WWilts Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 2.4m wide opening. Nice view to garden. Torn between bifold doors (family think they look stunning) or French doors U value 1.4 suffices for SAP pass, so it's down to other factors including cost. What do folks think? What are the pros/cons? And if bifold doors, which make is known to work well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 I love both of our bifold doors (origin). It’s great to open the room right up on nice days. But they are crap for air tightness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 The technical challenge with bifolds is air tightness. I think you will need to spend big to get good air tightness in bifolds. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 1 minute ago, Gav_P said: But they are crap for air tightness. Not necessarily!!!!, my bifolds were made locally and have compression seals all round (my spec), it also has brush seals (which are not very airtight at all). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 1 minute ago, MikeSharp01 said: I think you will need to spend big to get good air tightness in bifolds. I can’t remember what I paid now but certainly not extravagant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 (edited) 2.4m is too narrow for 3 pane bifolds, you'll be looking at frames. We had a 3m opening which meant ~900mm doors with ~700mm panes. Was great, but wouldn't want want any narrower. (Remember 100mm frame at each end, 200mm frame for each leaf) Edited March 13, 2021 by Conor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 4 minutes ago, Conor said: 2.4m is too narrow for 3 pane bifolds, you'll be looking at frames. Mine are 2.3m and three pane and we think they are fine, depends on taste I guess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 20 minutes ago, joe90 said: Not necessarily!!!!, Yes they are!!!! ... I was talking about mine. 26 minutes ago, Conor said: 2.4m is too narrow for 3 pane bifolds, you'll be looking at frames. We had a 3m opening which meant ~900mm doors with ~700mm panes. Was great, but wouldn't want want any narrower. I agree with Joe90 on this point. 2.4 would be fine for 3 pane... however if you don’t need a pedestrian door, I’d go for a 2 pane. 22 minutes ago, joe90 said: my bifolds were made locally and have compression seals all round (my spec), it also has brush seals (which are not very airtight at all). Mine have compression seals between panels which are fine, it’s brush seals round the outside (between the frame and doors) that’s the crap bit. I would also add that the pedestrian door on the 3 panel set is the bit that’s the most drafty. The 4 panel doesn’t have a pedestrian door and it’s much better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceverge Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 2.0m x 2.4m Veka triple glazed uPVC tilt and slide doors here. Overall U value 0.73 W/m2/k. Good compression seals meant me a 0.3ACH blowerdoor test result. About €3k installed Inc VAT. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 We have bifold doors in our build Look great Only took me a couple of hours to fit Great selling point opening the house up to the garden Not over practical Never used in winter or windy conditions Very much all or nothing We’ve have decided to fit sliders on our next build It would be nice to leave the door slightly open and also not have the house fill with dust 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 57 minutes ago, Gav_P said: Yes they are!!!! ... I was talking about mine. Ah, misunderstood you. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 1 hour ago, joe90 said: Ah, misunderstood you. Sorry. ? I knew what you meant really ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 I think French doors are more forgiving if your just using 1 door all the time. Its a lot of expense to have opened up a handful of times but all depends how you live. I've always had French doors in my places and I never seem to open the slave door. We sit either inside or outside 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 My bifolds are between house and a conservatory , great for letting light in floor to ceiling and if the temp is above 20’ in the conservatory they are opened (to the kitchen diner and another to the lounge). I call it my solar collector!!!. In high summer when it’s hot we keep them closed to stop the house overheating, but that’s rare. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 2 hours ago, Oz07 said: I think French doors are more forgiving if your just using 1 door all the time. Its a lot of expense to have opened up a handful of times but all depends how you live. I've always had French doors in my places and I never seem to open the slave door. We sit either inside or outside Yes To the right of my picture we have a set of French doors Which are used everyday in summer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 (edited) Sliders - at 2.4m you have a good chance of them sealing and can get them triple glazed and they don’t cost the earth. I’ve seen so many sets of bifold doors installed thanks to the glossies that never get used. They are a structural nightmare and on a cost basis when you include everything, at over 3m they become about 4 times the cost of the same glazed area of French doors. We replaced a full sliding wall (6m) from an architects design with 3 sets of French doors for 15% of the price of the bifolds, they are more useable and they seal better !! Edited March 14, 2021 by PeterW Edited out the duplication ..!! More coffee needed ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 Tell us again how much you saved.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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