Can You Have Bifold Doors In a Commercial Building?

Bifold doors for commercial premises
If you own a commercial premises, or even rent a retail unit in a shop, you might be wondering if you can improve it with bifolds. Many of our domestic customers have already realised the benefit of bifold doors, but they’re a little less common in commercial premises and we tend to talk about them less on our site.
The short answer is yes – bifolds can be used in a commercial building. They offer no security concerns, and can actually add considerably versatility to the space.

Access and safety

Bifold doors are a great benefit to any building that serves the public. That’s primarily because of the vast open space they offer, compared with an ordinary door. If your customers are visiting in wheelchairs, or with pushchairs, a bifold door offers a much more spacious access point.
Another benefit of bifold doors is the low or flush threshold we can achieve, meaning there’s less chance of a trip hazard. Note that flush openings aren’t recommended if the doors will be subject to harsh weather conditions, but we can often fit them in sheltered, south-facing areas.
Our bifolds are fitted with all the features you need to keep your staff and customers safe, including child-safe hinges and safety glass.

Space-saving design

When you choose bifold doors for a commercial premises, we highly recommend aluminium frames. These frames offer a number of notable benefits when compared with uPVC and timber:

• They are affordable, with a price that falls roughly in the middle of the range
• The frames are very thin, giving you more glass and less obstruction which results in a better view inside and out
• They fold back very neatly, so you don’t need to be concerned about stacked bifolds taking up space.

We can fit bifolds in very wide openings, such as the walls around hotel pools. However, bifolds are equally suited to small openings that were previously used for French windows. Either way, they offer you a very versatile, space saving solution without the hazard of open doors in your space.

Typical installations

We’ve already touched on a few good commercial uses of bifold doors, including front entry points to busy areas, and hotel pool areas where customers benefit from the natural light.
Another common use of bifold doors is in cafes, where owners want a degree of versatility. In the winter months, the bifolds let in plenty of light when closed. In the summer, they can be thrown open to join the inside and outside seating areas.

Getting a quote

There are dozens of potential uses for bifolds in a commercial setting, and we’ve only touched on a few of them here. If you’re interested in upgrading your old doors to bifolds, get in touch with our team for a quote. We can also support you during a renovation project if you want to open a wall and turn it into an access point. What’s more, we’ll make it happen with the minimum of disruption, so you can get on with running your business.