A buyer’s guide to bifold doors
Author: Martin Burgess - Customer Service Manager
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External bifold doors vs sliding doors
When deciding on external doors for your home, weighing up the options available to you is essential for making the right choice. Bifold doors and sliding doors are similar in many ways: they both allow maximum levels of light into your home and help to connect the inside and outside. However, there are some key differences that could help you to choose between installing bifold or sliding doors in your home.
| Sliding Doors | Bifold Doors | |
| Price | Starts at £3,349 for a 2.4m door (minimum size) Extra delivery costs must also be considered as a result of the weight of these doors |
Starts at £1,839 for a 1.8m door (minimum size) |
| Sizes |
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| Thermal Efficiency | Thermal performance of 1.6 W/2mK | Between 1.7 W/2mK to 1.0 W/m2K |
| Materials | ||
| Guarantee | 15-year guarantee | 10-year guarantee |
| Glazing |
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As you can see, there are a few differences between the options available, the option you choose will depend on your own needs and personal preferences.
To find out more about the difference between bifold doors and sliding doors, you can read our guide here.
Or you can find out more about replacing your sliding doors with bifolds in our guide.
External bifold doors vs French doors
In addition to sliding doors, French doors are another option for glass patio doors but, how do they compare to bifold doors? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both types of doors to help you understand more about what both options could offer.
Key benefits of bifold doors:
- Outstanding thermal efficiency
- Uninterrupted views
- Easy installation
- Easy maintenance
- Sleek and stylish
Key benefits of French doors:
- Huge amounts of natural light
- Easy to use
- Stylish
- Space efficient
One of the biggest drawbacks of French doors is the lack of configuration options available. They have a traditional and static design, unlike bifold doors which can be as large or as small as you choose with sizes starting from 1.8m.
When buying new patio doors, these benefits are important to weigh up to decide which doors are best for your home and which will serve your needs in the right way. While both offer great benefits, there is no ‘better’ option so the style of your home and how you will use the doors will be the biggest factors in the doors you choose to purchase.
You can find out more about the differences between French doors and bifold doors by reading our guide.
Which colour should you choose for your bifold doors?
The colour and finish you choose for your bifold doors will have an impact on the way your doors and home look after installation. This applies whether you’re looking to install internal or external bifold doors.
At Vufold, we have a number of options available when it comes to the colours available for your bifold doors.
White vs grey external bifold doors
White and grey are two of the most popular colours for bifold doors as they blend well with existing décor and with the style of your home.
The most common reasons that our customers buy white bifold doors are:
- Neutral colour
- Go-to colour for doors and windows
- A bright, light feel for your home
- Will suit any colour scheme
- Offers longevity in terms of style
- Different shades of white available
- Suitable for traditional-style properties
On the other hand, grey bifolds have also become a popular option for the following reasons:
- Enhance the look of your property
- Luxurious look and feel
- Emerging as the new white
- Neutral colour
- Growing in popularity as a colour choice for windows and doors
- Doesn’t show dirt and dust in the same way as white
- Suitable for contemporary renovation projects
If you’re not sure on which colour to choose for your bifold doors, you can always opt for dual colour doors. This will allow you to choose one colour for the outside and one for the inside. Dual colour doors mean you can match both the style of your home and your existing windows whilst also matching with your interior décor.
Read our guide to find out more about the difference between white and grey external bifold doors.
Oak vs white internal bifold doors
In addition to choosing the right colour for your external bifold doors, making sure you make the right choice for your internal doors is also important.
If you’re thinking of installing internal bifold doors, there are a number of choices available to you.
Unfinished oak
Buying unfinished oak bifold doors will provide you with the option to paint the door frames in any colour you wish so you can match your internal doors perfectly to your existing home décor.
In addition, you can keep the natural beauty of the wood by staining or varnishing the door frames.
Benefits of unfinished oak include:
- Lower cost
- Maximum flexibility
White bifold doors
Vufold’s range of white internal bifold doors
Benefits of white bifold doors include:
- Versatile and adaptable
- Bright, light style
- Ready to hang
Once of the biggest benefits of buying white internal bifold doors is that they’re completely ready to hang. All you have to do is install the door hardware and install your doors. There is much more preparation and work required when you purchase an unfinished oak bifold door.
You can find out more about the differences between unfinished oak and white bifold door by clicking here.
About Martin Burgess
For customers, Martin is one of the key people at Vufold and looks to offer technical advice, resolve any issues or problems that they may have. Martin is passionate about protecting the reputation of Vufold and likes to see a positive impact on the business due to his day-to-day efforts. Martin’s proud of the team he’s built around him and is dedicated to constantly improving the way the company meets its service commitments and delivers on its promises.
Read more about Martin Burgess