Advice for window and doors dilemma please 😀

[Berkshire_selfbuid]

Hi all,

I find that I’m going around in circles deciding whether I should have a French door, sliding door or twist and turn door in my 1800mm opening from kitchen to garden. My middle opening will be a 3.6 sliding door, and I’m thinking a window in family room opening. Plan shows French doors on each side to maintain symmetry (attached in floor plan and rear elevation). However I know when it comes to colder months, having a window that we can crank open to allow for ventilation would be sensible - if not in the kitchen, then at least in the family room. However as the openings on either side are 1.8m, it’s not ideal for sliding doors, but not impossible. My windows will be aluminium black slimline (origin OS70 or similar). Any suggestions on what I can do for my openings in kitchen and family room which is practical but not disjointed? Build is progressing and I need to agree opening with builder next week. Many kind thanks 😀.
 

 

[Mr Punter]

I think you will suffer from overheating via unwanted solar gain especially in the breakfast room in the afternoon / evening.  I doubt the dining room will be used for dining.  Sliding doors give more opportunity for controlled ventilation than folding.  If the system allows you may have the option in the family and kitchen to friction brake the doors in whatever position you like, but the 2 leaves in the breakfast room will just flap around in the wind.

[Berkshire_selfbuid]

Many thanks. Yes the middle opening will definetely be sliding, it’s just the 2 on either side, kitchen and family, that I’m unsure about. Possibly now thinking about tilt and turn on either side to have the symmetry and allow for secured ventilation when required. Although not seen a tilt and turn in 2.4m height to no idea how practical it will be and what it will look like in reality.

[DevilDamo]

I’ve never understood why people have 2-panel bi-fold doors, which are in theory French doors. Bi-folds traditionally work with a minimum of 3 panels. I’d therefore suggest sticking with French doors or increase to 3 panels where the outer one would be on a tilt opening.

[torre]

We've previously installed a 2-panel bifold (Korniche) in preference to French doors because it allows you to park both doors on one side of an opening (say towards your boundary side) and make better use of your patio. Many French doors are installed such that you can't fold them back flush with the wall and having only one side of the patio blocked worked much better for us.

If you do this though, you definitely need a separate 'traffic' door elsewhere as the 2-panel bifolds I've seen can't be opened and closed properly from both sides and would be annoying to use as your 'go out to the bins' door every day.

 

In your case @Berkshire_selfbuid it looks like you have a side door from the utility for that sort of traffic so 2 panel bifolds could both open away from your sliders giving you a nice wide unobstructed patio (and symmetry)

 

[Berkshire_selfbuid]

I think we’ve made the decision to go with a tilt and turn on both sides. It will mostly be used for ventilation in that area but can be effectively be opened like a door to allow easy access to outside without opening the sliders. Let’s see though, we seem to be changing our minds all the time!