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.

Oh, by the way - PrincessPam - I have been a an exhibition and listened to Express Bifolds sales patter - never heard so much tripe in my life!!! Telling one poor customer that they were selling 'soft coat' glass for the same price as 'hard coat' when it should be soooo much more!!! Utter rubbish - it's all the same price now. If they can't get you a testimonial then don't use them! Any good company will be able to provide you with that.

Express bifiold sent me a quote for nearly £20k and a dodgy video of what would happen if I went with their awful competitors. I wouldn't touch them!

Has anyone had any experience with Jeld Wen Smoothfold doors? We purchased these bifold doors in October 2011 and have had a nightmare with the cill leaking and 2 of the doors veneer blowing. We are caught between the manufacturers and the builders. We just dont know what to do now and this is now holding up finishing off the project. Any thoughts would be appreciated - Thanks

Have not read all this thread but we have just placed an order with 1st folding sliding doors based in Greenford for aluminium folding slidings of just over 4m. Had a look at the product in their showroom and happy with it. A competitive price and the guys seemed really nice, they were recommended by our builder.

Jeld Wen use an Australian based ironmongery company and build the doors in Lowestoft from my last understanding. I saw these at an exhibition and couldn't believe how ugly they were, and very basic. Have you withheld any payments? This is your only leverage. Check your contract and see who your guarantee is with - if its the builders, then pursue it thoroughly through your builders (at least they won't use Jeld Wen again). Make a nuisance of yourself, the cill leaking can be down to the installation - ask to see the fitting instructions - you can ask for these direct from Jeld Wen if need be. Check all the fixing points - where it sits in the cavity and all the sealing points around the doors - are the gaskets and brushpiles in place or are they loose/missing. When you lock the door - are they closing tight and sealing. Where are they draining to? Copy all correspondence to Jeld Wen and make a nuisance of yourself there too - ask where they will be exhibiting with their doors (self build exhibitions/Grand Designs exhibition) and say you will come to see them there and show them where their doors are failing! This really shouldn't be happening. I did think their timber was laminated - check the description of the wood - it shouldn't be a veneer, it should be laminated timber with a chosen finish. Hope this helps.

This is a great blog, found it as me and my partner are going to fit folding patio doors ourselves. My friend had some fitted by ID Systems, which I think are Sunflex windows? Anyway its these ones www.i-d-systems.co.uk/folding-doors/sf75 - I like to think we can manage that, as I love them so much..has anyone else fitted them by themselves? Hers are great, been up a year and the quality is superb. Its a bit beyond our budget tho but I don't want to skimp to sacrifice on long term wear....has anyone else fitted them by themselves?

We've just started loking for 8-ft (3-"leaf") folding sliding doors for a planned kitchen extension. I found (online) a compant called Creative Doors offering oak frame doors for about £1300 inc vat and delivery. They gave me a local reference contact and we went to look at them. They look good. The contact's builder was there, and said they were easy to install. Only problem is they come unfinished. A builder/joiner we're considering for building the extension recommended getting doors from Jewson (via his trade account). Haven't checked Jewson out yet.

A couple of pearls of wisdom for me to add to this thread for posterity:

1. We were advised that wooden frames are more susceptible to warping/expansion/contraction. This becomes more of an issue the longer the stretch of doors is and you can end up with doors that don't open and close properly.

2. DON'T USE SUNPARADISE. The final product looks great (aluminium frames) but their customer service was woeful throughout. Dealing with them was by far the most stressful part of our whole house renovation (and save for the builder himself, was, ironically, by far the most expensive contractor on the job). No one really gave a sh*t what was and wasn't happening, I had to chase every day for information and updates, was passed from pillar to post, their delays impacted the whole build. We spent over £30k on folding doors, a side return roof and rear windows for the whole property - DON'T DO IT! You have been warned!

3. For security look for doors that have several locks across the run of doors, otherwise they effectively life out of the slot they sit it.

This is a great thread. After doing weeks of research I have learnt more in a few moments of reading this. We are about to order aluminium bifolds for our extension. We were looking at UK Bi Fold, Kloeber, Origin Easifold, Sunseeker and the Folding Sliding Door company (but probably wouldn't now after reading this), and the prices have ranged from £3,300 to £4,500. We're probably going to go with either Sunseeker or the Easifold doors and wondered if anyone had any feedback from having either of these doors installed? Would love to hear. Also if anyone can recommend any other supplier and fitter - north London/home counties area.

Re Jewson's (recommended by a prospective builder) - they've quoted £4,645 for a three-leaf Jeld Wen set (with one door opening separately), or £3,100 trade. After reading the comments above about Jeld Wen, I think we'll give them a miss. Creative Doors seem OK. Has anyone bought from them?

We used Sunparadise for our folding doors and were really happy with both them and the service. We found their staff far less pushy than some of the others we went to see. We dealt with a lovely lady called Sally there and she was really helpful. My neighbour is going through the process with them on some big sliding doors and a rooflight at the moment and has also found them really good - hopefully your bad experience was a one off.

There are 2 Sally's at Sunparadise that we dealt with. Both of them deal with phone calls professionally (when you actually get through to them). Actually getting anything done requires other people and being passed around by people who have no regard for the money you spend or the promises you make which are subsequently broken. Completely unprofessional, which is a shame as the doors look quite good.

You might get away with it if you're only buying a simple run of bifold doors I suppose.

Safechoice has very nice bi-fold doors. I love them, so easy to open, definitely better than standard french doors.

Hi SpaceTrain,

You are right not to skimp on this purchase Sunflex and Solarlux both have very good names. ID Systems have a great range of options too with a range of prices too. The main thing I wanted to say though to anyone reading this is do NOT buy Sunfold systems. The bi-fold industry is notorious for long lead times, but we have been waiting 8 months now. We finally expected our doors today, but after calling them i have been told we have to wait till April 1st. Plus they have already taken full payment, so they have us over a barrel...

Hi ConnorsDad

That sounds awful. I've had a quote for Sunfold doors from an outfit in Corsham Wilts. Who did you use?

Havent read whole thread but I had 5 door bifold doors fitted

Looked at the big companies and ended up spending a fraction of their prices with a local firm and got great service

We have had sunflex bi folding doors installed and the locks on the doors cannot have a key in place whilst closing the doors, if they do the key breaks. We are told that this is the norm and no one else has complained! We need a key in the door at all times. Anyone else experience this problem?

We have shortlisted Sunseeker after getting some quotes. If anyone has any extra info, please let me know.
ILoveMondays, I have sent you a PM.

Thanks

I am considering 3 leaf aluminium folding sliding doors for my new extension.

Of the door systems mentioned above, which ones are top hung and which ones are installed at the bottom?

Has anyone researched or considered the pros and cons of one or the others system? I know that top hung will require an RSJ but that is ok as my extension is just being built

we've chosen sun fold aluminium, just over 4 metres long. not yet fitted. I did a lot of research - sun fold, sun flex, kloeber, origins uk bi bold (raynaers), etc etc. sun fold was the most expensive and i wrote them off immediately. then sun flex. the great thing about kloeber was that they do a fixed size range which is a lot cheaper than their bespoke range (triple glazed) - i was planning on buying them or uk bi fold (which sell a uk design by raynaers).

Prices varied from £4.5k up to £8k (for the sun fold).

One slight problem that I have is that we live in a very exposed marine environment (VERY) and so we needed a marine treatment on all the doors. That pushes the price up a lot.

Then I went to see all these doors at a show. sun fold blew everyone else out of the water as far as i was concerned. It was gutting - they were so much more expensive than the rest, but boy did i want those doors.

At the show, sun fold suggested that i had been over quoted for the doors and suggested that i contacted a few more sun fold retailers for quotes. I did that, and got the same door (sfk70 - their top of range model) for £800 cheaper than my original sun fold quote from some-one else. so worth shopping around.

doors going in in july. My only problem now (which is why I'm still scouring these websites) is that I cannot work out whether their semi weathered thresholds will be good enough, or whether, given our very exposed (wind, rain, sea etc) location we really need to go for the fully weathered tracks. Trying to find some-one who has sun fold doors in this sort of environment ......

I meant to say, Kloeber seemed good, and if you could fit within their fixed size ranges, a lot cheaper. my problem was that we had to have a marine finish, and if you have a marine finish with kloeber, you are pushed back into their bespoke range and the price goes right back up again.

another problem was that "marine finish" for different companies meant different things - uk standards versus european standards - some just treated the aluminium door frames, others treated everything, like the hinges etc. Its a minefield.

sunflex and kloeber were both good, but in my view sun fold pipped them both. against initial sun fold quotes of 8k (which then came down to 7.2k), sun flex came in at 6.8k. kloeber was 5.5k ish i think, until I got back into the bespoke range, at which point it went back up again. uk bi fold was cheaper, around the low 5's. All incl vat, delivery and fitting. 4 leaves and standard height (the price goes up the more leaves you have).

The other problem i'm having is whether to pay extra for the special glass coating that gives you extra thermal efficiency and a sort of "self cleaning" glass (not low e, that's standard. This is some extra "solar glass" thing). Apparently it makes the glass a bit darker and OH is dead against it, but I think it would be useful ..... so many options, so little money......

Just making my place, as we are planing an extension now. Some really helpful comments on here, thankyou everyone.

Can I stress for people to THINK about how you will cover your windows at night. I know lots of people don't mind having nothing but if you find it a bit soulless - which it can be with such a large area of black in your room at night- think now about how you will deal with it before you put them in. We have gone for very simple curtains but I don't really like them. I really wish I had had the integrated blinds now. Ours are 3m wide, three doors, aluminium and I bloody love them, nothing better in the summer than throwing the whole lot open, they really make the room. I can recommend a company if anyone is in the South East. We have only had one problem with ours and the company and came out and fixed it for free the day after I rang them.

Hi Agatha : I am in London SW17 so would appreciate the name of the SE company you mention?

Hi CornishRex

My understanding is that one always better off going for a fully weathered threshold. If your extension has been built already, then using a fully weathered threshold will create a bigger 'step' from the inside to outside. But if it hasn't been built then, the depth of the threshold can be incorporated into the floor depth & finishes. Do this BEFORE the concrete is poured and work out the floor components and their respective depths with the builder & Sunfold to get a flush finish of the doors inside and out.

Please could you let me know why you selected Sunfold? Was it just the marine finish that convinced or was there a fundamental differenc ein quality? As the price is the most expensive mthere has to be something special?