Bifolds or sliding door

[sycamore54321]

Renovating our kitchen/diner. Will have option of up to 4 metres for doors through to a south-east facing garden. Would you choose bifolds or a sliding door? What are the pros and cons? Thanks

No blinds here. Don’t need them for warmth as our extension is very hot. (south facing and underfloor heating). We like looking out and aren’t overlooked.

We are about to start a renovation, and also have 4m of door space. We're going for aluminium sliding doors (similar to the photo above). I think bifolds look bulky, break up the view too much and would be a pain to store when open.

@LittleOverWhelmed

Photo of living room. Blinds were chosen and fitted by the previous owner (who built the extension), but we really don’t use them much.

I have heard good things about “Perfect Fot” blinds for bifolds.

I haven’t heard great things about blinds inside the glass: if something goes wrong, you are pretty stuck.

I have blinds inside my glass in my bifolds and so far have had no problems but the bifolds and the blinds were top quality ones. I decided to go all in and not skimp when I ordered them.

I don’t have the size of house you do nor the garden so won’t post up pictures but I absolutely love my bifolds and open them up either partially or fully most days except depths of Winter. Four years later I have no regrets and wouldn’t want sliding doors as you cannot open the space fully

We are debating what to get also, but what about flies and bugs? Surely in the day you get flies in the house, then at night moths and mosquitoes? I've never understood the fact I've never seen a British home with fly screens on the doors and windows. Those who leave their doors open, do you have a bug zapper in your kitchen?

I currently have those dreadful magnetic screens on the doors and windows I leave open.

I'd also love to know if there is a clever solution to stop flies coming into the house.

Through the day, flies really do find their way out of the house easier with the big open space of bifolds! We rarely have flies and wasps in the house for long.
From dusk we just don't put lights on in the house until the doors are closed. Our outside lights give enough light in the house, but still keep flying bugs outside.

I’d go for french doors or sliding door for reasons above. But then I’ve never liked the ‘whole open wall’ thing of bifolds. Exciting when they were new. Just think they don’t suit how I’d want to live or the kind of kitchen/dining//sitting arrangement I’d ever want.
S east facing so whatever you have will give a lot of light no matter what.

I much prefer sliders. I think it’s a personal preference thing.

We have both in our kitchen. These photos might help you get a feel for the difference as you can see them side by side. The bifolds (on the right) are a lot chunkier but are lovely when fully open. The sliders have great thin frames and open 2/3rds of the way across but there is more of a threshold.

I would say your decision should depend on the landscaping. If you are going for the thin acro drain and zero threshold definitely get the bifolds as it is really nice to have the sense that the garden is an extension to the house, especially if you have young children or eat outside a lot.

The sliders still feel like more of a doorway but look great closed with their narrow frames and look nicer architecturally.

Sliders on left, bifolds on right

Bifold threshold

Slider threshold

We ll be doing sliding doors as the bi folding are a bit of a palava sometimes, and a bit bulky on the side, just my opinion,

I have Schuco bifolds similar to @LittleOverWhelmed - they are great and although our garden isn’t quite as impressive as hers I love them when they’re open. We have 4 panes and having our opening door going one way with the other 3 opening the other way - I wasn’t sure I would like them with that configuration but it’s great on days like today when it’s not particularly warm just to have that door plus the first door on the other side - a bit like French doors.

Thanks everyone. And especially thanks for the photos, they are all gorgeous homes.

Leaning still towards bifolds but going to visit the showroom next weekend and will explore the three-part sliders too; I hadn’t realised about those

I have sliders because I never want the whole thing open anyway, due to flies.

This isn’t meant to sound snarky but what’s the real difference in flies in a 2metre opening from a slider and a 4 metre opening from bifolds? Surely once a door or window is open at all, even a crack, flies get in. I know it’s a bigger space but would you really expect twice as many flies?

We get more flies in through our sliders than our bifolds. Maybe becuase they are taller? Having said that we don't have many flies in general. If we have the doors open maybe 1 or 2 a day.

The main problem is having either open late in the evening when we get more mosquitos and moths.

I wouldn't have a sliding door - we had one of a similar size (all the rage in the 80s apparently) and it was ridiculously heavy. But I wouldn't do bifolds either. Unless you live somewhere with lots of sun realistically they are going to be shit most of the time. Save money and have 2 separate french doors

We need national fly/moth/mozzie training days. I’ve become talented at one flap of a tea towel and they return the way they’ve come. Windows in kitchen here though which makes it easier to herd them I think.