Vufold vs Vibrant doors: External bifold doors
Author: David Ross - Sales Manager
External bifold doors are a beautiful and energy-efficient addition to a home, but it can be difficult to find the right manufacturer.
In this guide, we’ll be comparing external bifold doors from Vufold’s and Vibrant Door, to help you understand which supplier might be right for you.
Click on one of the links below to jump to that section:
An at-a-glance summary showcasing the main similarities and differences between the two suppliers.
Both ranges share some similarities; this section details the main ones.
There are several important differences between Vufold and Vibrant Doors that should be considered before making a decision.
VUFOLD VS VIBRANT DOORS: OVERVIEW
| |
Vufold |
Vibrant Doors |
| Available Materials |
- FSC®- Certified Timber
- Aluminium
- Composite
|
|
| Standard Size Range |
- 1.8m–6m
- Larger sizes available with bespoke service
|
|
| Sightlines |
Thin sightlines from 150mm on all external bifold doors |
Thin sightlines on aluminium bifold doors |
| Colours/finishes |
Timber:
- Oak (finished or unfinished)
- Anthracite grey
- Traffic white
Aluminium:
- Anthracite grey
- Hipca white
- Jet black
- Grey outside/white inside
Composite:
- Grey outside/oak inside
- White outside/oak inside
Bespoke:
|
Aluminium:
Wooden:
|
| Glazing |
Double and triple glazed available |
Double glazing only |
| Security |
- Multipoint lock system
- Doc Q compliant doors available
|
- Multipoint lock system
- Doc Q compliant doors available
|
| Thermal efficiency |
As low as 1.0 W/m2k with the composite bifold |
1.4 W/m2k average |
| Installation |
- Ready-to-assemble with all necessary hardware and instructions
- Can be installed by knowledgeable DIY homeowner
|
Requires a professional trader |
| Delivery/lead time |
Three days with free delivery |
Three to five days delivery, with up to 15 days lead time |
| Bespoke availability |
Yes! Custom doors can be made for any home |
No. Standard sizes only |
| Guarantee/Warranty |
15 years for aluminium bifold doors (and the aluminium finish on composite doors) |
10 years |
| Price range |
£1399 - £6389 |
£1209 - £4199 |
MAIN SIMILARITIES BETWEEN VUFOLD AND VIBRANT DOORS EXTERNAL BIFOLDS
External bifolds from Vufold and Vibrant Doors share a few similarities, mainly:
- Both offer aluminium and timber bifold doors
- Both offer excellent security
- Both offer a similar price range
MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VUFOLD AND VIBRANT DOORS EXTERNAL BIFOLDS
COMPOSITE BIFOLDS
Composite doors offer you the best of both timber and aluminium, with an internal wooden finish and hard-wearing aluminium exterior. The longevity of aluminium is matched with the natural thermal insulation of timber bifolds. This gives the flexibility of style and function, meaning there’s no trade-off needed.
Size range
Both bifold door suppliers can offer a decent range of bifold door sizes. However, Vufold goes that extra bit further offering up to 6m (Vibrant Doors can only offer up to 4.8m). Vufold bifolds can go even larger if required via Vufold’s bespoke service. With a bespoke service, you have the ability to create a beautiful bifold door system that meets the exact requirements of your living space.
GLAZING AND THERMAL EFFICIENCY
Both Vufold and Vibrant Doors offer bifolds with double glazing as standard. This means good thermal efficiency across both companies.
However, if you’re looking for extra thermal efficiency, we offer triple glazing on some of our bifold door ranges. Our Ultra doors are fitted with full-thickness, 44mm triple glazing that incorporates two panes of low-E thermal glass filled with argon. This provides the perfect energy-efficient solution to keeping your home warm during the winter and cool in the summer.
Combined with the natural thermal insulation of timber and the durability of aluminium, the Vufold Ultra composite bifold door offers an overall U-value as low as 1.0W/m2k!
With standard overall U-values of 1.4W/m2k, Vibrant Doors just can’t compete with Vufold’s Ultra bifold door range.
DELIVERY/LEAD TIME
There is a huge difference between Vibrantdoors 10 – 15 day lead time + 3 day delivery and Vufold’s delivery options. Vufold supplies certain doors like the aluminium bifold doors range that can be with you within three days.
Vufold’s doors will be delivered straight into the required room for easier installation. Vibrantdoors only offers kerbside delivery.
If you’re really in a hurry, you can also collect from a Vufold warehouse with just 24 hours' notice – meaning any last-minute jobs are made possible!
Bespoke designs
Although Vibrant Doors require a 10-15 day lead time for some of their aluminium doors, they do not offer any bespoke options. Vufold’s bespoke design service allows for unique designs and additional extras (such as integrated blinds). Vufold’s bespoke service also offers a much wider range of sizes, with the ability to go above standard 6m width.
Installation
Although you may prefer to have professional installation of your external bifolds, you may want to install them yourself. Unfortunately, Vibrant Doors recommends only using professional installers.
However, if you have DIY experience, self-installation is very much possible with external doors from Vufold. We supply doors that are known as ‘ready-to-assemble'.
What is a ready-to-assemble door?
Ready-to-assemble (RTA) doors are easily assembled on-site and in a reasonable amount of time. The main benefits of RTA doors are:
- All hardware and drill bits are included
- Only basic tools need to be sourced
- Easy-to-follow instructions included
- No hidden costs
- DIY-friendly
The hardware and drill bits come in an installation bag. These include:
- Hinges
- Tracks
- Hardware
- Glazing
- Fixings
RTA doors offer the easiest installation on the market. If you’re looking to install the doors yourself or look to reduce the installation time with a professional, they are the choice for you.
Exterior bifold doors are a great option for many homes. It’s important to choose the door that meets all of your needs, including style, great thermal efficiency and easy installation.
Vufold offers all of these benefits and more. View our range of external bifold doors.
Author:
David Ross - Sales Manager
About David Ross
David has over 20 years’ experience in the glazing industry across a variety of roles. He joined Vufold in 2012 and his mission is – ‘to make buying windows and doors as easy and stress free as possible’. He is committed to constant improvement and was instrumental in creating our innovative direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform to help grow and expand the business.
Read more about David Ross
