Sliding vs Bifold Door

When planning a new build, renovation or extension the question often arises "Which door is the best option a sliding of bi-folding door?". We take a look through some of the advantages of each to help you decide.

Bifold Doors:

Bifold doors also known as folding doors are a way of having a large opening filed with multiple doors which fold together to create one large opening. Doors can be folded left or right or a combination of both to completely open up the side of a building unlike traditional door which will usually only have a maximum of two opening panels.

Advantages of Bifold Doors:

1. Maximized Opening: Bifold doors are the only option when it comes to completely opening up a side of your building. As the doors fold together every panel can be opened and moved out of the way to fully open up the space.

2. Flexibility: Bifold doors are extremely flexible, you have the option to have a single opening leaf at either end or in the centre for easy access. Panels are linked and can be folded left or right or a combination of both with an equal or offset configuration. Giving you maximum flexibility and having the door configured to fir you space and day to day life perfectly.

3. Space-Saving: Individual panels can be made to various sizes and when folded can be neatly stacked outside or inside depending on your specific configuration. When fully opened and neatly folded the doors are relatively compact.

4. Natural Light: When compared to French doors you are able to easily fill much larger openings with glass, allowing much more light to flow into your property than more traditional options.

Sliding Doors:

Sliding doors are made up of two or more large glass panels which can be either fixed or sliding along two or more tracks. The more panels and tracks you have the more flexibility in terms of opening the doors. As well as sliding you also have the option to have a fixed panel at either end or in the centre. More information about our sliding door configurations can be found here.

Advantages of Sliding Doors:

1. Sleek Design: The sliding door offers the most contemporary and modern design of any door with large expanses and minimal frame obstruction you can have a wall almost completely covered in glass whilst still having the ability to open the door.

2. Space Efficiency: Sliding doors do just that slide along an existing track and don't swing open into your indoor or outdoor space. An ideal solution if you have lots of furniture or ornaments near to the opening. 

3. Easy Operation: With advances in technology and the introduction of the lift and glide door our sliding doors have never been easier to open. Many of our sliding doors can be opened with just a single finger and are suitable for all ages.

4. Versatility: Our sliding door ranges offer many different configuration as we are now able to often larger panels, extra tracks as well as dual sliding options.

5. Maximum View: One of the main reasons the modern sliding door has become so popular is the large panels of glass and extremely thin frames. Modern glass technology is now able to incorporate structural integrity into the glass itself and rely less on the actual frame. Meaning frames can now be much smaller than ever before almost giving the illusion of a large picture window that has the advantage that it can be opened.

Choosing the Right Option:

The decision between bi-folding and sliding doors boils down to personal preference and the unique requirements of your home or project. If you have a property with a fantastic view we would usually recommend going for a sliding door as they offer the most minimal obstruction in terms of mullions and frames. If you like to host a lot and would benefit from being able to fully open up the side of your building we would recommend a bi-folding door.