Whether your home is new, or you’re re-fitting it, the choice of doors and windows are crucial to ensure your property looks great. For homeowners looking to create a light and airy space, bi fold doors are one of the best options. Aluminium is a popular material for this type of door, as it provides the benefits of a slim frame with minimal sight lines to maximise the view and provide a beautiful addition to any modern home.
The frames of aluminium framed bi fold doors are designed to support large panes of toughened, tempered or laminated glass – essentially creating a glass wall. This means that they need to be very strong to maintain this, but they also need to be slim to allow for the maximum amount of glass. This is where the benefits of aluminium come in; not only is it much thinner than uPVC, but it’s also stronger and less likely to warp or discolour under the British weather conditions like uPVC can.
Aluminium framed bi fold doors are available in a wide range of styles, colours and finishes to complement any property. From subtle whites and greys to contemporary bright hues, the possibilities are endless. They’re also durable and incredibly energy efficient, meaning you can save money on your heating bills without compromising on comfort.
A high-quality aluminium bi fold door should have been independently tested to ensure it can withstand the elements. Look for doors that have passed high-velocity hurricane zone testing, as well as a wide range of other tests and certifications. These tests and certifications are important for ensuring the safety of your family, friends, pets and belongings.
When it comes to choosing a supplier of aluminium framed bifold doors, look for a company that has a dedicated design team that can help you create a solution that is perfectly tailored to your individual needs and tastes. Ideally, they should be able to offer you advice on glazing options and colour finishes to ensure your finished product is exactly what you were hoping for.
In terms of hardware, a good supplier will be able to offer you a choice of handles, door magnets and other fixings to match your new bi fold doors. They’ll also be able to offer you a full range of glazing options, including toughened and laminated glass for added security and durability.
A quality aluminium bi fold door will include a thermal break within the profiles, which is an insulating layer of reinforced polyamide strip fixed between the inner and outer aluminum profiles. This helps to prevent heat from transferring to the outside of the door more quickly, resulting in improved U-Values in line with Building Regulations requirements. The Ultimate Evolution bifold from Sliders UK, for example, has a polyamide thermal break to achieve market-leading U-Values of 1.3 U W/m2 K. This makes them more energy efficient than uPVC bi fold doors with a similar profile. This is a real selling point for end users looking to improve the efficiency of their homes.