your home
The atmosphere of a dimly lit space in your home can be enhanced by the effect of a completely opened bi-fold door. You get to have more natural light radiating all over your home with wide-spaced glass bi-fold doors.
You Can Improve the Flexibility of Your Space by installing them indoors
Installing bi-fold doors inside your home is a great way to improve accessibility between the rooms in your home. You can choose to leave them slightly opened to improve the privacy of each room or leave them completely open to blend the views in each room.
You Can Design Bi-Fold Doors to Your Personal Taste
Aluminium bi-fold doors offer a broad option of designs to choose from even more than wooden and unplasticized polyvinyl chloride French doors. Also, with a wide variety of powder colours to select from, you can choose the exact colour that matches the décor of your property. If you wish to incorporate a traditional appearance, there are lots of wood grain effects you can choose from in order to customize your door to your taste.
How to know the size of your bi-fold doors
Obtaining the actual size of your bi-fold door is quite simple. First, take three separate sets of measurements of the door’s height and width, allowing a fitting variation of about 12mm to ensure a flexible and exact installation. Finally, subtract 10mm from the smallest of the three sets of measurement to get the size of your door.
If you fail to get the precise measurements for your door, you might end up putting up with a poorly sized and fitted door with reduced efficiency. If however, you are able to determine the exact size of your door, you get to have a door that fits your budget properly installed for you.
Bi-fold Doors Materials
Timber/Wood
Wood remains a really great choice as a material for windows and doors and is a great choice for older/period style homes where there are casement windows or old-style sash windows already in place. Wood can be left natural or can be painted to suit any particular décor needs. It always feels warmer than it’s aluminium or uPVC counterparts, which is why it is still among the most popular choice.
Timber bi-fold doors may need to be combined with powder coated aluminium cladding if you live in a sunny area or places with harsh climatic conditions. The effect is to make them easier to maintain and much more resilient to damage. However, it can prove expensive so an aluminium door with a wood-grain effect may prove a better option.
Timber Bi-fold doors can be left unpainted for those who really like to retain a natural look to their doors. Wood doors come in various types – softwood with a hardwood veneer, engineered woods or hardwood are all suitable for bi-fold doors. However, you do have to have some thought for wood quality as the cheaper woods can have a tendency to warp, flex, expand or shrink over time.
Veneered timber bifold patio doors have a thin top layer of hardwood veneer over softwood so they give the look and feel of hardwood without the cost of a hardwood timber door. These are great if you want a good looking and hard wearing door but have a more limited budget.
Engineered wood is a sustainable wood, and because it can be recycled is definitely a greener option. Not only that but it is more stable than natural woods and therefore does not have the issues of expansion or contraction that occur in their more natural counterparts.
Advantages of timber/wood bi-fold doors
- Timber installations are elegant and classy.
- A great option for traditional looking homes, blending seamlessly.
- Very secure to keep burglars out (multipoint locking mechanisms, internally beaded and laminated glass).
- Timber bi-fold doors are environmentally friendly.
Disadvantages of timber/wood bi-fold doors
- Less thermally efficient than uPVC
- Timber bifold doors are the most high maintenance option.
- Timber is one of the most expensive options.
- There are various options you can choose from with timber, but all of them are more expensive than uPVC. Prices range between £2,000 -£5,000.
Aluminium
In order to create a long lasting door and window frame, aluminium frames are coated with a powder applied to the metal. The powder is solvent-free and is applied at high temperature giving a finished coating that is extremely hard wearing. You can get this type of frame in a variety of colours; Origin boasts a range of over 150 RAL colours alongside metallic finishes and a natural wood look option. The application of the power coating also means that you can choose different exterior and exterior colours for your door.
Aluminium bi-fold doors are now available in such a wide range of finishes it is easy to find one that fits perfectly with the aesthetic of your home. Aluminium frames also come in different widths, so a thinner frame is perfect for homes that enjoy a good view.
Advantages of aluminium bi-fold doors
- Possible to install large glass panels for better outside views.
- Wide range of colours and finishes available in the market.
- You can choose to have different colours inside and out
- Suitable for modern and period homes.
- Very strong and durable.
- Ideal for corner or bay window doors.
- Lightweight and easy to open/close.
Disadvantages of aluminium bi-fold doors
- Staining when your structure is built in a constantly wet area.
- Aluminium is more expensive than other materials and metal prices fluctuate often.
- Installation requires highly skilled professionals.
UPVC
Although uPVC is popular it is not that suitable for use on period properties. As well as being damaging to the overall look and feel of the property the frames can often look unflattering and cheap. This is particularly the case if they are installed on a period home. Many people choose wood effect uPVC to try to counter this effect however wood and aluminium remain the best options for bi-fold doors.
Upvc bi-fold doors frames tend to look bulky and reduce the view from inside. This is simply because the frames are much wider than both timber and aluminium. You may be able to find a company that will offer coloured uPVC bi-fold doors, however, the most commonly used and widely available colours are grey, black and white, they are also constructed in wood grain effect.
Advantages of Upvc bi-fold doors
- Cheapest available option compared to timber, aluminium and steel.
- Upvc is a very lightweight material.
- Available in many different colours.
- Require very little or no maintenance at all.
- Do not need to be treated.
- Environmentally friendly.
- uPVC bi-fold doors are durable and can last over 25 years.
Disadvantages of Upvc bi-fold doors
- There is less choice when it comes to colours and finishes
- Frames tend to be larger so uPVC is not best if you are going for a minimalist look.
- Not a good option for period or old style homes.
- Might look cheap depending on the design and style of the property.
Bi-fold doors vs sliding doors
Despite the recent increase in similarity between the popularity of sliding doors and bi-fold doors, significant differences still exist between these two types of doors.
First, aluminium sliding doors are more costly than their counterpart bi-fold doors as they can cost up to 25% of the cost of bi-fold doors.
How Much Do Bi-Fold Doors Cost?
While bi-fold doors require a little more space than a sliding when opened completely, they offer their users the benefit of a fully opened aperture, unlike sliding doors.
Bi-fold doors normally cost between £4,000- £5,000 and the price depends on factors such as the choice of how many leaves/panes your door is constructed with and what sort of material and final design you have. There is an online bi-fold doors prices calculator so you can get an instant idea as to the most competitive price for your door, but the price list given below will also give you an insight into costs so you know that you are able to negotiate a good deal.
Average bi-fold doors prices
| 3-panel bifold door cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Size (cm) | Specifications | Supply only prices |
| 180 x 210 | slim, white, double glazed, toughened glass | from £1,300 to £1,800 |
| 180 x 210 | slim, grey, double glazed, toughened glass | from £1,300 to £1,700 |
| 180 x 210 | slim, Oak veneer, double glazed, toughened glass | from £1,500 to £1,800 |
| 4-panel bifold door cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Size (cm) | Specifications | Supply only |
| 300 x 210 | slim, white, double glazed, toughened glass | from £2,300 to £2,600 |
| 300 x 210 | slim, grey, double glazed, toughened glass | from £2,300 to £2,600 |
| 300 x 210 | slim, Oak veneer, double glazed, toughened glass | from £2,500 to £2,800 |
Aluminium bi-fold doors cost
uPVC bifold doors will cost between £1,600 and £2,400, depending on how many glass panels they have and the colour/style of the aluminium frame.
| 4-panel bifold door cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Size (cm) | Specifications | Supply only |
| 180 x 210 | up to 100 RAL powder coat colours / double glazed | from £1,600 to £2,400 |
| 180 x 210 | up to 100 RAL powder coat colours / double glazed | from £1,800 to £2,300 |
| 180 x 210 | up to 100 RAL powder coat colours / double glazed | from £2,000 to £2,600 |
Upvc bi-fold doors cost
uPVC bifold doors will cost between £1,200 and £2,000, depending on how many glass panels they have and the colour/style of the uPVC frame.
| 4-panel bifold door cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Size (cm) | Specifications | Supply only |
| 270 x 210 | white uPVC/ double glazed | from £1,200 to £1,500 |
| 270 x 210 | 2 colour white & oak uPVC/ double glazed | from £1,500 to £1,800 |
| 270 x 210 | 1 colour Grey uPVC / double glazed | from £1,700 to £2,000 |
What affects the price of bifold doors?
Size: The larger the door the higher the price you have to pay. Glass is the main factor that affects the price of bi-fold doors, as the more it is needed the more you have to pay for your bI-fold door. Therefore, Internal glass doors cost more than solid doors. If you want to save money, try to shop for a standard-size bi-fold door as it will cost significantly less than a bespoke one.
Colours and finish: Bi-fold doors come in a great variety of colours such as brown, cream, grey, blue, ivory, silver and red. You can also choose between woodgrain and timber to give your doors a different texture. The standard colour is white but you can also choose to have a different colour for an inside and outside to match your interior. Usually, colours and finishes increase the price by 10% to 20%.
Energy efficiency: The higher the energy rating and u-value of the door the higher the price, as the door is more energy efficient. The u-value is an indication of how quickly heat passes through the glass door. An A+ energy rated window considered better than a C rated window. You should always opt for bi-fold doors that have a maximum u-value of 1.8.
Door handles. There is a great range of door handles in the market, made from different materials that are very durable and that can withstand different weather conditions. You can also choose among many different colours such as white, silver, gold, flint or chrome.
Type of glass. The type of glass that you will choose for your door will also affect the price of the product. Depending on your budget and needs you can choose solar control glass, self-cleaning glass, coloured and patterned or frosted glass. All types of glass should be either laminated or made stronger and more durable. Doors come as double glazed by default. If you choose to go for triple glazing the cost increases even more.
Low threshold (the step). The lower the threshold, which relates to the step at the bottom of the door, the more expensive the cost of the bi-fold doors. However, you should know that lower thresholds may allow draughts and water to come under the door and for this reason your installer needs to make sure that this does not happen. Low thresholds give easier access to wheelchairs and prams so even though they might increase slightly the cost, they are an essential option for older, disabled people and parents with young toddlers.
Door quality: The better the quality of the bi-fold doors, the more you will have to pay, as the longer, the doors are going to last and the better they are going to work. For best results, you need to make sure that you hire a really experienced installer.
How Big Should My Bifold Doors Be?
When it comes to designing how large your bifold doors are going to be, you will need to understand the size of the aperture and the tracks to do that properly. If you have the budget and you are not a DIY enthusiast, then you better call a professional to install the doors. All professional installers will come to your property and take measurements before they come to fit the new bifold doors.
The size and type of glazing affect the panel weight and hardware systems are restricted to maximum weight, width and height for each panel. More precisely:
Minimum size
- The minimum size of aluminium panels should be a three panel set with a width of 60 cms per panel.
- Typical panel width range from 80 cms to 120 cms.
- The smallest size opening for bifold doors is usually 240 cms.
Standard aluminium panels
- They can be either double or triple glazed 100 x 280 cms
Special wooden doors
- Their size can be over 400 x 110 cms and holp up to sixteen panels in a single frame depending on how strong they are.
Bifold doors planning permission
Most homeowners do not need to seek authorization from their local councils before installing bi-fold doors. However, if your home is located in a conservation region, or falls under an “Article for Directive’ or you live in an enlisted property which makes such installation a major change, you might need to obtain permission before installing a bi-fold door.
To get the required permission for installing a bi-fold door in your home, you need to, first of all, submit a proposal to your local council and wait for permission, denial or a request for a subsequent change to your proposal. If alterations are required in your proposal, it might be related to your choice of door material, colours or the number of panels you want to use. Ensure you fulfil every requirement in order that permission is granted you.
Ensure to seek adequate authorization before you begin any installation process for your bi-fold doors. You can either do so on this page or reach out to your local council.
Bifold doors finance options
Depending on the quality and number of your bifold doors that you will go for, you might have to pay several thousands of pounds. If you cannot afford to pay for your doors upfront, there is always an option to pay with monthly instalments by making a financial agreement.
Being in debt means that you need to make your repayments on time because if you are not able to do that, you will end up a lot more than the agreed amount, as several companies might charge you interest. So, if you are not sure you can keep up with your repayments, it would be better to save the money and pay the whole amount in one go.
Bi-fold door quotes
We can get you in touch with a wide network of bi-fold door installation companies with the required skill, history and experience to give you the peace of mind you deserve when you install bi-fold doors. It is our pleasure to connect you with them so you can choose the company you want for your installations.
Each door installer is well aware of the fact that there are about three or four competitors gunning for the same opportunity to do business with you; so, they will undoubtedly offer you the best bi-fold door price as the quality is already assured with every one of them.
If you wish to get quotes from a few bi-fold doors installation companies or professionals, simply fill out a simple form. Please know that all quotes are no-obligation so you are not compelled to consent to any statement you’re sent.