If you didn't choose bifold doors...

[geojojo]

In a kitchen extension, what did you go for? Just planning our kitchen extension on a end of terrace Edwardian house and everyone seems to choose bifolds. Just not a huge fan of the look of them really but wondered what to choose instead. Would prefer a classic look which won't date.

The thing with normal sliders is that you are stuck with a glass panel that you don't ever have the option to move, its such a waste of space. We actually replaced our french doors with bifold and I have to say that it has improved our way of living so much.

We hav a period house too, they still look great!

French doors that open right flush against the outside. Opening wouldn't quite justify bifolds and I didn't want that massive expanse of glass to attract the kids' fingerprints really.

Sliders. We have a south facing garden. I'm very happy with them. The light and view of the garden is great.
I do wonder what bifolds would have been like.
French doors would not give the same effect.
I really dislike Crittal style.
All that glass interrupted by metal blocking the view of the garden.

www.expressbifolds.co.uk/our-products/bi-folding-doors/xp-vision/

Apparently you can get bifolds at 1500m

Hi, we went for 3 large fixed panes and normal door. This means that we can have furniture closer to the windows. Our windows are 3/4 of the way down and have a ledge for sitting on and for plants. We have had french doors before and prefer this.

I like all the doors styles but have a 60s house. I think we'll go French that hinge back all the way so when open they are flush against the house. Crittal is soooo my style but not sure it would suit our house! Bi fold would be fab too, will probably get quotes and advice for all styles when it comes to it!

Our French doors are full pane, oak. Because they open flush with the outside wall, when both opened, from the kitchen all you see is a wide opening. From the outside they are not in the way of anything and look quite attractive against red brick. 1930s house.

Had sliders in old house-they waste so much space.

Been in house now-Victorian semi-and have bifold doors that we love.
You can open the right panel as an independent door.

We have them open all day in nice weather and they are brilliant. I don't think they look dated-they have very clean lines -we have had ours almost 7 years.

We have slide and stack doors. So versatile. I love them. We have a south facing garden and definitely think about ventilation. I am so bummed our roof lantern doesn’t open, it would definitely help to keep the room cooler!

We have bi-folds and LOVE them. People always say on these threads that they're a fad, but we were hankering for them for a few years before we had them and they've been in for 10 years, so that's a long old fad! (same for gloss kitchens too...). Ours open onto a north facing garden and we have them open loads. Like someone else said, see if you can spend time in someone's house with them in (when we're allowed to, obvs), but don't discount them just because they're bifolds.

My neighbour has frameless (external) bi-folds. They look good.
www.fgc.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIloWrgrqJ6QIVA7TtCh2VdQTiEAAYASAAEgIDzPD_BwE

How did you find Fabco FriskyBivalves? We’re (not!) building at the moment and these are our front runners.

Another one here in late Victorian house where two sets of French windows replaced two double sash (stone mullion in between) windows. It would have changed the whole character of the house to take out those lovely sashes and put gaping bifold.
Also one set was at the side of the house so would have looked even worse.

I had Patio doors with a central sliding panel which I have now replaced with bifolds doors. I have to say I really don’t like them and I wish I had just replaced with like-for-like. The bifolds were double the price of replacement patio doors, and if I just want to open one door, it is on the side, behind the curtain (instead of centrally as I had before) causing the curtain to billow out if there is any wind. Also, I had the previous year bought a very expensive awning for the patio doors which is useless now as it block the bifolds opening fully.

I dont think there is a right or wrong answer , it really depends how you use your space garden. I love sliders but having grown up with patio doors, and with 3 young children running in and out all day, i didnt want a fixed panel. I wanted to have a fully open opening, so we have 4m wide bi-folds (4 x 1m panels but paid extra for slim frames). We're an outdoorsy family too so spend lots of time in the garden, so that in-out thing is important and we had them open every day from April to late Sept last year. If you dont spend much time in the garden so access is less important than sight lines, then sliders might be the way to go.