Category: blog

Are wood or fibreglass doors better?

Posted on by Bifold Doors UK

When treated properly, wooden doors can be extremely durable and when a good quality door is bought, wooden doors can last up to 30 years.

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Why We Love Wooden Doors!

There are a number of people who argue that wood doors are not as durable as fibreglass doors, and therefore fibreglass doors are a better purchase.

There are often claims that fibreglass doors last-longer and will not warp in extreme weather.

However, when treated properly, wooden doors can be extremely durable and when a good quality door is bought (like the doors from Bifold Doors UK!), wooden doors can last up to 30 years.

While there are, of course, a number of advantages to investing in fibreglass doors, there is often no comparison to the look of real wood.

Here are a few advantages and disadvantages of wood and fibreglass doors:

 

 Advantages of Wood Doors  Advantages of Fibreglass Doors  Disadvantages of Wood Doors  Disadvantages of Fibreglass Doors
 Wood looks better and  is more prestigious than fibreglass.  Require less maintenance.  Require regular  maintenance.  Wood is much more  aesthetic than  fibreglass.
 Wood is a renewable  resource.  Fibreglass doors are  less likely to rot, rust, warp, bow or deteriorate.  Can warp in harsh weather if  not treated properly.  Usually fibreglass  doors are a more  expensive investment than wood doors.
 If wood is scratched, it  can be repaired easily.  Slightly more energy  efficient when  installed properly.   Some lower quality wood doors can fade.  Fibreglass is a man-made and non-renewable resource.
 Wood doors that  require replacement  tend to be easier to  work with than  fibreglass doors.  Can be stained to  look  like wood.  Wood doors are slightly less  energy efficient  Fibreglass doors are more complicated + expensive to install than wooden doors.

 

While it is possible to purchase fibreglass doors with a wood effect, these doors do not have the same superior aesthetic to wood doors.

 

Wooden doors have a beautiful look and are most definitely a more prestigious option of door.

 

While fibreglass doors can be treated to have a wood-look grain, there is still a differentiation between the fantastic aesthetic and natural quality of real wood doors.


Browse our range of exterior and interior wood doors at Bifold Doors UK.

Can bi-fold doors open inwards?

Posted on by Bifold Doors UK

If you’ve never had bi-fold doors installed in your property, then it is understandable not to be sure which way they open.

Of course, bi-fold doors are well-known to be incredibly space-saving and can be made with various configurations.

Because there are numerous ways in which bi-fold doors work, they can open both inwards and outwards.

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Bifold or Sliding Doors?

Often, because homeowners can’t be sure if bi-fold doors can be opened inwards, they’ll opt for sliding doors as a failsafe option; confident that sliding doors will achieve the purpose in mind.

However, don’t make a panic decision into purchasing sliding doors! If you’ve got your heart set on inward opening bifold doors, these can be provided by various bi-fold door manufacturers, including Bi-fold Doors UK.

Customize your bifold door opening

The first decision to make when you opt for installing bi-fold doors in the home is indeed whether you would like the doors to open inwards or outwards.

While inward opening bifold doors are a possibility, the most popular choice is to opt for bifold doors to open outwards.

A few issues that can arise with inward opening bi-fold doors:

  • Inward opening bi-fold doors take up space in the room when they are folded open.
  • If the doors are wet, they can drip water onto your interior flooring.
  • Inward opening bi-fold doors require an additional pull handle, that is not needed for external-opening bi-fold doors.
  • Internal opening bifold doors can be more prone to leaking at the bottom.

What to consider when putting together your bi-fold or sliding door plan

Before purchasing your bi-fold or sliding doors and having them installed, it is helpful to put together a bi-fold door plan or sliding door plan for which you should consider the following:

  • What material would you like your doors to be? We have aluminium, hardwood and timber options available. Other budget companies have UPVC bi-fold and sliding doors available.
  • What size do your doors need to be? Make sure you measure your door opening in suitable detail.
  • How many panels would you like? Generally, the more panels you have, the more expensive your doors will be.
  • What level of security do you require? If you’re having doors installed within the interior of your home, you may not require a hugely high level of security. Obviously, if your doors are being used as a back door or patio door, you’ll want increased security features.
  • What is your budget? You budget will, of course, affect the type of door you can purchase.
  • Do you need your doors to be professionally installed? Are you going to install the doors yourself or do you require a professional installer to fit them for you?

When may inward opening bi-fold doors be necessary?

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Inward opening bifold doors may be beneficial where you have a small garden space or outward opening bi-fold doors may block the path. Inward bifold doors need blinds instead of curtains to prevent the curtains getting caught in any of the doors folding mechanisms.

 

Bi-fold Doors from Bifold Doors UK

We have various bi-fold doors, patio doors, back doors and more available from Bifold Doors UK. All available to fit perfectly in your home.

How much do patio doors cost?

Posted on by Bifold Doors UK

There is nothing that improves the home quite like a set of high-quality patio doors, no matter what style you choose.

The variety of patio doors available means that there generally tends to be a choice for all homeowners, no matter what the style of the property or where you live.

At Bi-fold Doors UK, our patio doors are made to nothing but the best quality, using premium hardwood or aluminium materials. What’s more, they are highly secure.

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Often, people are directed more towards purchasing cheaper patio doors to avoid a large bill when first installing them into the home. However, paying a little bit more for premium patio doors tends to be a more long-term solution that will save money in the long run, avoiding costly maintenance and replacement invoices.

So how much do good patio doors cost? What should you expect to pay to get the most from your money?

The price of patio doors varies according to whether you are having them supplied and fitted, or just supplied, as well as factors like the size of the door, materials, specifications and more.

The rough guide for a bottom-end, supply only patio door (probably made from UPVC) tends to be around £590. This would be made from cheaper materials and would need to be installed yourself.

Prices then increase depending on material, quality and size of your required patio door until you reach over £8000 for the best quality doors, for example bi-fold doors that feature over 12 panels.

At Bifold Doors UK, all our patio doors are supplied, rather than supplied and installed, and are priced dependent on sizing and any additional extras that may be required.

Our patio bifold door prices start at £1300 for double leaf bi-folding doors and go up to £8050 for 12 leaf folding doors.

You can view a more detailed price list here.

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Other factors to consider:

The following patio door features may be charged separately, it depends where you purchase your doors from.

The list below shows what may be charged separately when you come to purchase you bi-fold doors. We have annotated to each one whether we charge additionally for this at Bifold Doors UK.

  • Ornamental features of the door- We charge extra for custom ironmongery at Bifold Doors UK if you would like to choose specific ironmongery features. Otherwise, the doors come with standard handles. Many people do indeed opt for different ironmongery features to add a sense of uniqueness and personality to the doors. The price of the ironmongery depends on which features you choose.
  • Higher rated thermal/energy efficiency- All of our doors offer first class thermal efficiency and this is included in the total price, however, some door companies may offer lower standard thermally efficient doors as a budget option.
  • Alternative treatments to wood/door surface- Bifold Doors UK have various options available on the colour/treatment of the wood. We have various Farrow and Ball stains and colours to choose from.
  • Glazing options- All of our doors at Bifold Doors UK are double glazed at minimum, please contact us if you wish to discuss triple glazing options. It is advised not do opt for single glazed doors as they offer significantly less insulation and durability.

Can the type of replacement patio door you choose have an effect on the value of your home?

 Of course! A good quality, A-rated choice of patio door will most definitely have a positive influence on the value of your home.

What’s more, nowadays, new and replacement patio doors must meet building regulations for thermal efficiency.

 How can you tell if your patio doors are thermally efficient?

The most reliable way of assessing the efficiency of patio doors is by referring to the BFRC (British Fenestration Ratings Council) WER label which shows the rating of the overall patio door unit (not simply the glass itself).

An A-rating is the best rating on the WER rating and the U values are also shown in the lower right-hand corner. U values refer to the effectiveness of a material as an insulator.

It is advised to use the following as a guide to the minimum criteria for energy efficiency:

  • The U Value of the window, or glass panel, should be 1.6W/ (m²K) or less.
  • The WER rating should be ‘C’ at minimum.
  • The sealed units should ideally be argon filled, with a U value better than 1.2 W/(m²K).
  • The door should feature warm edge spacer bars. Warm edge spacer bars insulate the edges of the sealed unit and keep the glass panes apart.

Whether you want to order a set of our patio doors, or simply find out more, please contact us at Bifold Doors UK. We’re happy to help.