Panoramic Views Or Open Spaces

These days it is becoming increasingly popular to open up the back of our homes to our gardens with either Sliding Patio Doors or Folding Sliding Doors, but which is best option for you?

Bi-folds Vs Patios

Just a few years ago everyone was installing large sliding patio doors into the backs of their houses. Large doors that opened up onto a finished concrete patio or beautiful landscaped garden. These days with the help of promotion from  televison programs such as Grand Designs and The Home Show, Folding Sliding Doors, often called Bi-folding Doors, are becoming increasingly popular. These are two very different products and there are many pros and cons to each of them. Many people find it difficult to get all the right facts, in order to make an educated decision and choose between them. We have over 25 years experience in the industry and have written this impartial guide to try and help you make up your own mind up.

How Much Do They Cost?

One of peoples main concerns is price, and most people believe that Bi-folding Doors are the more expensive of the two. For the most part this is a fair assumption, however the price variance throughout the industry is vast and in terms of the amount you can pay for either.... the sky’s the limit. You will also need to consider that there are large price variances between different materials. Do you want PVC, Wood or Aluminium? A lot of peoples decisions are dictated by their  architects, builders or the salesman that had the best sales pitch, but when making the decision to spend a good money, you should always make sure you do all the research. You wouldn’t buy a car without first going to see it, so spend the time do the research and visit showrooms.

Folding Sliding Doors

Bifold doors bring the outside in and literally transform your property into a functional and open space for living, working and entertaining. Bi-folding doors are an impressive and aesthetically pleasing alternative to sliding patio doors and many people believe that the extra cost is well worth while. The main draw of bi-folding doors is that they create around a 90% clear opening when all of the door panels have been folded open, providing an impressive feature to your room. This is achieved due to the panels stacking at 90° (perpendicular) from the frame. However we need to remember that this is the UK, and not the Costa Del Sol, so your doors will be closed a lot of the time. If you had already considered this, but still believe that the aesthetic appeal of bi-folding doors outweighs this drawback then bi-folding doors are the choice for you.

Sliding Patio Doors

Sliding Patio doors will give you  a room with a view, providing panoramic views of the outside world. Depending on the size of your aperture Sliding Patio Doors will generally provide you with the maximum glass area and the minimum amount of frame. They allow for large glass panels and will often result in less vertical bars than a Bi-folding Door. The average residential patio door system can have panels up to one and a half metres wide, but it is not uncommon for a sliding patio door to have panels of up to two and a half metres wide or  even larger. The advantage of door panels that side is that you do not lose any space from within your room or garden. You can create an opening of around 45 - 65% depending on the system, number of panels  and the panel configuration. The main draw of sliding patio doors is the large glass areas that are achievable. Sliding patio doors will let in the maximum amount of light and provide panoramic views of your surrounding area. If this is your idea of perfection then sliding patio doors are for you.

Ease Of Access

Most bifold door configurations will provide a traffic door, this is a quick access door that allows for inside and outside access, without having to fold or slide any other panels. A traffic door is a door that can be operated independently and can function in the same way as any standard back door. These doors also have a latch so that when pushed closed it will stay closed and not swing back open. Sliding patio doors do not have traffic doors and so it is not quite as easy to quickly nip in and out. It can also be more difficult to close the doors behind you, as the door will need to be slid closed.

Flush Floor Levels

Many people are concerned about creating a trip hazard with their new Patio doors. Most Bi-folding Door systems have flush low threshold options, which allow for the bottom of the doors to be completely sunk down into the floor to provide a seamless transition from inside and outside. Some but not all Sliding patio door systems have the option to bring the inside floor level up to the  height of the top of the cill or threshold section of the patio doors, nullifying the step over, but there are currently no flush threshold options available on the market, for sliding doors.


For the full Artical use the link: http://www.duration.co.uk/Brochures/Doors/Aluminium/Sliding%20Patio%20Door%20Or%20Bi-folding%20Door.pdf