Thin framed bifold doors for your home
Bifold doors come in a range of configurations and sizes, and it’s possible to span gaps of practically any size. The frames themselves can be made from uPVC, timber or aluminium, with aluminium offering superb strength and uPVC being ideal for budget-conscious homeowners in London.
The material you choose will affect the thickness of the frame, and the overall appearance of the doors. Just how thin can you go? And how can you get the best view possible?
Materials and Widths
If you want a sleek, slim bifold door frame, you need to go with aluminium. This strong, light material can hold huge panes of glass with surprisingly small edges. Aluminium frames come powder coated, with more than 200 RAL colours to choose from, although the most affordable aluminium bifolds come from a smaller subset of colour coatings.
Another popular option is uPVC. Some manufacturers don’t offer uPVC bifolds, as they consider the larger frames to look inferior. However, the uPVC bifold does offer an attractive price point if you need your money to go further. uPVC frames may be wider, but they match existing doors, windows and conservatories effortlessly, and present a more uniform look from the outside of the property.
Customisation
There are other factors affecting the view through your bifolds, and if the frame width is important to you, you must consider everything in turn.
One factor some buyers forget is the width of each pane of glass. There is a maximum height and width per pane in every set of bifolds; typically, a top price aluminium pane could go up to 300cm high and 100cm wide, with more affordable panes being slightly shorter. So, depending on the width of the opening, you may be able to increase the pane width, and therefore decrease the number of panes in the set.
If you’re going to change the arrangement of the panes specifically to decrease the number of panes, bear in mind:
- The space needed to stack; the larger the frame, the more it will protrude in or out
- Whether you need a traffic door for quick access to the garden; if you do, you’ll need an odd number of panes so the doors split at the correct place
- Whether the traffic door will be wide enough for you to comfortably walk through. You should consider the things you might be carrying, and whether you’ll need to get a pushchair through
Another consideration is privacy. With such big panes of glass, it’s difficult to prevent prying eyes from looking in. You can have blinds fitted to the panes, but only you can decide whether you want to spend that extra money. While curtains are not impossible to fit, an inside stack may make curtains awkward and could restrict your view.
Advice and More
Buying bifold doors sounds complicated, but expert advice makes it much easier to decide on the best layout and features. If you’re not sure about bifold door design, get in touch today. We’ll help you to balance your budget between thin frames and affordable doors.
