Bifolds or sliding doors?

[Moonrise1362]

This has probably already been done to death, but we're in the middle of a big renovation and the time has come to choose - sliding doors, or bifold doors?

The width of the opening is 4800mm, and it opens onto big wide steps that lead down to the patio (we're on a slope). We've got a view onto a woodland valley. The doors will be aluminium.

The options the contractor has put forward are:
• 6-panel bifolds (can open up fully, but of course the concertina-d doors will take up space, and when closed there will be more mullions breaking up the view)
• 4-panel sliding doors (two tracks, the middle two doors slide open but you cannot open it up fully, and when closed the glass sections will be wider due to fewer mullions)

What would you go for and why? And can anyone share any photos of what you have? I'd love to see!

We have about 4.5m (I think) and have 3 panel sliding doors. This means fewer dividing lines, and two thirds can be opened. Is that an option or is the opening too large?

Less frame more glass with views! We have two giant sliding doors into our garden which steps down. We got UV coating put on as the room can get hot with so ouch glass (we are south facing) Also we have an inset blind in our ceiling which is great in the summer months

i much prefer sliding or french doors. really dislike bifolds.

We chose bifolds. Happy so far that we get 'all open' sense in summer. You definitely need the UV filter though, even up north.

Whatever option gives you more glass and less frame, that's the one I'd choose.

If I had the money, I'd have aluminium sliding doors - less glass, more modern. But went for bifold doors which still give good views of the garden, but for much less money. It's nice to them fully open in the summer.

@minipie that's a good point - I think we can't have 3 panels for the sliding doors because of the width, as you say. Or at least I think it would be more expensive for us to go for less than 4 panels and I'm already over budget 😅

Interesting that mostly people are saying sliding doors. That's what my DH is leaning towards, whereas I wondered about bifolds. We are in SW England, so good point about the UV filter, I'll ask the contractor about that!

I had good advice once that said if you are South facing and will get the sun then sliding doors can be fully opened on hot days on a reasonable number of days of the year - go for bifold.

if north facing you will not really get the benefit of opening it all up as so few days will be suitable - go for sliders.

I always prefer sliders for this reason as well as not taking up space opening either out or in. Or blowing in the wind.

I wanted sliding doors but they were double the price of bifolds, that was 6 years ago though.

We went for bifold and absolutely love them. DH’s parents have sliders which they love.

Bifolds are more likely to give trouble or need some maintenance going forward so that’s a consideration.

I thought we’d only open them up one or two days a year (it was dh who had his heart set on them) but we open them a lot, pretty much all summer.

But I would advise checking out the companies first because not all doors are the same.

Bifolds are the avocado bathroom suite of the future. As soon as I can afford it (decades likely) I'm ripping mine out. What's the point of a giant stack of concertina'd glass? I'd much rather traditional 3/4 glazed doors 1930s style or those New York loft black Crittal frame style.

We're west facing (WNW), so not so much sun in the morning, but lots of late afternoon/evening sun

We have 5m opening, went for 5 panel bi-folds, single opener in the middle, it is lovely to be able to open the full width.

I have bifold doors and I just think they are an absolute pain. I am actually on my second set within 8 years because the first ones literally just broke

Maybe sliding doors also break but I suspect there is more to break on a bifold!

We have bifolds and LOVE them. Been in 12 years, no issues whatsoever. They look as good as new. They are on a north facing wall, and we have them open all the time in summer. They make so much difference to how we use the room and the patio. We have have just a single panel open if we want to (it clips back on the pane next to it to hold it open if necessary, or can just use like a normal door).

The point is surely that you can open up the whole of the space they occupy. The stack of glass doesn't have a 'point', but the opening it leaves behind does!

I think they've been popular enough now (and showing no signs of waning) to prove they're not a fad like avocado bathrooms. They've been fairly mainstream for a good 20 years.

We have 4000mm bifolds. The right hand panel opens to the right as a ‘traffic door’ and the three other panels concertina into the garden. I added a storage cupboard in the garden where the panels jut out, and it’s all very neat. We love the ability to have a ~4m opening in summer. We’ve had them 7y and at the time of choosing knew that the trend was away from bifolds (a la avocado bathrooms) but are happy regardless! Could you have fewer panels than 6? 6 sounds a lot.

Agree with @minipie, it might be worth costing up this option. We have a similar width and are choosing between two or three panel (sliding). I find bifold doors really clunky.

Just re read and saw you have a lovely view

I would definitely go for sliders in that case, even if it has to be 4 panels. get the slimmest frames you can afford.

Also this may sound crazy but you could consider reducing the opening by not making it full width, or even having two openings and a wide pillar in the middle rather than one big opening. Either (especially the second) would reduce costs and those little bits of wall are quite useful for furniture. Also makes it a bit less exposed feeling in the winter (although you can have a curtain of course)

Sliding with a fly screen. Bifolds just mean you have 10,000 wasps buzzing around during lunch 🥪

What way do you face? Not what you were asking but we have integral blinds in our windows and they are the best thing ever. We don't have the clutter of external blinds above or curtains to the left and right. And more importantly the blinds really help to keep the house cooler in the summer

We’ve gone for aluminium sliders as was too big of an area for bifolds. Not that I wanted bifolds tbh.

We've got 3 sets of bifolds. Love them. The whole room opens to the garden in the summer

Sliding. We don’t actually open ours fully that much in the summer due to the flies!

We have both, in different rooms. The sliders do give a clearer view of the garden, but you just can't beat opening the whole room up in the summer.

It's really important to buy good quality though, we have schuco and can't fault them.