Bifolds. Am I being too fusy?

[paro]

Hi All - I've been fretting about the Origin bifolds I bought last year pretty much since they went it. There were a bunch of issues with how they were originally installed that probably tar how I see the doors and overall I've been incredibly disappointed with the doors vs what I was expecting. That said before I go back to the company that I got them from I wanted a view as to whether I am being too particular about them and this is just fine. 

 

I've attached some pics below. The primary issues I have are. 

 

1. One of the door leans over when opened by about 10mm. This messes with my flush'ish threshold. I can work around it but the bigger concern is that the doors are so large and heavy that they are pulling on the frame. The door was not installed plumb (see pic).

 

2. When opening the door I was given strict rules that the door must be open and set back fully onto its magnetic catch before attempting to open the rest of the bifold. That if I didn't do this the doors WILL scrape against the bottom of the frame and could pull out altogether. 

 

3. Exposed unpainted aluminium cuts. This problem is pretty much everywhere, every time I look at them I spot a new unfinished cut. This just feels really low quality to me. I can't understand why the cut sections couldn't have just been sprayed when they were cut. 

 

4. Gaskets and seals - I don't know all the names of the parts but essentially some of the external seals are hanging out. Again seems low quality finish that was cut after by the fitters. The gaskets that hold the glass in have issues where they appear ot be bent and don't have a clean finish. Not sure if this really makes a difference to the weather protection?

 

Would appreciate any views on whether I just leave it now.

Thanks, Paul 

 

 

 

Edited 23 hours ago by paro

[Mr Punter]

Bifold doors tend to suffer from the issues you have experienced.  I am not keen on them.  I have had bifolds in the past and would not again.  Lift and slide is my preferred option.

[Spinny]

I have sunflex bifolds installed by ID Systems. I think it is very important that installation is done very precisely - everything needs to be exactly plumb - that takes time and extreme care by experienced installers. ID Systems did provide that. I don't trust a builder to do that TBH.

All my window seals are very good. I did have an issue with a seal at the bottom edge of a door but it was put right.

I did have some issues with wrong parts being supplied, and with my builder screwing up the opening, but that is a different thing.

 

Drop on your doors could be install issue, or might be a 'design feature'.

 

Yes I was told to open them as you describe, doesn't seem too much of a problem. Mine do slide right across the opening to hang at either side.

 

I don't have a any cut ends exposed. Opening was surveyed by the fitters and dimensioned manufacturing drawings then provided for buy off before manufacture.

[paro]

Thanks Spinny. Re the seal in the pic. Would you see that as a problem?  The company that did mine came out and surveyed twice yet still managed to forget the position of the retaining wall in relation to the door opening which mean the doors ended up being set further back than intended meaning the cill didn't cover the bottom of the wall.

 

They tick the box on looks but seem like hype in every other way. Described as the Bentley of doors but seem more like a ford escort to my untrained eye. My fault for not doing my homework.

[Spinny]

I don't think you are at fault.

We do actually have a couple of single origin doors ourselves which we are very happy with.

 

I wonder what exactly happened regarding your survey - did they produce dimensioned drawings afterwards and gain your explicit sign-off/approval of them prior to manufacture ? Did the drawings show or specify the distances to the wall as an explicit design constraint ? Did they change your cill design when they realised the wall mistake and adjusted the fitting ? Were you always going to have a traditional cill rather than a low profile one ?

 

Looks like a 50mm error - did someone build the wall out of position ?

I just wonder because if there was some clear evidence that the wall issue was their reponsibility to take account of and they failed to do that then I would have thought you would have been within your rights to refuse the original fit.

 

I found there is actually quite a lot to think about for the sizing and positioning of doors and windows - exact FFL, handle clearances, reveal clearances, threshold fixings, lintel/steel fixings, plaster lines, render lines etc. I attach our bifold drawing to show the level of info specified. You almost need to be autistic about it all.

 

ID Systems fitters came across country last summer and were still working until 8pm one summer evening to get everything right.

 

I would query that seal and the gasket. I think both should be fixable. When new stuff finally gets installed it is easy to be euphoric and not check it all over.

 

On the unfinished cut edges, you could go back to a showroom and examine the showroom origin doors - do they have the same finish - if not you could raise it.

 

Does the fall angle on the open bifolds match the non-plumb angle on the frame install ? When you build up the outside with slabs where will your drainage falls go anyway ? Normally a fall away from the house.

 

In the end certain things are fixable with different degrees of consequence:

Changing seals

Changing gaskets

Replacing Framing pieces

Reinstalling the whole frames and doors

Cutting a notch in the wall for the bifolds to open into

Fitting a whole new door set made to different dimensions

Replacing with different bifold make or different fitters

 

All depends how unhappy you are, and how much you may or may not be willing/able to spend to address it.