Conservatory Bi-Folding Doors

Conservatories and sunrooms have traditionally been constructed using either French doors or
sliding patio doors to provide an attractive access door that can remain open during warm
summer days allowing you to enjoy your garden from the comfort of your
conservatory. However, thanks to their continued exposure on TV home make-over programs the
growing popularity of bi-folding doors means that many home owners are now specifying these
superb sliding folding doors in their conservatory.

Also known as bi-fold or concertina doors the individual door panels are designed to effortlessly
slide along a track whilst folding and stacking to the inside or outside of the aperture. This
innovative door design provides up to a 90% clear unobstructed opening when the door is fully
open adding the 'WOW' factor to any home by allowing the conservatory living space to
seamlessly merge with the garden and bring the outside inside.

Conservatory bi-fold doors can be supplied up to 5 meters wide in many different styles to suit
your requirements with some designs also providing a traffic door that allows normal single door
access without having to fully open the complete door something that is especially useful in the
colder months of the year.

When specifying bi-fold doors for conservatories it is important that the roof eaves beam is
upgraded to a heavy duty specification or alternatively steel support beams are provided to
ensure that adequate structural support for the roof is provided. The door can be positioned in the
front or side walls of the conservatory which allows wide unobstructed access to the garden and
patio during the summer months whilst still providing an effective barrier against the weather
during the winter.

INTERNAL DOOR OPTION

Bi-folding doors are also often used to separate the conservatory from the house and when
installed in this position they provide the opportunity to merge the conservatory with the main
living space when required whilst still allowing the option to separate both living areas for
security purposes or during colder weather. Internal folding doors are usually manufactured with
a low threshold which can optionally be sunk into the floor to provide flush floor levels
throughout.

CHOICE OF MATERIALS

Bi-folding doors are available in a choice of different materials and finishes to suit your specific
requirements and budget.

TIMBER

Hardwood and softwood bi-folding doors are usually available factory finished with a translucent
stain or paint finish. As timber is a natural insulator it offers the most energy efficient solution
and can provide an exceptionally low 1.4 U-value when glazed with high performance argon gas
filled low e double glazed sealed units. Modern timber folding doors are normally constructed
using engineered timber to prevent any twisting or warping of the profiles. This process involves
splicing the lengths of timber into several pieces and laminating them back together under high
pressure with the timber grains running against each other. This prevents movement in the timber
and ensures the structural stability of the door.

ALUMINUM

Thermally broken aluminum folding doors are a very popular choice as they combine strength
and durability with slim sightlines. Constructed from purpose designed profiles aluminum
folding doors are virtually maintenance free and are available in many different paint finishes
with an option of dual color allowing different colors to be specified on the inside and
outside. Aluminum bi-folding doors are often used for commercial applications such as
restaurants and shops due to the durability of the product in service and the ability to open up
wide entrances.

uPVC

uPVC bi-folding doors are a relative newcomer to the home improvement market and although
they can offer substantial cost savings over timber or aluminum folding doors there can also be
significant differences in the designs available due to manufacturing constraints and gearing
availability. Most of the uPVC bi-folding doors currently available are manufactured from wide
and bulky profiles that reduce the visible glass area and use steel reinforcing fitted inside the
profiles that can make the doors heavier and harder to open. However the next generation uPVC
bi-folding doors currently being designed by some manufacturers will overcome these issues by
utilizing slimmer profiles that are reinforced with an innovative lighter recycled composite
material making the doors more reliable in use, easier to operate and much more thermally
efficient.

Whatever your choice of material a bi-folding door will complement any conservatory or home
offering much wider unobstructed openings than conventional French or patio doors and provide
a modern seamless link between your permanent living space and your garden or conservatory.