Bifold or sliding doors?
Bifold or sliding doors? In short: bifold doors if the whole opening has to be clear; sliding patio doors if you mainly want light, a view and an everyday way through, with less frame and fewer moving parts, for less money.
Bifold doors vs sliding doors: the opening
With a sliding door at least one panel always stays in the opening: you open half, a little more with three or four panels. Bifold doors fold like a concertina to one side, so the whole opening can come clear.
Bifold doors vs patio doors: the view
A lift-and-slide door has less profile in view and larger panes. A bifold shows two profiles per leaf, with leaves up to 1,200 mm wide. For the view, sliding; for the open wall, bifold.
Width and space
Our sliding patio doors go up to 6,500 mm wide; our bifold layouts up to 6.00 m. An open sliding door takes no space inside or out. The folded leaves of a bifold stand as a stack against the reveal, inside or outside depending on which way it folds.
Sliding vs bifold doors in everyday use
A sliding door has fewer moving parts. A bifold has hinges and locking points at every leaf joint that need to stay free of dirt, plus the track. From three panels a bifold has a traffic door, so you don't have to fold the whole door open every time.
Material
Sliding patio doors come in uPVC and aluminium; bifold doors only in aluminium. For the frame, our aluminium sliding doors have a Uf of 1.80 W/m²K and the uPVC ones 1.10; the Reynaers ConceptFolding 77 bifold 1.66.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, bifold or sliding doors?
Usually the sliding door. A bifold is priced per leaf and has more hardware. Compare them on your own opening by requesting a quote for each.
Which is better, sliding doors or bifold?
Neither in general. If the whole opening has to open, bifold doors. If you use the doorway every day and want fewer moving parts and more glass, a sliding patio door.
Are sliding doors better than bifold for a small opening?
Not by definition. Our smallest bifold, the 2-panel, goes up to 2.05 m wide and opens completely; a sliding door of that width always keeps one panel in the opening.
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