AIBU to wonder this about bifolding doors

[Cloglover]

We have French doors going from our kitchen to garden with 2 steps down, but I would love to knock the whole back wall out and have big bifolding doors and have decked or paved area the same height. However, I worry about rats (we're in an inner city) and mice and general creepy crawlies coming in. I feel as tho those 2 steps offer protection! AIBU to wonder this?

Not sure about rats but I always think that "bringing the outside" in equals having lots of flying things in (and potentially squirrels or birds, too).

Wouldn't be my thing. I like outside to be outside and inside to be inside.

Silly me, birds are of course "flying things" but I was thinking more about flies and wasps.

You do realise that rats and bugs can climb up stairs right?

We have bifold doors onto a deck
No rats!

I have a step and I’ve still found a squirrel in my living room twice.

I now shut the door from the living room to the garden when I’m not actively using it as an exit/entry point & use the windows for ventilation instead.

You've got absolutely nothing to worry about, you do get flies but only has two doors I'm not stopping them, I've never had anything else coming maybe the odd butterfly. I absolutely hate spiders et cetera but not had anything like that and we've got for giant doors

How do you think rats and mice get into lofts?

Hi we've got large bifolds and have had no issues with rodents - only flies

We have bifold across the entire back of our house. No rats, just flies and bees. We shoo the bees out and swat the flies.

We have bifold and no problem with vermin. However it’s only hot enough about once a year to make use of them!

We had a house with bifold doors for the whole back of the house and I have to say I really didn’t like it. Kids constantly trawling dirt in and I realised I just don’t even like the outdoors that much
Might be less modern but I just prefer the French doors we have in our present house.

I love my bifolds - unless you already have a rodent problem and always keep your doors shut I can’t see how it would be any different. Although I don’t like wooden decking as I was told it attracts rodents making their nests under it so we replaced
Ours with slabs

We shoo the bees out and swat the flies

OMG you’re practically a serial killer @wineandroses1!

We are designing our kitchen and have decided to have no patio or bifold doors and to have bifold windows instead. We will have just the standard wooden door on the side as normal.
They windows sit flush with the cabinets on the wall and open up the full length of the kitchen so once open there is no sill or anything.
This is because I don’t want the outside in with the bugs and snails (we live in a forest) , I want to be able to keep the dog inside but have the fresh air through the wall and I want the light to be in as sometimes living in a forest area can be quite dark. Even with patio doors I think I wouldn’t gain as much as I would with the large window and have the added problem with the dog.

I think that if you do get rats, mice, spiders, bat's etc attracted by your bi-fold doors they will invariably be the better class of vermin who wouldn't be seen dead entering through an ordinary kitchen door.

Not unreasonable.

But totally deranged.

We left the french doors (with steps) open the other day,while settling kids to sleep. A bloody, grey cat appeared at the bedroom door and scared the life out of me.
I think rats and mice tend to be more cautious and opportunistic. So if you left food and crumbs lying about all the time they would find their way in.

My last house had bifolds. Flies were a big problem. As as a PP said the kids were constantly bringing in mud, grass and riding their bloody trikes round the kitchen and it was a hard job keeping everything clean. Much happier with my patio doors now.

We've got bi folds onto a deck - we've got dormice.

I've recently got bifolds after corona delays...

I wanted to step out on to a raised patio, level with the inside of my house, but my dad thinks it might cause problems if the patio comes higher than the damp proof cause (may have spelled it wrong)...

I don't fancy decking though because I worry it will be like a bar of soap in the winter.

Had a butterfly come in once which was pretty scary. Haven't had anything bigger come in yet 🙂

We never open the bifolds as patio is a state!

Dust / dirt from the garden also an issue.

Wouldn’t splash your cash OP!

Oh, foxes pretty bold round our way too.

It's the decking that can give a home to vermin isn't it? I'm not keen on decking for that reason. Bi fold doors just mean that the outside will come into your house in the form of mud, grass, leaves, bugs...

My builder refuses to put decking in any of houses he builds and puts it in the deeds of the house that they aren’t allowed it. He had so many problems with decking. We have had huge problems with rat causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to our house and sure enough when next door ripped her decking up there was a huge nest underneath. She had been so sure she didn’t have a rat problem but she is the problem!!!

How often do you actually open them fully? They seem to me like something that's lovely for about 3 days year and the rest of the time is a lot of glass that needs cleaning.

I've got French windows but very rarely open both doors