What are Bifold Doors and When to Use Them?

What are Bifold Doors and When to Use Them?

Also known as folding sliding doors or room dividers, bifold doors are designed so they can fold in or out to create an opening. They are a brilliant, more convenient, and practical alternative to traditional hinged French doors or sliding doors. They allow increased natural light and fresh air, and the seamless blending of interior and exterior space, adding value to your home.

How Bifold Doors Work

Bifold doors are folding doors made up of multiple leaves that fold back on themselves similar to a concertina. The folding action of the door can open up an entire aperture. The doors are fitted to runners. When being opened, they slide and fold at the same time in a seamless operation. Unlike normal hinged doors or French doors, they require less space to swing open. It also means you enjoy a wider entranceway than with the traditional sliding doors. These folding sliding doors can have a traffic door configuration for quicker and easier access through the entranceway. Sitting on a normal hinge and with a standard lever handle, a traffic door is essentially a conventional door that is built into the bifold system. It is useful for busy entranceways you use frequently. With a traffic door, there is no need for you to fold and slide open every single leaf in the bifold.

Top-Hung vs. Bottom Rolling Bifold Doors

Top-hung or top-track bifold doors hang from the top track, using the bottom track as a guide. In this design, the lintel must be strong enough to bear both the weight of the collapsing doors and that of the roof or wall above them. Bottom-rolling or bottom-track bifold doors run along a bottom track. Most of the doors’ weight is concentrated at the bottom of the door. It offers more design space; there is no need for a strong and upper beam to support the entire weight. They utilise simple yet sophisticated technology where the bottom of the door carries most of the weight and very little weight on the supporting beam making the folding doors more flexible and reliable.

Uses for Bifold Doors

Incorporating folding doors into your home is a great idea whether for exterior or indoor spaces. They let you enjoy a wonderful and flexible open plan living space.

1. As Exterior Doors

The collapsing doors concept in bifold doors is capable of superior moisture block and seal properties; it can effectively keep cool or warm air in. The folding doors can positively affect the value of your home. They can be used as a passageway to a patio, garden, porch, deck, or pool where they can provide a fresh and airy feeling inside and easy access from outdoors. Installing collapsing doors is a great way to blend outdoor and home. Folding sliding doors come in a wide variety of frames, materials, width, and colours. Depending on your desired opening, you can have as few as two panels or many more for your doors.

2. As Interior Doors

You can use these collapsing doors to separate off two rooms such as a kitchen and a living room. You can have the option to quickly open them up when you need to. With glass folding doors, you can create a nearly soundproof barrier and control the noise between rooms. You can also go for solid, non-transparent bifold doors to create separation and slide them to create an opening. Closet and laundry rooms are great places to put folding sliding doors to good use. In a residential or commercial setting, bifold doors can provide an efficient closure over large or even small areas. In modern commercial properties that need flexible meeting or event spaces, collapsing doors can be very useful.

Benefits of Bifold Doors

More than aesthetics and style, bifold doors provide several benefits. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider having one (or more) installed in your house.

1. Space-saving functionality

Installed to fold back to one or both sides, folding sliding doors make it possible to create a door configuration for a huge range of entranceways. Compared to swinging doors, they only take up half as much floor space.

2. An open-plan feel

The concertina opening style creates an impressive open-plan feel. When opened, the doors do not at all impede the living space or exterior space around them.

3. Flexibility

They can be designed to open inwards or outwards, whichever best suits the space in which they will sit.

4. Thermal efficiency

With a U-value of at least 1.8W/m2 for the glass and framework combined, your bifold doors can have the thermal efficiency your home needs.

5. Secure

By having a multi-point locking system that is standard in external bifold doors, they will be more secure than a standard door.

6. Very low maintenance

They require maintenance once a year. Regular cleaning to remove dust and debris will prevent their build-up and wind and water leak, especially in the winter months. You can get quality, highly functional bifold doors professionally installed in your home or office by New Town Windows and Doors. Whether you need new doors for your home or you require replacement door installation, trust only the leading doors Kelowna company!