Bifold door 3+1 or 4+0 configeration

[HomeExtender]

Hi we are looking at bifold doors & what configeration to go for. The opening is 4m wide. Any recommendations please? Thanks

[Allthebubbles]

Not sure I totally understand the options but I think it is good to have one door/section you can open separately. We have a three door bifold, but the first section can be opened on its own, or all three open together.

If this is possible with the 4 option I would have that as it is lovely to completely open it out.

[namechangedtoday15]

We have 4m without a traffic door. It depends how you use your house / garden.

We are in a semi so we obviously have an adjoined neighbour - if you imagine our plot, the house is offset to the left (looking down the back garden). We're attached on the left and have a drive at the right (so more garden on the right of the house) so we have all the doors folding to the left (virtually next to the fence with our adjoined neighbour). That way, nothing gets in the way on the right (we'd have to step around a door if it opened to the right).

We also didn't want handles on the outside which you have to have (I think) if you have traffic door. Just from a security point of view, we didn't want handles / any of the locking mechanism on the outside.

We also don't access the back of the house for anything other than the garden (just children playing etc rather than say needing to get to garage / outdoor bins etc through the back door or anything) so don't "need" a traffic door.

They've been in since the end of last summer and we open them all the time, as soon as the sun peeps through! Sometimes just open them halfway, so fold back 2 panels if its just for children running in and out.

[HomeExtender]

Hi

This is the 3+1 configuration
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2LOL0LdRcE

This is the 4&0 configaeration
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu4U7P_G6a0

My husband prefers the 3+1 configuration with the traffic door. We have a utility door down the side of the house near to the bins so have alternative access to the garden. I'm swaying towards the 4+0 configuration where the doors all fold to one side.

I have read that odd number doors work well as you still have a traffic door but all doors stack at the same side. I don't want to reduce the opening to 3.6m (3 x 1.2m doors). However, the wider the width of glass per door the better. Why are decision so hard?!!!

[namechangedtoday15]

Don't forget if you have 1.2m wide doors, they will extend further into your garden when they're folded back.

[ShortLass]

4m wide is fine for four doors. If you are going for Origin doors, like in your video, they have a chart in their brochure that shows you the advised number of doors per width of opening.

I have an opening 3.5m wide and am going for 4 doors (3 would be cheaper, but I like the look of 4). I'm sooo having a traffic door (3+1). Useful for popping out with the washing, or for a breath of fresh air or to do the weeding or whatever. But you have alternative access to the garden so maybe you don't live in your house the same way I live in mine.

However, unless you have any reason (like PP) to have the doors fold out in only one direction, I'd still go for 3+1. Just much more practical for accessing the garden. Otherwise it becomes just a giant glass wall which you only open once or twice a year when warm enough.

Aside:
Why when people record videos, as above, do they not think about the sound? Distant and echo'y! Get a lapel mike, for goodness sake. Or a separate direction mike that you plug into the camera. This annoys me so much. More so than the whole thing being back lit and requiring an infill light so we can better see the gentleman in his nifty tie. Great demo videos, but the technicals
/end off topic rant

[jojosapphire]

I was just wondering if we had made the right decision on our doors... But as its a 3m opening 3 panels will still have a mian door section...

[HomeExtender]

The set of 3x1.2m doors we recently saw looked lovely with the wider panes of glass in each door. But our space looks better with a wider 4m opening (I know it's only 0.4m but still....) so 4m it will be with a 3+1 configuration. Off to see another company today so our decision my change. LOL.