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Bifold Doors Cost

Bifold Doors Cost

What are Bifold doors and how much do Bifold doors cost in 2023?

Bifold doors are quickly becoming the “must have” home improvement when it comes to opening up a home to panoramic views of the garden.

Adding a set of bifold doors to the back of the property is something that will seriously improve any home that doesn’t already have them. The extra natural light they bring into the home and ease of access to the outside combined with great views of the garden can give your home a whole new feel.

Bifold doors for a patio sit right at the “top of the pack” when it comes to visual impact, ease of use and making a home more desirable.

But how much do bifold doors cost?

Quick Start Bifold Door Cost 2020 Price guide (more detail below).

For a 2 or 3 panel set of doors approximately 1800 mm wide by 2000mm high (supply only).

  • UPVC bifold doors prices can start at around £1,180
  • Aluminium bifold door costs from £1,500
  • Engineered timber with White Oak veneer bifolds can start at around £1,400

Compared to French doors the prices are slightly higher but, in terms of the range of sizes and visual impact, we think bifold doors are a much better choice.
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What you will find in this article

So, for those homeowners who are new to this type of door design (or for those who want to know a bit more) here is a summary of the information you can find in this article.

  1. What are bifold doors & how do they work?
  2. Bifold door 2020 price guide.
  3. UPVC, Aluminium & Timber Bifold door features.

 

1What are bifold doors & how do they work?

The “signature” feature of a bifold door is the way it opens to the sides and leaves almost a 100% clear exit or entryway. Once slid to the sides, the doors fold or stack neatly out of the way allowing total freedom of access with nothing to block the view.

The way the panels move, is to fold into each other in a zig-zag concertina manner, with the hinges allowing each door to fold into the next.

The doors can be fitted to move to left or right – or left & right. They can also be “Stacked” inside or outside the frame.

Bifold Doors Stacked ExternallyBifold Doors Open & Stacked to The Outside

2Bifold Doors 2023 Price Guide

There are quite a few things to take into consideration when looking at average bifold doors prices.

Factors such as the material you choose for the frames is going to impact upon prices, as are the type of glazing, the amount of labour and even where you live can have some effect.

However, just to give you some idea, here are a range of examples of the kind of bifold door costs you can expect to find in 2023.

UPVC Bifold Doors Price Guide

UPVC bifold doors come in a range of colours (up to around 12 or so) with options for wood-grain effect finished surfaces for the frames,

Featuring multi-point locks and double glazed toughened glass as standard where glazing reaches floor level.

Aluminium Bifold Door Price Guide

Aluminium bifold doors can be power coat painted into around 150+ different colours including wood-grain effect surfaces.

Timber Bifold Door Price Guide

This type of bifold door has a core made from engineered wood and has hardwood surface veneers. With a wide range of colour options and toughened safety glass as standard.

Request Quotes to Compare PricesCompare Bifold Doors Cost Prices with written quotes from UK certified Installers – All works Guaranteed

How much does it cost to install bifold doors?

Most bifold doors cost prices shown online are for supply only. In other words, the installation costs of the doors are not always included so you should take this into account.

However, the cost of installing bifold doors up to around 3.0 metres wide should be in the region of £550 to £650. For larger installations of 4.5 metres to 5.0 metres it may cost up to £900.

  • We recommend that the installation is done by a FENSA or CERTASS accredited professional.

Bifold door prices online generally assume that the new installation is being fitted into a ready-made opening. If this is not the case for you, then you need to budget for all the potential construction work that may be required.

There are a couple of other things to bear in mind if you are creating a new opening or enlarging an existing one.

Permitted development rights may cover you on this, but it is going to be prudent to confirm this with your contractor or Local Planning Department before knocking a hole in the wall!

If you live in a listed building, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or have any restrictions on your permitted development rights, then you will need permission from your local authority beforehand.

UPVC, Aluminium & Timber Bifold door features.

A set of bifolding doors will typically consist of anything from 2 to 7 side by side door panels (panes) joined together by vertical hinges.

To open them, once the locks are disengaged, you simply slide them to the sides of the opening – either to the left, right or even both. The panels themselves can be configured to stack inside or outside relative to the main frame.

Bifold door rollersThe doors are mounted into overhead and underfoot tracks via rollers. The weight of the panels can be taken either by the overhead or underfoot track and are referred to as either “top hung” or “bottom hung” doors.

Top hung doors offer the advantage of allowing the bottom tracks to be set lower threshold, or you could opt for flush fitting door thresholds.

Also, taking the weight of the doors on the overhead track has the effect of making the doors easier to move. Top tracks don’t fill up with dirt like floor level tracks and so keep running smoothly.

However, you do have to ensure that the overhead door structure is strong enough to take the weight beforehand. Poor fixing points could cause the door track to work loose.

Flush fitting bottom guide tracks make for super easy access for elderly, infirm or disabled persons – and there is nothing for the kids to trip over!

Opening, Closing & Quick Access Options

With a 2 panel set, you simply have the choice to open left or right and in or out stacking, but with more panels come more options.

With 3 or more panels you choose the “Lead Door”, in other words, the one that opens first. But you can also decide if you want all the doors to go in one direction or some to the left and others to the right.

For example:

  • 2 panel: Either left or right opening
  • 3 panel: All 3 folding right or left. 2 right & 1 left. 2 left & 1 right.
  • 4 panel: All 4 right or left. 2 fold right or left. 1 lead door with 3 fold left or right.
  • 5 panel: All 5 right or left. 2 or 3 fold right or left. 1 lead door with 4 fold left or right.
  • 6 panel: All 6 right or left. 5 fold left or right with 1 “lead” door. 3 fold left & 3 fold right.

Bifold Door ConfigurationsAs you can see, you have the flexibility to adapt the way the doors operate to meet your preferences.

One of the panels can also be set up to be used as what is known as the “Traffic Door”. The traffic door is one panel fitted to open like a regular door. The advantage of this is that if you just want to pop in and out, you don’t have to move all the doors to do so.

TOP TIP: An outward opening / stacking door does not drip water all over the interior floor when you open them after it’s been raining!

Aluminium, Timber & UPVC Bifold Doors have quite a few features in common.

These main features are designed to make the doors more attractive, functional, and secure. Not only making your home look great but also giving you peace of mind.

  • Slimline frame options
  • Low-level or flush fitted threshold tracks
  • Storm proof weather seals (BS 6375/1:2009 / certified to PAS23/24)
  • Internal glazing beads
  • Nylon or stainless steel rollers
  • 3 or 5 lever mortice lock
  • “D” pad handles operating shoot bolts & multi-point hook locks
  • Up to 28mm double glazed units
  • Low-e, energy saving glass
  • Tempered / Toughened / Laminated glazing
  • Triple glazing options
  • Internal / integrated window blind options
  • Multiple colour options / dual colour options
  • Concealed hinges, gear & finger guards for the hinges
  • Fold flat handles

Low level or flush fitting door thresholds are a great feature for any patio door. Many flush thresholds are used in conjunction with top hung bifold doors.

Having no bottom door threshold to step over (or trip over) makes access easy for everyone, especially for wheelchair users, young children, elderly or infirm persons.

Fold flat handles are a more recent addition to the feature range. The ability to flatten out the handles lets the doors stack closer together, therefore taking up less space.

Concealed hinges not only help with streamlining the overall look, concealing the hinges hides them from any intruder intent on attacking the hinges to get into your home.

Finger guards are a good idea where there are little hands around – or even accident prone adults. Rubber strips are included along the vertical edges of the doors so that, if a finger does get in the wrong place, the potential of serious injury is significantly reduced.

UPVC Bifold doors

UPVC is used extensively for double glazed windows and doors. It is a naturally good insulator and easy to find anywhere in the UK.

Having a lifespan of 15 years or more for good quality products, and a relatively lower cost than aluminium or hardwood windows & doors, it also offers good value for money.

Available in up to 12 colours plus wood-grain effect, you can be confident that you will be able to find something to suit your home.

Aluminium bifold doors

Because it’s a lightweight and strong metal, aluminium can take advantage of slimmer frames than UPVC. This gives aluminium bifold doors a sleek and contemporary look.

However, using aluminium frames will cost more than UPVC frames, but you can exptect 25 years or more for their lifespan.

Make sure you look for frames with built-in thermal breaks. The outside of the frame needs to be isolated thermally from the inside because aluminium is quite a good conductor of heat.

Most frames use RAL powder coat paints bonded onto the surface. They don’t fade, crack or peel and have about 150 or more colours to choose from.

If you want a different option, you can go for a hybrid aluminium clad timber frame.

Bi-fold patio doorsTimber bifold doors

Using wood for a door, for some folks, is the best option in their opinion. They like the look & touch of real timber.

Timber bifold doors come in a few options:

  • Hardwood: long lasting woods such as Oak or can be pricey. African hardwoods such as Idigbo can offer just as good an appearance at lower cost. Good hardwood doors that are looked after can last for decades.
  • Softwood such as Pine or Redwood are low cost options but need a lot of TLC to keep them in top shape.
  • Engineered timber: Made from a composite of different timbers, engineered wood does not have a grain like natural timber. This means it’s less prone to shrinking or swelling. Easily machined into any shape and larger spans, this material is ideal for bifold doors.

Which material do you prefer? Get bifold door cost quotes here:

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Bifold Door Glazing

With a bifold door having such a large proportion of glass, getting the best energy efficiency performance should be seriously considered. Safety and security are also prime considerations,

So, what can you do to make your bifold door safer and more energy efficient?

  • Use 28mm sealed double glazed units – the widest readily available.
  • Use gas filled double glazing – adding Argon gas to the sealed unit reduces heat transfer.
  • Opt for Low-e glass coatings – benefit from solar gain as it keeps more heat in and cold out.
  • Toughened or tempered glass – breaks into harmless “granules” to void danger from cuts.
  • Laminated glass is the top option – extremely difficult to break even with a great deal of force.
  • Maybe use a glass tinting film (like in a car window) – folks can’t see in, but you can see out.
  • Glass films also help keep glass in place if it breaks.
  • Mulit-point locks and dead bolts – these make the doors very secure.
  • Anti-lift tracks – ensure the panels cannot be lifted out of the frame accidentally or on purpose.
  • 3 or 5 lever mortice locks – pick proof, bump & snap proof for extra security.

If you are overly concerned about security in your location, you could go as far as fitting an internal grille. Somewhat annoying to open & close all the time, but one of the most security minded options.

In summary


Fitting a bifold door is not necessarily the cheapest option, but in our opinion is well worth the extra investment and will make a big improvement in your home lifestyle.

The super wide opening and clear uninterrupted view of the outside serve to blur the line between the interior and exterior of any home.

With contemporary bifold doors offering high levels of energy efficiency, security, lifespan and visual attractiveness, what could possibly be stopping you from joining the thousands of folks who have already fitted them?

 

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