Call us: 01732 848088

Choosing the right Door style – Some tips and advice

At Frameless Glass Curtains, we’ve worked with many homeowners looking at the different types of doors available to them when renovating their home or building a new extension.

When doors are this close together, the sight lines of the meeting doors are obvious.

The right choice of door is important. Nowadays a door is not just a door – what you choose can affect how you use your available space inside and outside your home as well as your garden.

It’s also worth considering the buoyancy of the property market in London, the South East and other areas as well. The right choice of door for your home can have a bearing on the price of your home should you sell it in the future.

Garden views are hugely important to homeowners today. One needs only to look at the many home renovation shows, publications and websites. Most of these will create homes and extensions based around maximising space, making the most of the views from the home and adding value to our properties.

There is no doubt that a door, whether a Bifolding doors, sliding door or french door offers a better solution than a window. So what door options are available to you?

Bifolding Doors

Folding doors are the types that either concertina back or, like our frameless glass doors comprise separate door leaves that slide back independently and then stack neatly to the one side.  These are also known as folding sliding doors, slide and turn doors or simply folding doors.

Sliding Patio Doors.

A sliding patio door ranges from two leaves right up to four or sometimes more. There are a number of sliding door systems available in the market. These range from patio doors designed so panels slide neatly behind each other. The other more sophisticated option is for doors that slide completely out of view into a wall.

We have previously written about the difference bifolding doors or sliding patio doors, click here to find out more.

French Doors

These are the traditional hinged doors founding properties old and new. French doors feature glazing bars, side lights or toplights and either open in or out.

The French doors are often the cheapest option but in our view offer a home the least versatility and flexibility.

What door offers the best view?

In our experience all doors offer a view out to your outside space, however the folding or sliding door provide the better view.

This is generally because folding and sliding doors are fitted to far larger structural openings than French doors, therefore maximising the possible view thanks to larger glass panels, bigger widths and taller heights.

There are pros and cons to both folding and sliding doors when made of aluminium, pvcu or timber. Folding doors when closed will give you several door leaves all connected together when closed. So whilst the view will better when open, it may not be the best when closed.

Sliding doors may be better if the view from the closed door is better for you because they allow larger glass panels.

What doors suit what properties?

French doors you may find more suitable to traditional properties such as cottages. It is true French doors lend themselves better to greater variety in glass design such as Georgian bars and leaded windows.

If a French door is what will work best in your particular home then this may be the better option.

Both bifolding for sliding doors might be considered better for the modern extension, but in our experience these can work in the older home as well. Colour choice, profile types and the overall door design can make the difference between a modern door working well with an older property or one that is unsympathetic to it and stands out from it.

One advantage of folding sliding doors is that they open up the space. They can even be used internally to separate a space and open it up as needed. With a folding door and one of our frameless glass doors, it’s perfectly possible to create an additional living space in the home.

Sliding doors are also great but most people will opt for the stacking type of doors. Whilst the larger the door the larger the open element of it, there will always be visible doors when fully opened. This may not be as preferable as stacking folding doors that are all opened and neatly stacked on the one side.

Let us help you choose your prefect door.

At Frameless Glass Curtains, we offer innovative folding doors that are designed to maximise the space and views from your home thanks to their glass construction and minimal use of visible aluminium.

But we also provide the very best in aluminium swing doors and aluminium bifolds giving you a one stop shop solution for your home.

We’ve helped transform thousands of homes all over the UK with our range of modern, thermally efficient and secure door products. Contact us today and let us work with you to help you create your ideal home extension or renovation.

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

What our customers say

We have been very happy with the service you offer and indeed the product. We found the office responded promptly and the delivery was swift and when promised. The fitting staff were professional, polite and unintrusive. We would be very happy to let people look at our installation.

Great all-round service. From measuring, communication to installation. Not a speck of dirt left in our shop (we are a retail space). Installed in no time at all, staff were very polite and friendly. Very pleased. Finished door looks

A Springer
Pearspring

On the day of installation your fitters arrived on time and commenced with the installation. They were courteous and polite and left the work area clean and tidy. I would be happy for you to use the installation as a promotional example of your work.

Following the installation of our new FGC porch, I wanted to give a recommendation for the excellent and diligent service, and wonderful product we received from FGC. Numerous people have commented since we had the work done, and it has clearly added value – both visually and financially – to our property. Also, when the guys came to fit the product, it was noted that there was a slight flaw in one of the specially

Paul Jackson
Jackson

I can not fault the FGC team and most importantly the doors! We love our new Frameless Glass Curtains. We had a few delays on our project and adjusting the install date was never any problem for FGC. Couldn’t be

Matt Hodgson
Matt H

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.

FGC built my frameless porch as per the attached photo. The work was carried on time by their professional fitters. The quality of their work is outstanding. Nothing was overlooked and the final product was worth every penny. I am very happy with the investment I did.

Bashir Saoudi
Bashirr
This is the first project I have completed with FGC and it will not be the last. From the original survey and quote, right through to final installation, the team at FGC have been tremendous. The communication and detail is outstanding, the quote was fair market competitive and the final result of the product in situ is absolutely outstanding. I have never seen a system like this before. The quality of the work is remarkable,

Claire Menzies
CMenzies
We are very pleased with the freedom the installation affords us with easy access from lounge to dining room. Aesthetically the glass curtain installation is very pleasing. All appears well but we must point out the bottom bar is not firmly fixed in the channel in the floor & moves if one stands upon it. It does not appear to affect the glass curtain function & as we have a 10 year guarantee things can

We are really thrilled with our doors and the whole process carried out by yourselves. Thank you so much again. Mrs Newell

Initial contact FGC were very informative over the phone and were quick to arrange an appointment for us to see the doors at their showroom. They also gave a number of contacts for us to visit to view existing installations. Installation FGC installers arrived on time and completed the installation quickly and tidily. They were very polite and explained fully how to operate the doors before leaving. Some trim that was missing on the day

Putting a frameless glass walls between our South facing lounge and dining room conservatories was one of the best things we have ever done in our house. When shut, they keep out the cold in winter and, most importantly, the heat on very hot summer days. When open during sunny winter days, the heat warms the whole house and reduces our heating bills significantly. FGC are a marvellous friendly company. Very efficient and a pleasure

Heather Glasgow
Heather

Telephone calls are monitored for training and quality purposes in accordance with our privacy policy.

Published on March 20, 2016

Other articles you may like