What are Bifold Doors, and when should you use them?
Also known as folding sliding doors or room dividers, bifold doors are designed to fold in or out to create an opening. They are a brilliant, more convenient, and practical alternative to traditional hinged French doors or sliding doors. They allow increased natural light and fresh air and seamlessly blend interior and exterior spaces, which adds value to your home.
How Bifold Doors Work
Bifold doors are folding doors of multiple leaves that fold back on themselves, similar to a concertina. The folding action of the door can open up an entire opening. The doors are fitted to runners. When opened, they slide and fold in a seamless operation. Unlike standard hinged doors or French doors, they require less space to swing open. This design also provides a wider entrance than traditional sliding doors. These folding sliding doors can have a traffic door configuration for quicker and easier access through the entranceway. Sitting on a normal hinge and with a standard lever handle, a traffic door is essentially a conventional one built into the bifold system. It is helpful for busy entranceways you use frequently. With a traffic door, you do not need to fold and slide open every leaf in the bifold.
Top-Hung vs. Bottom Rolling Bifold Doors
Top-hung or top-track bifold doors hang from the top track, using the bottom track as a guide. In this design, the lintel must be strong enough to bear both the weight of the collapsing doors and that of the roof or wall above them. Bottom-rolling or bottom-track bifold doors run along a bottom track. Most of the door’s weight is concentrated at the bottom of the door. It offers more design space; there is no need for an intense upper beam to support the entire weight. They utilise sophisticated yet straightforward technology where the bottom of the door carries most of the weight and very little weight on the supporting beam, making the folding doors more flexible and reliable.
Uses for Bifold Doors
Incorporating folding doors into your home is a great idea, whether for exterior or indoor spaces. They let you enjoy a wonderful and flexible open-plan living space.
1. As Exterior Doors
The collapsing doors concept in bifold doors is capable of superior moisture block and seal properties; it can effectively keep cool or warm air. The folding doors can positively affect the value of your home. They can be used as a pathway to a patio, garden, porch, deck, or pool, providing a fresh, airy feeling inside and easy outdoor access. Installing collapsing doors is a great way to blend the outdoors and the home. Folding sliding doors come in various frames, materials, widths, and colours. Depending on your desired opening, you can have as few as two panels or many more for your doors.
2. As Interior Doors
You can use these collapsing doors to separate two rooms: a kitchen and a living room. You can quickly open them up when you need to. With glass folding doors, you can create a nearly soundproof barrier and control the noise between rooms. You can also go for solid, non-transparent bifold doors to create separation and slide them to create an opening. Closet and laundry rooms are great places to put folding sliding doors to good use. In a residential or commercial setting, bifold doors can provide an efficient closure over large or even small areas. Collapsing doors can benefit modern commercial properties that need flexible meeting or event spaces.
Benefits of Bifold Doors
Bifold doors provide several benefits besides aesthetics and style. Here are some reasons to consider having one (or more) installed in your house.
1. Space-saving functionality
Installed to fold back to one or both sides, folding sliding doors make it possible to create a door configuration for a vast range of entranceways. Compared to swinging doors, they only take up half as much floor space.
2. An open-plan feel
The concertina opening style creates an impressive open-plan feel. The doors do not impede the living space or exterior space around them when opened.
3. Flexibility
They can be designed to open inwards or outwards, whichever best suits the space in which they will sit.
4. Thermal efficiency
With a U-value of at least 1.8W/m2 for the glass and framework combined, your bifold doors can have the thermal efficiency your home needs.
5. Secure
A multi-point locking system that is standard in external bifold doors will make them more secure than a standard door.
6. Very low maintenance
Bifold doors typically require only annual maintenance, such as cleaning tracks and hinges to prevent dust buildup and ensure smooth operation. Regular cleaning to remove dust and debris will prevent their build-up and wind and water leaks, especially in winter.
Bifold Doors Installation Considerations
Installation of bifold doors is highly important because it will ensure the efficiency and extended service life of the doors. During planning of this installation, one must focus on the dimensions of the door frame and clearance needed for smooth operation. Make sure the building construction or the space will be able to handle the weight of the bifold doors, if they are heavy-duty types. It is highly advisable that professional installation takes place in order to ensure alignment and avoid such common pitfalls as misalignment or incorrect sealing. The costs and establishment timelines are dependent on the material used on the doors, their make-up, and complexity of installation, and therefore planning appropriately and having experts working on the same is vital for desirable results.
Common Problems with Bifold Doors and Ways of Solving Them
Like any other door system, the bifold doors may experience some of the common problems as time goes by such as misalignment, sticking or problem in closing and opening. One of the common cases is when the door panels become misaligned because of worn out hinges or track. This is typically due to a problem of alignment for the panels or the tracks do not require any lubrication. It is only possible for sticking to happen if some parts of the door are warped or if the rollers need servicing. Basic DIY repairs are track cleaning and applying silicone-based lubricant to guarantee smooth operations. But if the problems keep on, then it’s better to seek the advice of a pro to avoid additional harm and performance for a longer time period.
You can get quality, highly functional bifold doors professionally installed in your home or office by Window & Door Project Solutions. Whether you need new doors for your home or require replacement door installation, trust only the leading doors Kelowna company!
