Bi-Fold or Sliding Doors on our extension - advice please??
We are just about to get drawings done for an extension but we are still in a dilemma as to what to do at the rear of the extension. We have a lovely view and want to make the most of it. i notice a lot of people say the weather does not do the doors justice in the UK - we are based in Perth Scotland. What is the best solution? It is an large u-shaped open plan living space. Overall dimensions are 33ft (rear wall for doors?) x 25ft. And if we do go for one of these types of openings, where should i get them from as we are based in Perth? Sorry so many questions!! (PS, Sorry about the mud in the photo - we are having our garden landscaped!)
Comments (15)
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Patio doors - sliding or bi-fold?
Comments (9)I'll start my response by saying we have been supplying and installing award-winning bifold doors and award-winning sliding doors right across the UK for 17 years, so we have plenty of experience - but also no bias towards either system. There are a multitude of factors to consider when choosing between bifolds and sliders - indeed we wrote an entire blog on the subject because it is a question we get asked time and time again. Based on discussions with customers, the key factors are: - Size of opening - the larger the opening the more likely it is that customers will choose sliding doors. - A view out - if you have a stunning view from your property then sliding doors (with their narrower profiles) are most likely to be the option. - Complete opening - if it is important that you create a complete opening then bifold doors are the option for you. With sliding doors (unless you opt for a pocket slider) you will always have a fixed panel. - Usability - how often you will have the doors open and how they open, these factors have an impact when choosing between systems In terms of price, thermal efficiency, glass options, weather proofing, track options, material choices and colours/finishes the systems can be pretty similar so these tend not to be key to making the decision. Over the years we have supplied sliding doors as small as 1.8m wide and as large as 24m and bifold doors from 1.6m up to 26m. If you want to discuss your particular project where we can answer questions and provide a quote for a specific location or build then simply give us a call on 01603 408804, visit or website www.idsystems.co.uk or email us at info@idsystems.co.uk. There are numerous examples in our projects section of our profile, but here are a few examples of our work......See MoreBungalow Extension - Aluminium Bi-folds or Steel framed windows/door?
Comments (7)Hi Jonathan, A nice big span like that will really open up the extension to the outdoor space and will look amazing. Crittall will provide the style and class, and with the wide span I would look at putting maybe three sets of double doors seperated by frames so on a nice day you can open all three sets of doors and get a real link to the outside. They'll be quick and easy to shut and you can adopt just the one double door as your frequent use door if the weather is unkind. See our website for more information on Crittall Doors and Windows and download the brochures. The example photo shows two sets of double doors in frames over a six meter span. Note: One more thing to consider is the lead time - Crittall has a lead time of 16-20 weeks, so if you do plan on installing Crittall, get the order in within plenty of time. Bifolding doors do not need to look so modern and (dare I say) a bit sterile - horizontal glazing bars can provide the contemporary look if you are after the Crittall style. The big advantage of bifolds is you can get a clear 95% width opening, so in good weather, you really are at one with the outdoors. You should either look to fit an odd number of doors all folding to one side so you can have one frequent use "traffic" door, or an even number of doors split in the middle so you can have two traffic doors in the middle that act like standard patio doors. (With big span like your plans show, I'd go for the latter.) To carry off the industrial look, you would need to get bifold doors with very fine sightlines, such as Sunflex SF55, with proper horizontal glazing bars (not superficial stick on bars). See the bifolding doors available on our website. If budget is a concern (big extension projects can quickly run away with costs) then you may wish to consider something like the "Heritage Aluminium" range, which matches the contemporary style of steel windows, but comes at an aluminium price. Perhaps not quite as prestige or exquisite as steel, but a very popular product with some good advantages. The YES Glazing Solutions staff will be happy advise and assist, and we can provide a no obligation quote after a few simple questions on the telephone. I wish you the very best with what will undoubtedly be a fabulous project Jonathan....See MoreSliding Doors vs Bi-fold Doors
Comments (1)At home we have one of each. Sliding from the dining room into the garden room and then bifold in the garden room. I like both but it’s nice having the bifold that can be stacked providing an uninterrupted view. We’ve left our bifolds open all through this hot weather. On the downside a blackbird flew into the open bifolds. Needless to say he came to an unfortunate ending....See MoreSliding doors or bi folds for 8m expanse
Comments (56)Excellent. Thanks for the visual. Always helps as builders are only at the foundation stage at the moment! 28m3 of concrete pumped on the site last week as our house built on higher ground so extension has to match ground level and we're adding a first level extension too. A long way to go but take each day at a time. No more projects for you then?!...See More
PROKitchenpod - Temporary Kitchen Hire (Home use)
4 years agoHi. Our architect took a different view. That having some detail in the window helps adds character. All a matter of opinion but if you have a nice view it will look nice however it is framed. Is it windy? Sliding would be better than bifold in that case. Rgds. Ed
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PROIDSystems
4 years agoThere is no right or wrong answer - and
as suppliers and installers of award winning versions of both bifold AND sliding door
systems we have no bias towards one or the other. Our teams install nationally, from Shetland to the Channel Islands...and everywhere in between.When we get asked this question by customers there are a number of
initial things we would ask to try and make some recommendations - and
we have written a blog all about these. Probably the most valuable question is realistically how often are you likely to have the doors fully open.Our SF55 aluminium bifold doors can be manufactured up to 1.1m wide and have an
industry leading narrow sightline of 115mm (the amount of frame visible
when closed) and over a 29' 6" run of 9x1m panels you will have 8
intermediate frames totalling 920mm of aluminium.
We do two aluminium sliding door systems the Grand Slider (83mm sightlines) or our award winning theEDGE
(narrow 24mm sightline) - both can take glass sizes of up to 3m wide so
over a 9m run of 3x3m panels you will have 166mm of intermediate
aluminium visible with the Grand Slider and just 48mm visible with
theEDGE.
So if your doors are closed more often than open there is
significantly less frame than glass in sliding doors - maximising your views - however the trade
off is that unless you opt for a pocket slider you are not able to open a
sliding door completely to create a total 9m opening like you are with
bifold doors - you would only open 6m of the 7m (or 6.75m if you went
for four sliding door panels).In terms of thermal performance both SF55 and the sliding door
systems can be double or triple glazed and achieve pretty similar
U-Values and in terms of price the SF55 and Grand Slider systems work
out to be almost identical - although theEDGE is a bit more because of
the advanced engineering required to create such a narrow profile. There is also the option of the SF75 bifold door which has a U-Value of 0.9W/m2K which is the lowest of any aluminium system on the market.Given your location and your views, my personal recommendation would be sliding doors, because you maximise your views even when closed - but it is whatever is best for you and it may well be a combination of sliding doors and fixed frames provide the perfect and cost effective solution.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask and good luck with your project!
Synseal Group