Although aluminium bifolding doors still dominate the market, thanks to recent developments in door design, sliding door systems have recently grown in popularity.
Both types of doors provide lots of natural light along with a seamless connection to your outdoor space, but which is the best choice for your property? Although the decision can be a tricky one, it often boils down to personal preference. In this guide, we’ll talk you through the key differences between bifolding and sliding doors to help you make an informed choice.
To make the best decision for your home, it’s important to firstly understand the differences between sliding and bifold doors.
The key difference between the glass doors is the way they operate. Bi-folding doors have leaves which fold inwards or outwards, and to the left or right (depending on your preference). Whereas a sliding patio door simply slides to the left or right, allowing for more usable space indoors as you don’t need as much access.
When purchasing any new door system, there are a few things to consider. First of all, you need to know that the door you are buying is safe and secure. Secondly, with the current rise in energy prices, thermal efficiency is likely to be high on your agenda. And lastly, you’ll be wanting a door that is built to last to prevent you from having to replace it anytime soon.
Both sliding and bifolding doors will provide all of the above benefits and give your home the WOW factor, so you won’t need to worry about compromising on style when looking to enhance your property. But which is the best choice? Below we’ve rounded up the key benefits of each so you can decide which best suits your home.
A Bifold door is made up of several large glass panels which fold back against themselves, concertina style. The panels are designed to run back and forth smoothly along a top and bottom track to allow for ease of opening and closing. Typically, the best quality bifold doors are made using an aluminium frame for durability.
Bi fold doors can be folded out completely, offering wide and clear openings that allow ease of access and uninterrupted views.
If you love spending time in your garden and want to make the most out of the views, bifolding doors are a great option for you. The opening style of a bifolding door allows it to be folded all the way to one side or another, or even both. This can be extremely useful when using the garden as an extended living space for entertaining and dining, offering a seamless transition between indoors and out.
Bifolding doors effectively transform an entire wall into glass (or two walls with corner bifolds!). Providing fantastic views and an increase in sunlight levels, bifold doors make even the smallest of spaces appear bigger.
Along with their energy-efficient qualities, aluminium bi-folding doors can help to reduce reliance on artificial lighting and heating systems, thereby helping homeowners to reduce their energy bills.
Aluminium is one of the most popular materials used in the glazing industry due to its durable and weatherproof qualities. Aluminium bifolding doors are guaranteed to last a lot longer than uPVC alternatives, providing a great return on your investment. Trickle vents are also available as an optional extra.
Here at UK Doors our bottom-hung, aluminium bifolding doors feature slim profile sections that are designed to minimize visible framework and maximize the glass area to ensure panoramic views all year round.
On top of this, our made-to-measure bifolds offer customers the opportunity to design their dream doors, which are then made bespoke to their requirements. Whether a space requires doors that open inwards or outwards, there’s a door type for all needs. This means that homeowners can customise the size, colour, hardware, glazing and blinds for their bifolding doors.
Visit our online designer today to create bifolding doors that suit your space.
Bifolding doors are an incredibly secure option for your home. Our bifolds at UK Doors, are equipped with a multi-point locking system as standard. This offers more security than the traditional patio door which locks in just one place. The Alulock, features a six-point locking system which offers maximum safety and an effortless operation.
You may be wondering whether a bifolding door will affect the privacy of your home. However, with the addition of integral blinds you can control the level of privacy at home by adjusting each blind accordingly. The blinds are contained within each glass unit, with controls to easily adjust light levels as you desire. And the best part? They will never need cleaning!
Bifolding doors still remain as popular as ever. They’re a great option for helping homeowners to create a high-end look at an affordable price. If you’re uncertain if bifold doors are the best choice for you, continue reading to explore aluminium sliding doors.
Aluminium sliding patio doors are made up of panes of glass which slide to the side and sit behind one another. Thanks to recent developments in product design, aluminium sliding doors are now quickly becoming the ultimate choice for homeowners.
Modern aluminium sliding doors are able to accommodate large expanses of glass, without occupying inner space. Wheras bifolding doors require space inside or outside the home to fold back the door. This means sliding doors tend to be the preferred choice for large opening, allowing for more space.
Aluminium sliding doors deliver super-slim sightlines but are also very sturdy. The slim aluminium framing is able to hold large glass units without visible framework obstructing the view. This provides your home with a sleek, high-end look, with more light and uninterrupted views to outside space.
Similar to bifolding doors but with slimmer sightlines, sliding doors essentially provide you with a wall of glass between the inside and outside of your home. Their gliding opening mechanism means they easily opened up for a seamless connection to the outdoor space.
Sliding doors are simple and easy to operate. Unlike bifolding doors which fold back, concertina style, sliding door panels simply move to the side, sitting behind one another.
At UK Doors, we offer both Lift and Slide and Sliding Patio Doors for simple, effortless operation. Our Lift and Slide Patio Doors are able to hold larger and heavier panes of glass. Perfect in applications where homeowners are looking to accommodate large expanses of glass.
Likewise with bifold doors, our sliding door range is also available with integral blinds. These are easy to operate and are contained within the glass panels for no maintenance required.
Aluminium sliding doors maximize the amount of natural light entering your home. This is great for small rooms which can appear larger when lighting up shady corners.
Manufactured from high-quality, durable aluminium, sliding patio doors are designed to be corrosion resistant, for a long-lasting product. Combined with special polyamide and foam-filled thermal break technology, our aluminium sliding doors are guaranteed to be much stronger than uPVC alternatives.
Here at UK Doors, we supply a variety of bifolds and sliders in different styles and configurations.
The bifold door system allows for up to 7 leaves folding each way, that’s 14 in total! Our bifolding doors can open from the left or right, towards the inside or outside of the property. This means you can customise the doors to suit the unique needs of your property. The bifold door system aims to minimize visible framework and maximize the glazed area, with sightlines of just 107mm from frame to sash.
Alternatively, if you think that an aluminium sliding door is best suited to your needs, we supply the ultra-modern Sliding Door System by Europa Aluminium Systems. Perfect for large opening sizes of up to 2.5m x 2.7m per sash, the patio system has both double and triple track options. The doors can be standard inline sliding, or with the option of Lift & Slide. With a super slim interlock of just 25mm, large-scale installations are possible with maximum vision.
Whichever door is best for you, here at UK Doors Online, you can find all the custom options to suit you. We can even add cat flaps into our glass doors!
If you are still unsure about which door is best for your home, we’re here to help! Get in touch with us on 01924 929 600 or at info@ukdoorsonline.co.uk for more information on how a bifolding or sliding door can benefit your property.
Garden rooms have become one of the most popular ways to add extra living space without the disruption of...
When choosing new windows, there are several factors to consider. Style, material, colour and security all play a part,...
