GENERAL INFORMATION
All Vufold products have been designed to be installed by the relevant experienced trades person(s), or for most of our products, by competent DIY'ers. Do not commence installation unless you or your chosen installers fully understand the task at hand and are confident you / they have the required skill set to complete the works.
Before commencing the installation, double check the opening is the correct size and the items you've received are to the correct specification including size, handing, colour and glass before discarding any packaging. This includes any components that may be supplied fitted or loose. Check the items are free from damage. If replacing an existing door / window, we advise not to remove this until all checks have been completed.
The brickwork / finished opening should be 10mm bigger in height and width than the assembled outer frame size. Please ensure that all dimensions are correct for installation before proceeding as the door set must be installed square and level into the opening.
We quite often see products installed at too early a stage in the project, with many trades still accessing the room(s), with various works still due to be carried out; therefore, leaving your newly installed product(s) exposed and in a vulnerable position. It is recommended that your new purchase is installed as late into the project as possible.
Some components will not perform well in new rooms that are full of moisture, especially when combined with central heating or other heating systems. Where possible, ensure that all wet trades like plastering, painting, floor installation and finishing, are completed and the room is fully dried out before installation.
We do recognise that this is not always practical, especially with extensions or new build installations. Often, the patio door set is installed before these jobs are completed or dried out. Then it can act as a barrier to the weather outside – and make the home secure – so that work can carry on inside the room. In this scenario it is important to make sure the product has been fully inspected and then adequate protection is applied to all frame components, doors and glass. Extra protection should be applied to the bottom cill / threshold as this is the most exposed area and prone to damages.
IMPORTANT: All products must be installed as per the assembly instructions provided with your order. Vufold will not accept any responsibility for products which have been cut down or machined or otherwise hung from the original, standard product specification we supplied to you unless advised to do so in the relevant fitting instructions supplied with your purchase.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We deliver your Vufold order with a comprehensive, step-by-step instruction booklet to guide you, or your installer, through every step of the installation.
To make life even easier, Vufold also offers a selection of installation videos demonstrating just how easy it really is.
How to install: -
Wooden External Bifold Doors
Aluminium External Bifold Doors (Status only)
Wooden Internal Bifold Doors
Vufold internal and external bi-folding doors and French doors are 'ready-to-assemble' meaning they come with everything, all the essential items needed included as standard. Everything is pre-sized to your specification and 99% factory pre-machined. All you need to do is drill for the handle with the bits provided (wooden doors only) and the rest is simply a question of assembling the doors and frames.
IMPORTANT: If you have purchased an unfinished product, ensure you treat them before installation.
Our internal and external wooden bifold doors operate on 'top roller / hung' system. The weight of the door set is carried by the lintel above, this allows for a much smoother action and much easier maintaining of the tracks. It is vitally important that top hung systems are securely fixed to the lintel with the appropriate fixings, and the lintel has been calculated to include the overall door set weight.
External aluminium bifold doors are supplied with a 'bottom roller / hung' system. The weight of the doors is at the bottom, this can prevent costly lintels from being specified whilst still providing a smooth folding and sliding action. As all the weight is on the threshold and cill, the levelling of this area is critical. The threshold and cill must be installed perfectly level and packed / supported appropriately, paying special attention to ensure it is well packed where the bottom rollers sit when open and closed. The bottom frame sections must have no dips or rises all the way along the full length. There must be no bowing of the frame head.
We pre-drill or clearly mark the holes where the hardware fits. All of the fixings are provided to secure the frame into the brickwork, as are the fixing screws for securing the door frame head into the steel lintel and RSJ. We even send you the correct diameter and length of HSS and masonry drill bits to make sure you’ve got the right sizes, plus the driver bits to fit the screws.
Our wooden bifold and French patio doors have adjustable hardware so the operation can be easily fine-tuned simply by turning a screwdriver or an Allen key.
Status aluminium bi-folding doors, Supreme aluminium bi-folding doors and Status/Supreme windows incorporate unique Vufold manufacturing techniques to allow the glazed units to be factory installed (unless advised otherwise), including the 'toe and heel' / balancing of the glass. This enables a really fast and easy installation by any competent DIYer or builder in easy steps: -
Assemble the frame
Square up, pack / support and level the frame into the opening
Securely fix the frame
Fix the hardware to the doors, and the doors to each other
And that's it! No specialist door fitter is required.
Following completion of installation, all protective film, tape, and labels are to be removed immediately from the doors, frames, and glass. Temperature changes and moisture can cause adhesive marks / residue to be left on the powder coating and glass, which can then be extremely difficult to remove, and affect the coating.
help and advice
If you do need any help or advice on any aspect of the installation, please see our installation FAQ's, downloadable manuals and care and finishes pages, or contact us; we’d be delighted to help.
We also have useful information available to assist you in our advice centre. Here you will find further guidance on installing & fitting internal Bifold doors, ready-to-assemble door sets, how to fit external bifold doors, installing aluminium bifold doors, a full guide to bifold door installation, and much more!