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How do frameless glass doors work?

There are a great many bifolding doors on the market and each of these are designed around the sliding and folding door hardware. It is the door hardware that enables bifolding doors to slide and fold.  Today’s modern bifolding doors are all well designed products that not only offer long guarantees and great quality but also doors that are secure, weather resistant and long lasting.

In this article we feature on the hardware found in bifolding doors and look at how frameless glass doors differ.

Hardware found on a conventional bifolding door.

showing how the track on frameless glass doors works
A conventional folding door features visible hardware, especially at the bottom.

Study a conventional bifolding door of the best quality and there are three items of hardware that are visible. These are.

The top guides and bottom running gear. At the top of the bifolds you’ll see a guide that holds the tops of the doors in place. At the bottom of the doors are the rollers, guides and other components that enable the doors to slide and fold.

The intermediate door handles. These are the handles situated on the connecting leaves. The function of these handles is to either unlock the other leaves of the doors as well as giving you a handle to pull the doors closed into the frame.

The flush bolt locking Conventional bifolding doors feature the main multi point lock as well as the intermediate locking for the other doors. Typically you’ll see a swivel handle above or below the intermediate door handle.

The door hinges. Conventional bifolding doors have all the levels connected together by door hinges. It is these hinges in conjunction with the running gear that enables a conventional folding door to concertina back and fold to the one side.

Frameless bifolding door have all the features but none of the bulk.

10mm Frameless Single Glazed Internal Doors Solihull

Depending on the door systems you’re looking at some of the hardware mentioned above will either be intrusive or discreet. Our own AluK aluminium folding doors feature this commonly used hardware. However our own intermediate handles as one example are a unique T shaped pop out handle that serves a double function of locking the doors as well as pulling them to the frame to close.

However look at our frameless doors and you’ll notice how all the hardware is concealed. Other than the main lock and our glass handles there is no other visible hardware.

The result is much cleaner lines, a sleeker door and one that is arguably more pleasing to the eye. This concealed hardware is a result of our clever frameless design and the way each door is designed to lock into place without visible handles and flush bolts.

Our frameless glass doors we believe offer you greater scope in how you use your doors, greater functionality, more options for ventilation and greater choice. These features won’t be found even on the best quality and best designed conventional framed and hinged bifolding doors.

All our door hardware and gearing is cleverly concealed giving you a better appearance. Every door set still has a hinged master leaf or traffic door. For ventilation this means that you don’t have to open the rest of the doors to create air flow. You can simply open the master leaf and then slide the other panels along as you wish to give you partial or full ventilation.

When you want to open your frameless glass doors, simply open the master door, slide the other panels towards it and then swing them into place.

Other operational advantages to frameless glass doors.

We believe the unique slide and fold nature of our doors can also offer other benefits.

Our doors are fully bottom running. This means that all the weight is taken up by the aluminium threshold at the bottom of the doors. Adjustment is simpler and easier with our doors.

There are no weight bearing hinges. This means its unlikely individual panels can drop meaning less call-backs and service calls.

As our doors are made around the glass rather than being glazed after installation, this also means that there is no risk of a poorly glazed door failing after the initial installation.

In the unlikely event of service work in the future, our doors mean only the individual panel can be removed rather than the entire set of connected door leaves. This makes work easier, more convenient for you and easier to solve.

Want to find out more? Contact us today.

We welcome the opportunity to either demonstrate our doors in person or provide you with further information. Contact us today and let us show you the latest generation in frameless glass bifolding doors.

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

FGC
Excellent
4.5
Based on 44 reviews
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Our experience with FGC was excellent from start to finish, they were professional from our first contact right through to completion and we are delighted with the end product - it has added real kerb appeal and has exceeded our expectations.
Our small job was handled extremely professionally from start to finish and we are very pleased with the results.
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 you
Great product with diligent, professional staff from start to finish. Highly recommended.
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 owner: Good 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.
Very helpful and good communication, great product. Thank you.
Very happy with doors. Look great. The installation was quick and straightforward.Will recommend
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!
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 Thanks
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).
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!!
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, thanks
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.
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!!
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.
Really great service from this family run company. We love the doors and the install was top notch. Thanks!
Great service and amazing finish! Would highly recommend!
Highly competent office and site staff, great product and at a fair price. Couldn't be happier with the entire experience and end result.
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.
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 Jahedi
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.
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!
Excellent in all aspects from initial viewing in showroom to actual installation.
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.
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.
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 with
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!!
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- Burnley
From start to finish everything was excellent.Fab u lasThank you
BRILLIANT SERVICE FROM START TO FINISHHighly recommended.
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.
I love my doors! It’s transformed my place. The people are great, no nonsense, organised and efficient. I’d recommend them to anyone
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.
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 owner: Hello Ian, thank you very much for leaving us a review and glad you're happy with your doors and our service.
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 enough
Really great doors. Really are something different. Expensive, but you really pay for what you get here.

What our customers say

Thank you for a brilliant product I am so glad I chose FGC for my windows/doors everybody who sees them is so impressed by them but mostly my wife and myself! Thanks again [and your team] Best regards Brian

From the time of our first visit to your premises we felt comfortable with your product. It was a product just as we had hoped and envisaged for our new kitchen extension – double glazed, frameless glass doors to cover a 7.310 meter opening ! Until then we were not sure if it was possible. When the 9 doors were first installed the overall affect was more than we could have hoped for, just exactly

We have patio doors and a large matching picture window, these are well designed, manufactured and installed and are noticed and acknowledged by all visitors to our house. The customer service is also excellent so highly recommend these products and

Phillip Coutts
Phil
Hi All . Just wanted to say how pleased we are with the glass porch fitted by your company yesterday it looks stunning. compliments as well to your installers who were apart from being very skilled fitters were clean, tidy and courteous and as such a credit to your company. I have had first class service from FGC from the day I first spoke to Adrian about my idea through to installation. I will arrange

Chris
Chris
Your fitters were on time on site and I managed to speak with them before they started. They were very helpful and offered me a solution for a small problem we had regarding the level of the bottom track, I was impressed that we found the best solution and they agreed to proceed with the work without any hesitation. Their tools were left in one corner so they are not on the way of anyone,

I would like to reiterate that we are very pleased with our new FGC doors. As a Chartered Building Surveyor I was impressed with the installers who were careful, methodical and very professional my wife who is most particular was also very impressed with their cleanliness. I am sure we will get many years of use from this wonderful addition to our home. Mr Martin – Portsmouth Update: I have already provided a review of

In my view, the hallmark of something well designed is simplicity combined with good looks… FGC offer this in spades. Having looked at literally hundreds of bi-folding doors, we were struck by how straightforward the FGC product is – and, as far as it is possible to eliminate the frame except around the exterior of the door, they succeed. When you add to that great (and friendly service), and a knowledge of the usage of

Michael Roghani-Brown
Mike R-B

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the team at FGC for great communication and assistance throughout, and a top job in the installation process and of course in providing a unique sleek product. Mr M,

Mr M, Bournemouth
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
A strip of the furry trim at the top of the frame that the doors run on had come loose. On the one hand the sort of thing that one could have a go at fixing; on the other hand having witnessed the care and attention the FGC installation team do their work; I thought it best to leave it to them. Not an emergency, I contacted HQ FGC and asked that when a team

Shindi Poonia
Shindi
Q. As to how we were from initial contact (were we polite)? A. Yes, very polite and helpful when I called / emailed.   Q. Arranging installation (were we on time and on schedule) A.Yes, the surveyor was informative and on time. Q. Were we clean and tidy? A. I was not onsite when it was installed, but the there was no mess left after the job.   A. And finally are you pleased with

The service I received from FGD was professional and prompt from the initial on site survey through to installation and completion. Added to this the finished product has exceeded my expectations. It has enhanced my home with style and individuality, and enabled me to make use of the space in a way that is ‘unique’.

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Published on March 9, 2016

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