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Advice about buying Bifolding Doors

Here are our top tips and advice about buying Bifolding Doors.  Whether you are replacing your old sliding or French doors, or building a new extension, bifolding doors are a logical choice.  The decision  making process does not have to be complicated once you understand the basic principles about how Bifolding doors differ from conventional doors.  Unlike a typical door a bifolding door comprises complex running gear, sophisticated design so that it can slide, swing and fold.

What are the advantages of bifolding doors?

Over recent years many people have chosen to extend and upgrade their homes rather than move to a new house.

This popularity in home renovation is also reinforced by the plethora of home improvement programmes, lifestyle shows and much more.

As more and more people choose to improve their homes rather than sell, for this reason the bifolding door has become very popular. Bifolding doors are the only product that can completely fold back to open up an entire wall and create a substantially larger clear opening than a hinged or sliding door.  Additionally, they are also flexible. What you may not know is that bifolding doors do not need to be folded back all the time. They can be designed with one or more access doors giving you easy access and exit without having to fold all your doors back.

It is in the summer months that bifolding doors prove why they are so popular. No other product can connect the inside to the outside of your home like a folding door.

Are there planning considerations with bifolds?

If you are replacing older doors such as a large patio door, generally there are no planning considerations. However planning rules differ from area to area, so it is wise to check beforehand with your local authority.

Most installations of bifolding doors come Permitted Developments.

If you are building a new extension, you will most likely have used an architect and of course a competent builder. Your architect will already have the knowledge about planning and design considerations and will be helpful to you.

Choosing between PVCu or Aluminium doors.

Bifolding doors can be a valuable addition to a home so it makes sense to choose wisely.

Do your research around bifolding doors and you will see that the vast majority of quality and well engineered bifolding doors are made of aluminium.

We believe every product has its place, but aluminium is far superior to PVCu doors for many reasons. Whilst plastic bifolding doors have come a long way in recent years, the nature of PVCu as a material still means it is thicker, bulkier and less attractive than aluminium.

PVCu doors cannot be made as large as aluminium doors and are therefore restricted by size. Furthermore PVCu expands roughly two and a half times more than aluminium which means in the heat, the doors will expand and may cause operational and reliability issue.

What colour should you choose for bifolding doors?

In recent years, technology in both PVCu and aluminium doors has enabled far more colour choice than ever before.

PVCu doors in a colour will either be wet sprayed or have a coloured foil applied.

We recommend aluminium powder coated bifolding doors. The processes used in powder coating aluminium doors means the finish is far more durable, more resistant to UV rays and is available in a much wider choice of colours, textures and finishes.

There are over 200 possible colour combinations available today so you can choose literally any colour you like with with a powder coated door.

Are Bifolding Doors safe and secure?

You have the peace of mind that most quality bifolding door systems have passed stringent security testing. There are many different types of security testing by professional testing institutes meeting current British or European Standards.

Whatever standard doors have passed, this means they have been subjected under controlled conditions to a variety of attack tests, timed test, attempts to prise doors apart and much more.

All of this means that your new bifolding doors will be secure.

This also applies to our own frameless bifolding doors. Despite their minimal aluminium and large glass panes, they are as secure as any all aluminium bifolding door.

Compare more than one bifolding door.

Bifolding doors are not cheap and you are making a large investment in your home. It makes sense therefore to try out the product.

We recommend you look at the different frame options, handle designs, threshold options and how the doors operate.

Once you have seen your typical aluminium bifolding door, we invite you to have a look at our glass frameless doors that will give you the very minimum in frame and visible aluminium and the most in maximum glass area.

The importance of bifolding door installation.

One of the most important factors in ensuring the long term reliability of your new bifolding doors is ensuring they are expertly fitted.

The precise install of a bifolding door is crucial bearing in mind the large structural opening that doors will be fitted to. Builders will often not create a truly square opening despite their best efforts.

But even so, the precise installation of bifolding doors, making sure glass is packed correctly, doors are adjusted precisely and the correct fitting of the door frames and leaves will all help make your doors reliable for many years to come.

Let us help you choose the best bifolding door for your home.

Our unique frameless sliding and folding doors have been designed by us from the ground up. We manufacture them in our own factory and install them all over the UK.

We can also customise your doors to create glass screens, internal room dividers, glass porch doors and much more. Contact us and find out why our bifolding doors are like no other you will see on the market.

We also offer a full range of aluminium windows, bifolding and sliding doors,
and front doors as FGC Bespoke Aluminium.

Visit the FGC Showroom

You can now visit our showroom in Strood, Kent.

The full range of Frameless products are on display in wide variety of configurations.

We request you contact us to make an appointment before visiting to avoid overcrowding.

Find out more about the FGC Kent showroom.

Reviews on Facebook and Google

FGCExcellentFGC4.5 Based on 42 reviews fromSee all reviews review us onWayne T.Wayne T. ★★★★★ Very happy with the service I have received, everything went smoothly no issues, I was kept up to date throughout the process and the fitting team were very professional, polite and friendly I would recommend fgc to anyone thank youKayleigh C.Kayleigh C. ★★★★★ Amazing service, great aftercare, incredible product. It was hard to find something that would fit in our house and would have been pleasing to the eye aswell as stylish and modern and unique.From sales to install was smooth and stress free amazing bunch of people to work with I had a great experienceInci P.Inci P. ★★★★★ Great product with diligent, professional staff from start to finish. Highly recommended.Paul B.Paul B. ★★★★★ Firstly I have to say a huge thank you to Paul the owner of FGC for being willing to take on the job of sorting out the extremely shoddy and poor installation of the Origin doors and windows fitted on my new build home, when it was built. And replacing the damaged gaskets. I had your guys with me for two days this week. What a breath of fresh air comparted to the people of originally installed my doors and windows. Extremely professional and lovely chaps. They worked tirelessly to sort out the many issues we had. Would absolutely recommend 100% THANK YOU !Response from the ownerGood Morning Paul, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us. We are absolutely delighted to receive it and are pleased we were able to resolve the issues for you. It’s been a pleasure working with you. If you have any further need in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us. Lisa S.Lisa S. ★★★★★ Very helpful and good communication, great product. Thank you.Dave S.Dave S. ★★★★★ Very happy with doors. Look great. The installation was quick and straightforward.Will recommendRH K.RH K. ★★★★★ FGC were brilliant. Great advice on the best windows to get. Extremely good installation. Always ready to solve any installation or manufacturing issues. We are extremely happy with the end result!Joy W.Joy W. ★★★★★ Frameless windows were brilliant, Liam Alfie and James were great, polite, courteous, and left the site clean and tidy. The windows look amazing, Great service from start to finish. Many ThanksRayRay ★★★★★ We love these doors and look forward to having them open a bit more once the patio has ben completed. They really have a "wow" factor and this becomes a double "wow" when people are shown how the corner can be completely opened up. It was about a year from my first enquiry to the doors being installed as there was a considerable amount of building work required to prepare the room. throughout this period I remained in touch with FGC and the service was exceptional. The installation team was on site for a day, starting early and working through to completion before driving back to Kent!! We have been really pleased with the standard of workmanship and even had compliments from other tradesmen working on the room (most of whom had never seen doors like this). These are expensive doors but the price difference from a normal set of bi-folds was well worth it for the uninterrupted view you get. The doors were installed in February but I have held off doing the review until the room was more finished so I could post a more representative picture. Once the patio is done the look will be even better than we originally envisaged. I have attached a few pictures of the room (the white table is only a temporary measure while we wait for the new coffee table).Sharon B.Sharon B. ★★★★★ From first contact to installation, my interactions with FGC have been easy, fast and professional. The end product is superb, we are so happy with our new doors - wish we had done this years ago. Well done FGC!!Jayne N.Jayne N. ★★★★★ This is the second time we have installed FGC and we are very happy with our second installation- very sleek and stylish and all staff very helpful, thanksD JD J ★★★★★ Frameless Glass Curtains have few competitors so they could take a lax approach to their work. However, that is not the case. We have had a porch installed in a space that was not square or aligned. The service from survey to finish has been above standard. Barry’s attention to detail and determination that the work would not be complete until his high standards were met was much appreciated. The communication from the admin side was clear and helpful. So all in all we will be using Frameless Glass again and have no hesitation in recommending them.Brian S.Brian S. ★★★★★ Brilliant product, what a difference, no frames to block our view of the Brecon Beacons. The service has been the best I think I have ever received and the fitting team were faultless - they travelled 5 hours to get to us in Wales, arriving 30 minutes early, working flat out without a break for 9 hours before driving 5 hours back, all without one complaint!!Catherine U.Catherine U. ★★★★★ Ordered Crittal-style French doors in aluminium. The doors look fantastic and are so much better than the ancient sliding doors I had before. The company were very friendly and easy to deal with. They were understanding of my delays due to a flood. The installers were professional and polite and poor things had to work on the hottest day of the year. Would definitely recommend FGC.Laura G.Laura G. ★★★★★ Really great service from this family run company. We love the doors and the install was top notch. Thanks!Info Oad S.Info Oad S. ★★★★★ Great service and amazing finish! Would highly recommend!paul R.paul R. ★★★★★ Highly competent office and site staff, great product and at a fair price. Couldn't be happier with the entire experience and end result.vanessa C.vanessa C. ★★★★★ From the beginning to the end, everyone at FGC have been amazing. I knew straight away that the glazing FGC would provide and install would be spectacular and how right that was! The FGC glazing allows our Edwardian stained glass door to still be a main feature and in fact it shows it off perfectly. We are so happy with the end result and can’t praise FGC highly enough, somehow 5 stars doesn’t seem to be high enough.ZorèZorè ★★★★★ Their windows are second to none. No other company in Germany, UK or anywhere else can produce such a fabulous product.Any issues that has come up, they always come & fix it. The staff are so nice and polite. For a small company they do really a great job over all. The main things are the frameless bifolds that you hardly have any frame in the line of vision and there is a 5 years guarantee. Mr & Mrs JahediFiona G.Fiona G. ★★★★★ Delighted with our new frameless glass doors. Had lots of lovely comments, even all the trades who have been working on our house have said they've not seen anything like them. Great having something a little unusual. The quality of the doors is of a very high standard. The service from FGC has been very good too, from ordering through to installation. All went very smoothly with no problems. Paid a bit more than regular bifolds, but worth every penny. Best decision, no regrets at all.Andrew H.Andrew H. ★★★★★ Great service and very welcoming for my father and I. Adrian in particular was very efficient, gave great pertinent advice and guidance on my future purchase!Des P.Des P. ★★★★★ Excellent in all aspects from initial viewing in showroom to actual installation.TonyTony ★★★★★ Excellent service and product from FGC.I have a glass-box conservatory, built with structural glass about 20 years ago. The 2 sliding doors needed replacing, along with 2 side panels, and I contacted dozens of companies selling conservatory doors and none of them were prepared to install their doors because of the perceived risks of working with structural glass.Then I found FGC who, with no fuss at all, carried out a survey, provided a very reasonable quote for the doors/panels and then installed the doors/panels on the agreed date.Communication with the FGC office was always quick and easy. The surveyor and installation team were efficient and courteous. The product works beautifully.We can now use our conservatory again. Thanks FGC.Arun S.Arun S. ★★★★★ Great company with excellent, friendly and responsive service, the guys were helpful and efficient with the installation and the slide and turn doors are a fantastic product.Matt G.Matt G. ★★★★★ Fantastic service from start to finish, from the surveying, contact with office to the workmen. I have experience through work of a number of companies providing similar products and these guys have been by far the best to deal withDavid W H.David W H. ★★★★★ FGC installed a two-panel frameless glass door at our property yesterday. Wow!! the installation is exactly as discussed, and was carried out by two of FGC's team members who were so professional and courteous. They were excellent, and we have no hesitation in recommending FGC and their team to anyone considering such an installation.We are delighted with the installation, and very pleased we chose FGC.Well done FGC!!Border S.Border S. ★★★★★ The quality of the windows / doors are second to none.The customer service was first class from placing the order to installation we were kept informed at every step.The installation team led by Richard left our house and patio cleaner than when they arrivedI would recommend FGC 100%Tony- BurnleyStephen H.Stephen H. ★★★★★ From start to finish everything was excellent.Fab u lasThank youStephen O.Stephen O. ★★★★★ BRILLIANT SERVICE FROM START TO FINISHHighly recommended.Nathan P.Nathan P. ★★★★★ We purchased a beautiful Origin sliding door and side window from FGC. FGC installed the sliding door and window on time, however the sliding door did not fit correctly. Issues can happen. FGC made the process of re-surveying and re-installation very simple. FGC is a very pleasant and professional company to deal with. We are very happy with their service and would strongly recommend them.Darius C.Darius C. ★★★★★ I love my doors! It’s transformed my place. The people are great, no nonsense, organised and efficient. I’d recommend them to anyoneAdrian W.Adrian W. ★★★★★ Excellent planning and product advice. All the staff were polite courteous and friendly.On the day of the installation, the team arrived bang on time -we live in Wales so a long drive from Kent! They had the job done by lunchtime (fitting a sliding patio door) and I have to say that on first impression of the unit, it looks and feels like solid quality.Ian J.Ian J. ★★★★★ We had a 5m stretch of these wonderful doors installed several years ago and have been very happy with the uninterrupted view of the garden that they allow from the living room. They are admired by every tradesman who sees them. A minor problem we experienced with water ingress last year was promptly and effectively resolved, and the doors were serviced for free at the same time.Response from the ownerHello Ian, thank you very much for leaving us a review and glad you're happy with your doors and our service. Elly BElly B ★★★★★ Great staff and great products! Have visited the showroom to view doors, really loved all of them! Have referred to a friend - Can't recommend enoughAdam F.Adam F. ★★★★★ Really great doors. Really are something different. Expensive, but you really pay for what you get here.js_loader

What our customers say

When we purchased our house, it had two sets of timber bi fold doors, each spanning an opening of approx. 5m. These caused us a lot of problems with warping through the seasons, and the ration of timber to glass limited the light into the rooms. We therefore replaced them with the frameless curtain system and could not have been happier. We could only be bothered with the faff of struggling to open the timber

adam tamburini
Adam

We were only at home for one day following the installation. A courier delivering a parcel admired the porch and asked who built it for us. Success I think.   Mrs J,

Mrs J
Unit has been replaced thank you, once again I find FGC have responded to a problem with a no quibble replacement, it is good to know that there is still companies left who honour their guarantee in the proper manner and send installation teams that carry out their work in a professional manner with competence and courtesy, I would be quite willing to give any prospective customers a reference if that would be of interest

Mr D

We’ve FGC doors installed in our rear extension and they really are the highlight of the whole development. The support from the FGC guys has been friendly and really responsive – Brilliant service all

Jack Richens
Jack Oxford

Delighted with the windows – they make our kitchen so much lighter and are a joy to use. Two teething problems since installation have been dealt with promptly and efficiently by FGC at no charge. Definitely recommend them to

John Holland
Johnny

I have nothing but praise for FGC who have just replaced a panel in my frameless glass curtain which is almost 10years old…there was no quibble and they replaced it quickly and efficiently…I would recommend their frameless product to anyone wanting a stunning addition to their home..with 5 star

rosalie reeder
rosie

we are very pleased with our new porch door which enhances the look of our Victorian house. Very professional job from beginning to end with a great deal of trouble taken to get the measurements exactly

Philip N Brown
Phil & deborah
We had our doors fitted in 2015 and have been very pleased with them. As with most things there are times when an adjustment is required to the doors or in our case a door needing to be replaced as it had developed a problem with condensation. The company has been very good at resolving these matters in an efficient and timely manner. We highly recommend the product which has made a big difference to

Sunil Parekh
S Parekh

Everybody from survey to install knew what they had to do and advised on what needed to be done prior to install. The glass cutains are just what was needed for the porch and have created a talking point within the village. They do look splendid and we are very pleased with

David Reeves
David r

We are absolutely delighted with the doors, they are so classy and modern. Paul (FGC) was excellent and knew his job. The workmanship is superb. All our friends and family think they are fantastic. Thank you once again.

We struggled to find a supplier to fit a glass balcony. Frameless Glass however were great – they gave us a clear and competitive quote, turned up when they said they would, and just got on and did the job! Friendly guys, and we love the end result which looks good from the outside, and gives us a lovely uninterrupted view of our garden

marcus appleton
Marcus

It’s nearly a year since you installed our glass curtains. They have been really great, exceeding our expectations, particularly during the winter months when they were absolutely draught free. When they are fully open you really feel that the lounge is part of the garden, it all becomes one space. Many thanks, they were one of our best decisions.

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Published on August 22, 2015

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