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Should bifolding doors open in or out?

If you are thinking about having new bifolding doors in your home, one of the things you will need to consider is whether your bifolding doors should open in or out.

Our frameless slide and fold doors are designed to offer you far more options than conventional doors. We know that every home is different in its style and design, the number of doors leading to the outside and how you use it. Frameless slide and fold doors are therefore an excellent way to open up your living spaces when you need to while letting in far more light than conventional aluminium doors and give you a fantastic open aspect to the outside.

Should bifolding doors open in or out? Some Tips and Advice.

should bifolding doors open in or out? tips and advice

To help you decide between an opening in or opening out door, there are a number of considerations.

  • Where will you fit your new slide and fold doors?

Whether your doors open in or out can depend on where you fit them and what the function of the room is. For example, if your new slide and fold doors are in your dining room, your furniture may determine whether there is enough space inside for them to open inwards.

  • How often will you use your new folding doors?

Some properties only have one door leading out into their garden. Many homeowners use the rear door to let pets out, take the rubbish or your washing out or for access to the side path of the house. If you use your rear doors frequently, we recommend a door set with a traffic door and a door that opens outwards as you will find this more convenient in daily use.

Another benefit of an opening out door is that should it be raining heavily outside and you need to open the door, the wet door will drip water to the outside, not inside your house.

  • How big is your outside space?

We frequently fit our frameless slide and fold doors opening outwards onto large gardens. If you are not restricted by the size of your patio, decking area or garden, opening out doors are ideal.

If you have a smaller garden, and the inside space allows, consider opening in doors. You may find the opening in folding doors better for not encroaching on a small patio area, garden or balcony. If you have young children that often play in the garden, it is worth considering whether doors folded outwards will get in the way of the available space your kids play in.

Finally, if your doors open straight out onto a pathway, opening in doors may be the better solution for not blocking the path.

Frameless slide and fold doors with flexible opening options.

Our doors are designed so you can choose whether they open in or out. We have also designed doors for clients where the lead door opens in, and the remaining panels slide and fold out. That is the flexibility of our design that does not restrict your options in the way that conventional bifolding doors can.

If you would like more information about our doors and to see how they have been installed in many different types of homes, contact us today.

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

FGCExcellentFGC4.6 Based on 43 reviews fromSee all reviews review us onM David B.M David B. ★★★★★ Our small job was handled extremely professionally from start to finish and we are very pleased with the results.Wayne 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

Feedback-wise all very good. No complaints at all. Not only would recommend but plan to buy another one in a year or two! Happy for you to put me down as a demo person and when the house(s) is finished you’d be welcome to have a video of the doors opening / closing as you have on your website as the views will be amazing. Cheers, Robert. You can read about this project here: http://www.fgc.dev/frameless-bifolding-doors-in-a-house-made-of-straw/

In short, the product offered by Frameless Glass Curtains is nothing short of excellent. These frameless glass doors are a truly unique system that are really aesthetically pleasing and unlike any other product we could find on the market. The doors are very sleek and elegant and create real impact and wow factor. Our experience with FGC, has been, from start to finish, incredibly professional. We have a small garden which is designed to feel

Delighted with final result and extremely pleased that I decided on these ‘frameless glass doors’ over conventional bifolds. The company had no end of patience with any pre-order questions that I raised and the factory visit and visit to view an existing installation were very informative and reassuring. The team that fitted were professional, attentive and extremely competent and the final result excellent and much admired. Thank you. I would not hesitate to recommend the

Linda Trodd
Mrs T
Dealing with FGC has been a straightforward and hassle free experience from start to finish. I had several queries long before placing an order and FGC were always prompt and helpful with the responses. Then at site survey time they attended on time, with courtesy calls leading up to the appointment to keep me advised, the surveyors were very knowledgeable and again helpful. This gave me great confidence that I’d made the right choice by

Matt Chenery
Matt C
We wanted to connect two room – a ‘sun room’ and living room -by replacing a large window with some glass doors. We contacted local suppliers and Googled ‘glass partitions’. Local suppliers weren’t much help, however the Google came up with just what we wanted – frameless glass doors. We contacted Gary for a price. He arranged to come and do a survey the following week – 600 mile round trip – arrived on time.

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

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 am very happy with the doors – I saw them last night after work – though I didn’t open them as I wanted to make sure I followed the installers’ instructions not to. They look wonderful and my boyfriend and mum tell me they were absolutely lovely chaps. The finish seems brilliant and appears to be a huge improvement on the last installation. Ms Warren, London

These frameless glass walls have made a huge difference to our comfort at home. They are installed between our living rooms and conservatory. When open, they allow heat into the living area on a sunny day (reducing our heating bill) and when shut, they keep the cold and noise out. They are also much better than bi-folds because there are no frames when shut and when open, the amount of space taken is minimal. Installation

Heather Glasgow
Heather

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

We were recommended to use FGC by our builder and one of us visited a client who had recently had his installation. We have been hampered with delays regarding our lounge where the doors were being installed so it was refreshing to have FGC arrive at 8am and be finsihed installing and waiting for a sign off by 1pm. The work was quick efficient and faultless. We would highly recommend the product and the service

Michelle Michael and Peter Angelides
Peter and Michelle
We are both delighted with the FGC product and have no issues with any future viewings. From our perspective the “outside has truly come inside”, we use the decking on a daily basis as the FGC curtains have transformed the house which I think adds a significant value to the property. The only trouble now is that when we see home improvement programs such as Grand Designs where they suggest using bi-fold doors we end

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Published on July 9, 2017

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