Everything you need to know about ‘The Bi-Fold Door‘ in one place? That’s a big ask! We’ve pulled together the best content from the most common questions we get asked and have pulled it all together here for you.
Function and Drama: What The Bi-Fold Door Was Made For
Do you have a spectacular view of the city, a lovely garden or patio or even an outdoor landscape? Do you get the feeling that your existing doorways to these areas are simply not conveying the true impact of the view? Transform the look and feel of your home and incorporate aluminium bifold doors.
Sydney and other local area residents like yourself have nice yards, outdoor living spaces and more but these areas are not being enjoyed to their fullest potential. Step outside of your comfort zone and consider bi-fold doors. They provide one of the best ways that you can enjoy both outdoor and indoor living.
Basic Design
Bi-fold doors are one of the best ways to allow a homeowner to maximise a large width doorway. These special doors can be configured to integrate multiple door panels, typically two to eight, depending on the width of your doorway. Depending on the configuration they either stack to one or both sides.
4 Ways to use a Bi-fold Door
Bi-fold Doors, sometimes known as Bi-folding Doors, are one of the most popular options that we provide. Bi-fold doors are made up of numerous panels that can be stacked concertina style to one side of an opening. They are incredibly popular for their ability to cover very large openings when closed while transferring the room/s when they’re opened. Below we’ll take a look at some of the great ways to use Bi-fold Doors.
Connecting living rooms & outdoor entertaining areas
Open plan living is an enviable feature of modern homes, and with their ability to be installed in very wide openings, a bi-fold door allows you to interconnect your living room with an outdoor entertaining area by essentially easily removing an entire wall between the two spaces. This allows you to, in many cases, have your kitchen, living, dining, and outdoor areas all linked and open, offering a sensational aesthetic to your home. Even when they’re closed, they offer a terrific amount of light and a near unobstructed view.
This would be one of the most common ways to use a Bi-Fold Door.
Dividing a living & dining area
In many homes, there are living and dining sections that next to each other but divided by a wall, or not divided at all. Sometimes, an open plan isn’t always the best option, as you may wish to improve privacy or entertain two different groups at once. Installing bi-fold doors internally as a divided wall is a great way to make one large room into 2 without making the rooms seem boxed in or small. The glass panels keep noise transference to a minimum but allow visibility into the adjoining room. This is great for families with small children for example, as you can have a dinner party in one room, with the kid’s table in the connecting room, where you have total visibility but can also enjoy some peace & quiet. Another example is if you work from home, where you could segment off a section of the living area during business hours, but then open it back up the rest of the time.
Turning a dining room into an outdoor entertaining area
Above we talked about connecting two rooms, but by installing multiple bi-fold doors, you can turn your dining room into an outdoor entertaining area, simply by removing the walls around it. Depending on the layout of your home, you could install 2 or 3 bi-fold doors to make up the walls of the dining area, then when the weather’s beautiful, you can easily remove all the walls and dine alfresco!
Make the most of a beautiful bedroom view
If you’re lucky to have a bedroom that gazes upon the abundance of natural beauty Australia is blessed with, then why not take full advantage of it. This is one of the most beautiful ways to use Bi-fold doors. When it’s perfect weather, you can remove an entire wall to make the most of the sunshine and cool sea breeze, and even when it’s not the best conditions outside, you’ll have an unobstructed view of the reason you’re still in your PJ’s watching Netflix in bed.
Choosing the Right Bi-Fold Door Material / Construction for Your Home
Choosing the right bi-fold door for your renovation project can be both exciting and overwhelming. You’ve got a grand vision for your new space and a lot of questions about products, materials and styles. Although your contractor may make suggestions as to which material or brand to use, ultimately the final decision is up to you.
Bi-fold doors come in a range of sizes, glass types, colours and materials such as PVC, timber and aluminium. One of the most important factors to consider when selecting the right bi-fold doors is which material to use for your project. Your contractor will most likely present you with a number of options, so it is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of each before making a decision.
When making your selection, you should note that not all of these materials are created equal. In fact, each of these materials has different properties which help to determine their price point. Although it may be tempting to select the most inexpensive option initially, purchasing a high-quality aluminium bi-fold door is well worth the initial investment. To find out why we think they’re the right bi-fold door choice, let’s take a look at each material up close.
PVC Bi-fold Doors
If price is your main determining factor, PVC may seem like the most economical option upfront. However, cheaper is not always better in the long run. Especially when selecting a bi-fold door for a property that must withstand changes in weather and provide a sense of safety and security for your family.
PVC or vinyl, as many people know it, is a relatively new material and was developed as an inexpensive alternative to timber and aluminium bi-fold doors.
Many homeowners choose this material because of its low cost, wide range of colour choices and ease of maintenance. However, what most homeowners are not aware of is that the most apparent benefits of PVC come at a very steep price.
Cons of PVC Bi-fold Doors
Although PVC may seem like a great value compared to an aluminium bi-fold door, it may not be the best option if you are looking for a product suitable for long term use. PVC is a petroleum-based product that may be toxic to your health and the environment. As such materials are known to give off higher amounts of VOC’s, also known as volatile organic compounds. These same compounds are found in the plastic water bottles that we have been told not to drink out of due to their toxicity.
Another factor that you may want to consider when making your decision is how the material holds up in the event of a fire or other emergency. You may not be aware of this, but PVC is known to give off extremely toxic fumes when burning and can cause even more damage to a person attempting to exit a building during a fire.
While PVC is a beautiful product that holds up well to the elements, is easy to maintain and cost-effective, it may be worth it to invest in higher quality material. One that is safer for your home or work environment such as timber or aluminium bi-fold doors.
Timber Bi-fold Doors
Timber is one of the oldest building materials known to man. It is all natural, non-toxic and a high quality, timber door can last literally hundreds of years. Many timber products come from FSC certified forests which means that they are harvested from forests that are responsibly managed and farmed. Wood that comes from an FSC certified forest is replaced with new growth for future use.
Although more expensive than PVC, selecting timber for your bi-fold doors can greatly elevate the look of your project. it may also help to create an ambiance that is warm, welcoming and even rustic. While timber is a better option than PVC, it may not be the best overall solution for you.
Cons of Timber Bi-fold Doors
Unfortunately, only about 8% of all timber products for windows and doors come from FSC certified forests. Because doors require wood that can withstand the elements and last longer, a good portion of this wood comes from mature growth forests. It can take many years to replace a hardwood forest that has been clear cut and mature growth can take up to seventy years or more to replace.
Aside from the environmental impact, timber is also harder to maintain than aluminium and may not be the right bi-fold door if they will be exposed to outside elements. Timber requires periodic painting or staining in order to maintain its appearance.
Fluctuations in temperature and rain can warp and damage the wood. In fact, many companies who do offer wood bi-fold doors will often suggest using aluminium cladding on the exterior to help extend the life of the product.
Aluminium Bi-fold Doors
Aluminum is becoming the material of choice for many bi-fold door installers because it is both practical and extremely versatile. The benefits of selecting aluminium bi-fold doors for your next project are numerous.
Aluminium has been shown to withstand years of use because it is strong and won’t warp, bend or stretch like PVC or wood. And like PVC, aluminium bi-fold doors also come in a wide range of colours. The difference? Aluminium bi-fold doors won’t fade with fluctuations in weather or exposure to sunlight.
Aluminium is also ideal for installing in larger entrances because the strength of the frame can support a larger sheet of glass. Areas that are prone to heavy traffic will also benefit as aluminium bi-fold doors come in finishes that won’t scratch or dent making them perfect for installation in both homes and businesses
Not only are aluminium bi-fold doors able to support larger panels, but they also come in a variety of sizes. For a more elevated look in your home or business, choose the smaller 45 mm frames. These create slimmer more delicate lines and provide for a smaller stacking space that elevates the quality of your design.
Can you (fly) screen a Bi-Fold Door?
Without a doubt, the second question after ‘does BetaView supply and install Bi-fold doors?’ is ‘Can you screen a Bi-Fold Door?’.
The Answer is Simple: YES!
Yes you can (fly) screen a Bi-Fold Door
This is an excellent example of how our ‘out of the box’ solutions make the impossible possible. This sliding screen uses magnets to create a perfect seal for when the flying insects are out in force. Whether in use or not, you’d scarcely know it was there at all. Here at BetaView, we pride ourselves on providing solutions that best meet your needs. But don’t take our word for it, check our reviews to see what our clients have to say about us
How much to bi-fold doors cost
The Most Common Question – How much do bi-fold doors cost?
Clearly, we all know that it’s a premium product and more expensive than a basic sliding door. But everyone’s burning question is how much do bi-fold doors cost and can I afford it?
The example that Dave uses in his Video is a 2,400mm wide opening. If we were to quote the supply and installation of our most economic product to fill that void, it would be a Sliding Door. If we were to quote the supply and install of a Bi-fold door to go in that same void, we’d roughly be quoting around an additional 100%. Depending on your preconceptions you’re either surprised by how reasonable that is or horrified by the variance.
Let us weigh up your options:
Pros:
- It will absolutely create a massive feature in your home.
- You will be able to make better use of your space.
- It will absolutely add value to your home.
- Personally – this is my biggest factor – You will live with the outcome of this decision for decades to come. A few additional thousand in costs here would be repaid massively over that time.
Cons:
- It will cost you more money!
It’s a fairly simple decision – providing the Bi-fold is infect the best choice. As Dave states, there are also available:
- Stacker Doors
- French Doors
Betaview – We’re here to help
If you have more questions than just ‘can you screen a Bi-Fold Door’ or indeed this whole article, make sure you Contact Us to book your free consultation. These free consultations can be at our Brookvale showroom or at your home. Our suggestion is to treat the consultation process as 2 separate steps, firstly in our showroom and finally in your home.
By coming to the showroom you’ll be able to see full sized examples of what possible types, size, style, colours and glass you have available to you. With the help of our specialist staff making the right choice is a breeze. With that out of the way, we can come to your home, measure up and supply you with a full and final quotation on the spot!
Don’t forget that ALL BetaView products are manufactured right here in Sydney, are made to a quality specification (NOT price) and all carry our 10 year parts + labor warranty. To understand more about our products, be sure to view the rest of our website.
Not sure about Bi-Fold Doors in General: Here is a great article we found in the UK that brilliantly sums up the advantages.
