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Original poster

Bifold or Sliding Doors?

26 replies

DarkBlueEyes · 04/05/2017 20:31

We are doing a big refurb and have planned for Bifold doors (6 panels) in our living room and our dining room (4 panels). The same company who did our bifolds in our last house will be doing these - I was very happy with them although we can't afford the solarlux ones we had last time....

I went to Grand Designs live and was chatting on their stand and now I think that sliding might be the way to go. There is very little difference in the price (£250 cheaper for sliding), so it's about aesthetics and practicality.

We like the slimmer sight lines you get and the picture window effect with sliders. We like the way you can open bifolds right up.
Downside of sliders is you can't open RIGHT up, downside of bifolds is the sightlines and how they protrude onto the patio.

Any experiences, good or bad, of both different types? Opinions?

Sliders: www.odcglass.co.uk/gallery/sliding-systems-gallery

Bifolds: www.odcglass.co.uk/gallery/folding-doors-gallery

Help! How do we decide!!! Confused

OP posts:
7Days · 04/05/2017 20:38

Downside of bifolds you can only open right up. Sometimes its nice just to let a bit of breeze in. Unless you have the weather for it bifolds are a bit of a faff

ThatsWotSheSaid · 04/05/2017 20:45

My bio folds can just have one door open.
I really like my bio folds but I can't compare because we obviously don't have sliders. I do worry that bio folds will look dated soon.

venys · 04/05/2017 20:54

I know my builder didn't really like bi folds as they have a tendency to break. Buy we rented a house with some and they were lovely. Even if you think bi folds might date , I think sliders are worse - only because we had them in the 70s and 80s and I am used to them sticking.. So I am marginally biased towards bifold doors.

KP86 · 04/05/2017 20:59

Personally I like skinny sliders (say 3 or 4 panels) over bi-folds, because of the reasons you said: the doors stick out into your outdoor space. I also found the tracks made the doors stick and small fingers were liable to get hurt when opening/closing.

Tubbyinthehottub · 04/05/2017 21:03

My bifolds can have just one or any odd number doors open. I think the slimmer frames on sliders look a bit old fashioned. But everything will look dated one day so just get what you prefer.

Clayhead · 04/05/2017 21:03

We've got three track sliders - there's no fixed panel. I was worried they'd be like the 70s sliding doors I remembered but they are so different.

Crumbelina · 04/05/2017 21:10

We went to Grand Designs too. Smile I have a feeling that bifolds will date more quickly than sliding doors with thin frames.

The frames seem to be quite large on bifolds and your view into the garden will be more obscured.

Also, we don't really have the right climate here in the UK and other people (with bifolds) have said that they only tend to open them fully a few times a year.

I think we're going to opt for sliding doors, although I have seen a company called Frameless Glass Curtains who make bifold with practically no frame. Possibly worth checking out although I'm not sure of prices.

HildaSnibbs · 04/05/2017 21:19

We have bifolds from ODC! Only had them a few months but very pleased so far. We have a configuration of four door panels with a worktop-height window adjoining. The window has a matching frame and is a tilt and turn window so you can air the kitchen when cooking without opening the doors. One of the middle doors opens like a, well, door Grinand the one next to it opens too so you can have just the two of them open like French doors. Or you can open the whole lot. The single open door folds right back on itself flat against the adjoining panel, so it doesn't get in the way.

My parents had sliders and I prefer the bifold, they are much lighter and easier to open and I like he fact you can open up completely. We've already done that once this year (although not for long!)

woollychimp · 04/05/2017 21:24

we used to have sliding doors and they were rubbish - kept coming out of their tracks, replaced them with bifold and they are much better.

scrivette · 04/05/2017 21:40

We have just had sliders fitted and am delighted with them. They frame the outside perfectly as there is so much glass and they let so much light in.
We have ones that open either side to give more options as to how to use them.

QuitMoaning · 04/05/2017 21:50

We have very old fashioned sliders and replacing with bifold and can't wait. We shall have an odd number so we can open just one.

And I also went to Grand Designs (yesterday!)

namechangedtoday15 · 04/05/2017 22:38

We have bifolds but did consider sliders. I do think its funny that they're now sliders - they're a more modern version of patio doors that mist people had in the 70s and 80s Grin

It depends what you want. We wanted to have a full opening although I did like the amount of glass you got with the sliders. We have 4 x 1m panels though so only 3 frames in the glass, doesn't look too clumpy. The other thing to bear in mind with sliders in the tracks they run in on the floor. The more panels you have (so say 3) you have 3 separate tracks in the floor so they can all stack to one side (so the opening is two thirds of the doors). Firstly 3 separate tracks eat into your floorspace, and when the doors are closed, you can still see 2 of the 3 tracks and they'd just be a dust / debris trap. If you want to minimise the number of tracks I.e. 2 tracks, you can only have 2 panels so they'll only open half way across the gap.

Miniwookie · 04/05/2017 22:58

We're having sliders. I prefer them as you can have larger panes so they don't break up the view so much and our garden is N facing so we wouldn't have bifolds fully open anyway.

curcur · 05/05/2017 06:28

We have bi folds. Love them bur given the uk weather they don't get fully opened too often. I would probably opt for a cheaper option next time.

WidowTwonky · 07/05/2017 00:14

We've been undecided for weeks but have now decided on sliding doors. We have a space of 7m and felt it was such a shame to lose so much to the sight lines. With the 3 tracks there seems to be so much versatility, whereas bi-folds meant much fewer options. I.e., to get the breeze into the right hand side of the space (the kitchen) you had to open the entire 7m of bi-folds rather than just sliding one panel which we'd do on the sliding door

Kokusai · 07/05/2017 11:02

I'd go for sliders unless you've got a relatively small space. I don't like the amount of frame you have with bifolds and like the versatility of sliders.

Blankscreen · 07/05/2017 23:44

We chosen sliders. We love them.
5.5 M.in three panels so.we can open up 2/3 at.any one time.

ShortLass · 08/05/2017 14:23

I'm having bifold doors fitted tomorrow!!!

I like the fact that I can have a large amount of glass at the back of the house (it's double the length of the old patio doors with 4 doors replacing 2). I also like that you have a traffic door which works like a back door would. Much better than opening a sliding door.

The old doors were 24 years old sliding doors. I didn't like them because one was a fixed panel and the other slid open. In a south facing wall, having one big pane of glass which wouldn't open was horrible in the summer with the sunshine beating through. If only I could have opened it!

I don't mind about the frame size for the bifolds as I think it frames the garden in four picture frames.

But if you like sliding doors better, then go for them. I'm happy with my bifold decision, but lots of people are going for sliders now. I'm sure the sliding doors you can get now are a lot nicer than the ones I'm getting rid of.

WidowTwonky · 08/05/2017 16:02

shortlass yeah the beauty of sliding doors now is that all doors can open - you don't need to face one fixed Smile

Original poster
DarkBlueEyes · 10/05/2017 09:43

Thanks all that is so helpful. We're going with sliders. Having had bifolds I will be in a good position to comment on future threads!

OP posts:
oscarlizard · 02/10/2018 14:22

You need clearance for Bifold doors when they open up, lots of people forget this, so make sure you do a plan layout, we used this company who provided a layout of the folding action, I would prefer bifolds as they obviously open up fully but you have to make sure the action is light as some can be heavy and cumbersome..

aluminiumframeco.co.uk

joeybarnett · 05/10/2018 10:56

Bi-fold doors are beautttiful. They really do look lovely installed on a conservatory or patio. If you are fortunate to have a lovely garden to look out onto then they are perfect.

www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/upvc-doors/bi-fold-doors/

^ I find the upvc ones a bit chunky though.

Sliding patio doors are nice too but I personally prefer bi-folds in terms of appearance.

www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/aluminium/patio-doors/ - although aluminium sliding doors are quite nice!

www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk/aluminium/bi-fold-doors/

But aluminium bi-folds win out for me.

You can create free quotes on there too btw ^

AlanSinclair · 28/04/2021 15:47

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Flymeaway4 · 07/10/2022 08:24

@DarkBlueEyes we're currently having this same dilemma. How did you find sliding vs. Bifold? And how did you find ODC, as we're considering them too!

Original poster
DarkBlueEyes · 07/10/2022 10:01

@Flymeaway4 we we did go for sliders and I do love them. If I could change one thing I’d go for the smaller frames but they were very pricey when we were looking. We also have bifolds on our pool and live them too. Did you see grand designs this week? Gorgeous sliders on that house.

OP posts: