Has anyone installed a long set of folding/sliding doors in their house

[SpaceTrain]

For our extension we are planning to have the whole wall that leads to the garden (approx 6 m) kitted out with folding doors.

Our architect has recommended Solarlux doors, which do seem to be good but also seem to be the most expensive.

Has anyone had any experience with these, or with any other makes?

We've had a quote from Sunflex, and another make we are looking at is Express Bi-folding doors, which are quite a bit cheaper. However I don't want to skimp on this purchase if we are going to face significant quality issues by buying cheaper.

Another question I have is what have you done for screening the doors? Express offer integrated blinds, which seems a better option that having trailing vertical blinds on the inside.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[LittleOtik]

Okay here's wot he sed.

Other companies (not Solarlux) often will give a quote but then charge extra for fitting the doors etc. Solarlux come and do the measurements for you in the first place (which takes a massive weight off the mind - a while back we didn't use Solarlux for our own doors and relying on our own measurements was terrifying, if you get it the slightest bit wrong you are screwed), and then come and fit them for you. Basically the whole service is included and is of a very good standard.

However, he doesn't know that the other companies don't also offer this.

He also gave an example - his father has recently used Solarlux and after they fitted the doors, the Solarlux man spotted a tiny scratch on one of the panes. My FIL hadn't noticed it. The Solarlux man immediately arranged for a replacement pane to be sent out (at a cost to the company, obviously).

Finally, on a slightly separate note, if it comes to a matter of fitting the doors yourself or paying extra to have them fitted (not sure if you are considering that?) then I would SO strongly recommend having them fitted. We didn't last time (when we didn't use Solarlux) and it was awful - can't remember which company it was but they had neglected to send a crucial part which wasn't obvious until we were half-way into fitting them, so not only did it take a whole day (literally) to fit them, they were incomplete and insecure for a couple of weeks. Nightmare!

Hope this helps and isn't too rambling, DD2 is giving me an earful so finding it hard to concentrate on important issue of folding doors..!

[SpaceTrain]

That's great thanks a lot LittleOtik.

And I'm sure we'll be getting someone else to do the fitting. Those glass panels are heavy!!

[Mellin]

SpaceTrain,
We are about to have bi-fold doors fitted on our kitchen from www.traditionalsashwindows.co.uk. Ours are wood, so maybe not what you are looking for.

Our friends had aluminium doors from www.i-d-systems.co.uk/ and I know they are still very pleased with them 2 years on. They were recommended by their architect and look fabulous. But too exy for us.

[SpaceTrain]

Thanks a lot for that infor Mellin. Hope you like your doors!

The i-d systems doors are the Sunflex make, which we have been looking at. So it's good to know that your friends are pleased with them.

[jicky]

We have several sets of sunflex doors - ordered via i-d systems and again the doors are great but the service was poor. The first time we had them installed they came much later than expected (and we had no wall of house in January) then when they did arrive they turned up at about 4pm and installed them in the dark and got quite cross when our builder would not say they were OK as he could not see to check.

The second time the doors were the wrong size and we had to have the door lintels raised - we didn't have to bear the cost of this, not sure if it was down to mis-measuring by the builder or a mistake at the manufacturing end as we were on holiday, but it did make the project drag on.

We don't have blinds on the kitchen ones - I was quite keen on the internal ones, until it was pointed out it was just something else to go expensively wrong. We have curtains on the other sets, but they are more big french window size, rather than a whole wall of glass.

[SpaceTrain]

Thanks for all that info Jicky. And sorry to hear you have had such tribulations.

We have now placed an order the Folding Sliding Door Company, so thank you Lanky for the recommendation.

[redshoes]

Mellin - can I ask how much your doors cost? sorry for highjack

[berno]

This is a sort of p.s. as you've already ordered your doors.

I found a really good blog that gives customer testimonials (obviously only good ones) which is better than most blogs that only give boring details of why you should buy their products.

sunseekerdoors.blogspot.com/2008/10/case-study-kent.html

sunseekerdoor s.blogspot.com/2008/07/case-study-hertfordshire.html

I short-listed this company with the one in Yorkshire and one in Essex and chose sunseeker because they were very helpful with my many questions.

The doors were fitted a month after ordering and are brilliant. It now feels really weird opening our old french doors which are pvc and feel really flimsy compared with the sunseeker aluminium bifolding-sliding doors.

[Surveyking]

We fitted a run of six doors of about five metres. Unfortunately, we used the Folding Sliding Door Company in Bradford and it was a disaster. Three years later, and $10,000 in legal costs, and we still cannot lock the doors properly and there are gaps etc.

Put simply, they were manufactured the wrong size and arrived bent and twisted, so they were more or less useless as secure doors.

It was the worst consumer experience I have ever had.

[SparkyUK]

Mellin can I ditto redshoes request and ask how much your doors cost? thanks!

[galaxy]

We're also looking at bi-fold doors to replace some oak stable doors that let the water and wind in. Would be interested in any feedback and prices.

[warthog]

we used cantifix. amazing.

no blinds, just artful planting

[hazel1969]

Hi All,

We recently had a 7mtr set of folding doors installed. We carried out lots of research and in the end decided on the Sunflex System.

The quality of the doors is very high but then they cost a lot so you would expect that. We choose a company called SKG London, as they came recommended from a friend who had used them before.

We were very pleased with the service, the doors took around 2 months from order but the company explained this when we placed our order. It seems like a long time but they are made in germany so i guess it takes a little longer to ship them over.

If your budget can stretch to Sunflex i would say do so, i would also recommend SKG London as a very good company to do business with.

There website was www.bespoke-doors-online.co.uk

[bettyjack]

My husband has installed lots of folding doors.

Please take a look at his website

www.pmccarpentry.co.uk

[SparkyMalarky]

Hi - we used Sunseeker Doors - think this is them - and we've had no real problems.. they were installed by them too. We've got a silver frame to the doors which is nice too as lots of them seem to be wood, black or white PVC.

As for covering, we have vertical blinds from Ikea - cheap as chips and are the exact width of each of the 4 doors making up the bifold Would have loved integrated ones...but spent the money on a range cooker instead

[berno]

following on from a post a few months ago, here's an update on our sunseeker doors that are now in their 2nd summer.

Absolutely great - as new! The only maintenance is to keep the bottom runner clear of obstacles using a vacuum attachment every now and then.

We even had blinds inside the glazing and despite the considerable cost this has proved to be a brilliant investment. we use them every morning and evening as a minimum. there hasn't been a hint of trouble.

I looked at their blog again: www.sunseekerdoors.blogspot.com and there were really interesting articles on 14th July, 3rd June and 28th/20th April.

Sunseeker bifolding doors are manufactured in England therefore installation is under a month if you don't want blinds (it says 2 weeks on their web site www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk ). they measure and fit them themselves which is included in the quote/cost.

We are still really pleased with ours.

[alisugar]

grin]My husband is an architect and uses a company called Moving Designs in Wokingham, Berkshire. He has used them many times and thinks they are excellent. They are alot cheaper than solarlux & sunflex and the quality & service is excellent. You can buy supplied and fitted or as a flat pack for any DIYers. They also come out and measure or show you how to do it yourself. We have recently had a bi-fold system installed ourself & I would recommend them to anyone. Yes there is a 15 year guarantee. If anyone is interested their number is 0118 9787249.

[Vangough]

Just a word of warning about The Folding Sliding Door company. We bought doors from them last year, and although they are fine the problems started when we needed one replacing following a burglary. The after-care service is horrendous. I've never come across such poor customer service, ever. Nobody talks to anyone else within the company and still weeks on I am waiting for even a reply to the countless emails and letters I have sent the Customer Service manager. They sell you them, but boy they are useless if you have a problem !

[whistleblower15]

Hi,
I am an ex-employee of The Folding Sliding Door Company - Bradford. I would say the doors are quite good build and finish and the way to avoid the customer services hassles is to pay for a survey. i.e. FSD will come out and measure up for you then if there are any problems it is their fault and any follow up visits can't be charged for (and don't let them flannel you about the opening or floor not being right to start with) Most of the doors fitted when I worked there had no issues. They don't really have a service dept thats the problem.

[wen75]

i had a 5 panel set of doors fitted by a company called sun paradise. the company was swiss but product made in Turkey and transported to england. very impressive doors run superb. two young boys called lee and david very pleasant and polite who fitted the doors (if i was 10 years younger [wink[). we had a surveyor come and measure, everything ran smoothly from start to finish.

[FionaWalker]

We have just put in 2 sets of Sunflex bi-fold doors and 1 window - supplied by ID Systems.

Initial service was good and revisions to our drawings were supplied in good time

Delivery time was about 8 weeks from the time we 'signed off' the drawing

Delivery driver was very good although came on his own so needed assistance to unload - we were told this by ID Systems

Instructions with the doors and windows were very poor so we called ID several times for assistance (we saved over £1000 by choosing to instal the doors ourselves rather than use an ID System's installer)

My husband and his father installed the doors in a day - 2 sets of doors and the window. The fixing system (to fix the door frame to the wall) is very poor considering how much you pay for the system.

The build quality of doors and window is excellent.

Overall, a quality product with average service from their agents. Expensive but worth it !!

[dunish]

has anyone fitted a bi-fold system which is flush with the outside patio? I am looking for one which can be used by wheelchair users.

[MrsStuartBaggs]

What a very useful thread...watching with interest.

[Alouiseg]

We are just about to have an extension which will be 4 metres of bifold doors leading onto a patio. We have been advised to have the bifolds that are hung and supported from the top with just a guide track at the bottom. I cant remember the name of the company that we are using for the doors but ill find out and post back later.

[DisparityCausesInstability]

About to put in 7 metres of aluminium bifolds - we are using a company recommended by our builder & our architect and he's getting a very good price.