Folding doors gives you more space in your house or workplace. They offer wide and open access to the outdoors. You can replace a whole wall with a folding door and can create a modern aesthetic look for your space.
The folding door’s installation is made up of hinged door leaves and they open and close with the help of a track.
Folding doors offer you an uninterrupted view of outside comparatively closed doors. Nowadays, these are at the top of so many homeowners’ wish lists. Because it’s giving many numerous benefits to your space.
Folding doors can be a stylish part of the home. You can increase the diversity of your space and easily transform rooms into more spaces with the help of these doors. This is a practical and modern approach for your home if you want some stylish and different options to the traditional doors.
These kinds of doors are also known as bi-fold doors. This is not a new concept, Roman and Greek empires used to have these kinds of doors in their entrances. But at that time glass was not available hence, they constructed with wood or concrete.
Bi-fold doors can be fit anywhere. Its space-saving feature allows you to incorporate them anywhere.
These doors are available in various materials, sizes, and styles also. Hence, it could be difficult to choose the right one for your space. In this post, we will explain a detailed guide on bi-fold doors and their pros and cons with you.
Then you can go for them without any worry. For that stay with us and keep reading the further article to know everything about these doors.
Table of Contents
How do folding doors work?
Folding doors made up of multiple panels or leaves. They open by sliding and folding against each other. Bi-fold doors usually surrounded by 2,4, or may more panels. The panel moves with the aid of rollers, and you can pull them back to one side with the help of a handle or knob.
In brief, they have panels which the user can fold or unfold to open or close doors. You can also use them for room separation to the living room entrance. They are also suitable for separating any 2 spaces.
You can extend them according to your desired width. These doors provide you with more visibility and accessibility. That’s why they are more popular nowadays.
Now, I will tell you about the materials of folding doors, usually, there are 3 kinds of bi-fold doors. And they are;
3 Kinds of Bi-fold Doors
Aluminum
Aluminum folding doors are more popular because of their strength and durability. Aluminum doors used mainly in the large open areas to appear like a virtual wall. It’s made up of multiple frames which have fixed or moving frames.
Aluminum bi-fold doors are good for security points also because these doors are heavy-duty and also have multi-locking points. They are easy to operate, create vast open space, and low maintenance too. It also comes in a variety of colors.
These are ideal for villas, balconies, and large open spaces. But they are quite expensive too.
UPVC (Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride)
UPVC is a cheaper option comparatively aluminum. But UPVC folding doors lose their good looks early. Longevity and bending problems are also you can face with this material. UPVC bi-fold doors could gain a yellow discoloration after some time.
So, you may have to spend more money on the maintenance of UPVC doors.
Wood
Wooden folding doors give you a great natural look and look beautiful. Some manufacturers use a plank of engineered wood for these kinds of doors to give binding layers of wood. An engineered wood lives longer than natural wood, that’s why they use it.
But its internal moisture will lead bi-fold doors towards the bending. In the maintenance, we will keep the wooden bi- doors between aluminum and UPVC. Means wooden folding doors need less maintenance than the UPVC but more than aluminum.
So, these were the materials information for folding doors. You can do a comparison now and can choose according to your taste and requirements.
Now we will discuss fold the pros and cons of bi-fold doors. Keep reading.
Pros of Folding Doors
1. Lightweight and Easy to Install
If you choose especially aluminum bi-fold doors, they are exceptionally lightweight and easy to Install. Aluminum folding doors come with a slim profile. That’s why they create an elegant look for your place.
If you want to add some new addition to your home, you can replace the entire wall of your home with these doors. You can install a couple of doors in a small opening or any number of doors according to the width of the wall.
Because of its lightweight, you can easily move back and forth between these doors.
2. Energy Efficiency
Bi-fold doors are energy efficient too. Because they will provide a tight seal between the exterior and interior when they closed. And if they have excellent energy ratings then they can keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winters.
But to make them energy efficient, you have to choose a bi-fold glass door manufacturer who can give you a guarantee of this. Energy-efficient folding doors can increase the value of your home also. Because this is a highly demanded feature nowadays among homebuyers.
3. Easy to Maintain
Bi-fold doors are easy to maintain also. To keep them in good condition just clean them with a soft cloth. Just wipe down them every day with the cleaning fluid as you clean your windows.
When you find any dust between the frames just take a brush and clean them. Or you can use your vacuum cleaner to remove the dust.
4. These are versatile
Folding doors are available in many styles, configurations, and designs. They look beautiful in every space. Bi-fold doors can enhance the beauty of your home. You know, they are belonging as the most versatile type of door.
They can be used in residential or commercial properties. You can use them for interior use as shower doors, cupboard doors, windows, and bedroom doors.
And for exterior uses, you can use them as garden doors, conservatory doors, and entrance doors.
5. Folding Doors Looks Stylish Too
Bi-fold doors are now becoming more stylish and make your home more flexible. You can choose these kinds of doors from rustic unfinished wood to modern shaker panels. Or in industrial glass and metal, this kind of door for almost every style and requirement.
You can paint them in any color to match them with your walls for a trendy look.
6. Bi-fold doors are highly secure
You can include multiple locking points in the structure of folding doors. This feature makes them, the most secure patio doors. Multiple locking systems and an in-line tracking system make bi-fold doors highly secure.
Cons of Folding Doors
The advantages of these kinds of doors are many but there are some drawbacks to these. Let’s have a look at the cons of bi-fold doors.
1. Cost
These doors are a little costly than the other doors. The reason behind this is that they require some additional manufacturing. It all depends on the material you choose for the bi-fold doors.
Aluminum is best for these doors but they are expensive because its durability has a much longer life. And installation of bi-fold doors is not easy work. It includes a lot of frames and glasses that’s why they are expensive.
2. Obstructed View
These doors have many frames which makes them slightly obstructed. You can’t see the clear view if doors are closed.
3. No Threshold
A threshold problem can occur if the doors would install incorrectly. Water can sweep indoors. But it can be avoided if you create a good drainage system or create a slope for drainage of water.
The threshold can be an issue if it is not installed properly.
4. Security
As this type of door contains lots of glass, so anybody easily can smash on them. And then the burglar can easily get access to get in from the smashed doors.
But this is a hard task. Because smashing a glass door tends to risk injury. And create an attention-grabbing racket because of the noise of breaking the glass. So, don’t worry this is just a misconception.
5. Stacked Doors
Bi-fold doors interfold with each other and they stack up inside. Because of this feature folding doors consumes a lot of space. Especially if you have huge access from your homes inside the area and the outside area.
As such there are not many cons of these type of doors. They look beautiful and elegant.
[Read Tips on How to Take Care of Doors]
Conclusion
These kinds of doors can be used as a closet door, cupboard door, shower door, window, bedroom door, and wherever you want. You can also interconnect multiple external areas with the help of a folding door. Bi-fold doors will create a great impression on your guest and they will enhance the beauty of your space too. So, what are you waiting for? Don’t overthink about the folding doors, that will not disappoint you at all!!
Happy Living!