02 May External Bi-Fold Doors – Your Essential Guide
The term ‘bi-fold door’ technically refers to a door made up of two folding panels. (This is the kind of door many people use to separate their kitchen and utility room, say). However, it’s also used to describe folding doors with more than two panels. For example, external timber bi-fold doors typically feature three panels. And sometimes there are five or more, especially if the doors are made for spacious homes or commercial properties.
Exterior bi-folding doors are ideal for living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms or conservatories that lead out onto gardens, patios or swimming pools. Another attractive option is to install a bi-fold door between a restaurant’s indoor and outdoor seating areas. The doors tend to be several metres wide, and the panels reach almost from floor to ceiling. Each panel features a large pane of glass surrounded by a stylish yet unobtrusive timber frame. As a result, a bi-fold door can make your property feel bigger and look brighter even when closed.
Unifying Indoor and Outdoor Areas
To really feel the benefit of your bi-folding door, you’ll want to open it as wide as possible. This is achieved by sliding the panels (which are hinged together) to one side, where they ‘stack’ neatly. A bi-fold door glides smoothly on its tracks, rather like timber sash windows. The panels fold together, concertina-like, until they’re completely flat against each other. Once folded, they take up little room and don’t attract attention. So opening your bi-fold door enables you to unify your internal and external spaces and fully appreciate them. That’s why we think of timber bi-folding doors as the perfect doorway between your living space and outdoor area.
Our bespoke Devon bi-fold doors help customers make the most of some of the UK’s best scenery. Perhaps you’re fortunate enough to live by the coast (there are over 50 beaches in South Devon, where we’re based). Imagine being able to drink in superb beachside views and fill your home with natural light thanks to a timber bi-folding door.
A Highly Desirable Feature for Any Property
If you think getting a bi-fold door installed sounds appealing, you’re not alone. Ideal Home magazine points out that ‘bi-folds have seen a surge in popularity in recent years’. It suggests this is linked to the trend for merging indoor and outdoor living, especially during the summer.
It’s no exaggeration to say bi-fold doors are among the most popular features a property can have. According to research by Rightmove, there was a staggering 589% increase in the number of UK property-for-sale listings mentioning bi-fold doors in 2022 compared to ten years earlier.
The Purpose of the Master Door
Of course, there are occasions when you might not want to open your external bi-fold door fully. For example, if there’s an unexpected shower of rain and you’re keen to rescue your washing from the line, you’ll just want to dash out then in again.
That’s the kind of situation in which a bi-folding door’s master door (also called a lead or traffic door) is invaluable. The master door is a panel at one end that can swing open like a standard door, enabling you to move rapidly between your internal and external spaces.
Key Advantages of External Bi-Fold Doors
- Bi-fold doors are incredibly versatile – yours can be designed to suit your property and lifestyle. There are many bifold door styles, from rustic to modern. Your chosen number of panels can fold left or right, inwards or outwards. Some people even have a pair of bi-fold doors that meet in the middle.
- Your bi-fold door, with its clever, stylish design, will be more luxurious than standard doors.
- Bi-folding doors are easy to open and close partially or fully because they run on tracks.
- You’ll enjoy unrestricted views when your door is open and a greater sense of space all the time.
- You’ll also enjoy a seamless transition between your interior and exterior areas.
- Bi-fold doors improve ventilation levels – that’s particularly important if you want your restaurant to remain cool during busy periods or when you’re cooking at home.
- Timber can last for decades, is a natural insulator and has a beautiful look and feel.
External Bi-Fold Doors for Devon Properties
Our master craftspeople design, produce and install beautiful Devon bi-fold doors made of Accoya wood and other superb timbers for residential and commercial buildings. Our joinery expertise extends to windows too – we recently transformed a Teignmouth restaurant with a bi-fold window system.
We offer a bespoke, comprehensive bi-fold service with numerous customisation options and multi-point locking systems as standard.
Why not contact JTP Joinery today to discuss your needs?