Bifolds for a 5m gap

[platypus]

Work is (finally) cracking on for our extension and we need to get the rear doors sorted. We've a 5m gap that she wants to bifold, and I'm after some advice.

Solarlux seem to be well regarded on here, but obviously more expensive than most. Are we right to be aiming for £1k/door?

I'm also wary and worried about the fitting/longevity and obviously how to avoid cowboys.

 

[kefkef]

We used bifold express. A 3m span cost us £4K including integral blinds inside the glazed units. Can’t recall the costs for the steel spans above them as they were part of the extension.

 

[sovietspybob]

I'd budget 1k per meter for ones worth having, ours is 3m and was 2.6k but that was ex vat as it was a new build.

We got ours from here https://www.foldingslidingdoors.com/products/bi-fold-doors/70mm-aluminium and they've been great for the last 2 and a half years since being installed.

We needed them to be in RAL7016 and they do them in that as a stock colour so that swung it for us.

 

[platypus]

Aye we've got the steels in already. Will check these out, thanks.

 

[tom_nieto]

We used a company called pyramid profiles in Brownhills, Walsall.

http://www.pyramid-profiles.co.uk/aluminium.php

Quality seems good and they are still nice 2 year’s post fitting. You’ll need to know exact measurements for them to fabricate the doors. They can arrange glazing as well. They were extremely good value and worth getting a quote from. Would definitely use them again.

 

[eviled]

vufold.co.uk

the best doors at an exhibition I went to and not the most expensive!

mine are flawless

 

[kefkef]

Just watch out when you’re mowing the lawn!..........

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Don't actually know who made ours - the builders sourced them. They were 4k for a 4 panels.

 

[rexehuk]

Our friend found an amazing guy on eBay... imports from Turkey and they're already landed in UK. He had them installed in his place without any real issues, other than builder saying definitely go for a the premium sil.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Qual...263672?hash=item2138498778:g:FxsAAOSwc-tY6ick

This is the seller, not sure if he does 5M ones but can ask!

 

[sovietspybob]

I raise your 1 shattered window

 

[kefkef]

I raise your 1 shattered window

It’s the little tinkling sound the glass makes falling on the floor that sounds like rain I’ll never forget!......

 

[Martynt74]

@sovietspybob

Can i have your house? That looks amazing (sure it would look even better if i could see through an extra 2 windows )

 

[platypus]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll look into the ones recommended here.

How many doors should we be looking at for a 5m gap? 5 doors or perhaps 6?

 

[sovietspybob]

I'd have thought 5, any more and they tend to look all frame and not enough glass imo

 

[signs]

think we got ours from uk bifolds , they come with a free 10 year service ( one a year for 10 years) had them in about 4.5 years so far and they have been brilliant

 

[kefkef]

If it was 6 doors I’d be thinking about splitting the bifold into a single/double door on one end and 4/5 doors folding to the opposite side.

 

[the_r_sole]

I hate bi-folds, two massive sliders would be the best solution imo https://www.idsystems.co.uk/products/sliding-doors/grand-slider-ii-sliding-doors/

 

[tom_nieto]

I hate bi-folds, two massive sliders would be the best solution imo https://www.idsystems.co.uk/products/sliding-doors/grand-slider-ii-sliding-doors/

Those are very cool indeed. It does somewhat depend on your clearance either side of the doors as to whether you can have a completely clear opening. Bifolds will eventually date just as French doors have.

 

[platypus]

If it was 6 doors I’d be thinking about splitting the bifold into a single/double door on one end and 4/5 doors folding to the opposite side.

Yes thats my plan, either way whether we get 5 or 6 doors in the end, it will have a single door that opens one way, and the rest will go to the wall/fence.

I hate bi-folds, two massive sliders would be the best solution imo https://www.idsystems.co.uk/products/sliding-doors/grand-slider-ii-sliding-doors/

Well I've been meaning to ask this actually - has anyone ever regretted getting bifolds?

The sliders do look good, but we don't really have anywhere for the doors to go the 5M gap is the gap, total. So the advantage of the bifolds in this instance is that they'll open and stack up against our fence to the side of the garden so be completely out of the way.

This is the space we have and my bad - the door gap itself is actually 4m:


And, given the usages of our space that we're envisaging, the single opening door access that bifolds gives seems - to us - to be the most convenient, a back door basically rather than having to slide the whole door. Why do you hate bifolds out of interest?

 

[sovietspybob]

We use the 1 opening door in our bifolds as a kind of back door ourselves, it's the easiest way to our main garden from the house so it's been extremely handy for that and also in the summer we love having the entire space open onto the patio which no other kind of door would give us as it makes the whole 'inside outside' living thing work really well.