Bifold doors installation tips: how to prevent snagging and gaps

When you’re installing new bifold doors it’s important to make sure their fitted properly. Not only so they look great, but to also ensure that they perform well for you in the years to come.

In this article, we’re just going to focus on two simple steps that can be taken during installation to make sure that your bifold doors don’t start to snag as you operate them and to ensure that you don’t suffer any draughts from gaps being left around the frame.

Toe-and-heeling

Bifold doors – and some types of windows – can be big and heavy. For doors, their weight is supported by the hinges. When the door is opened this means a substantial load needs to be supported. If the door is not correctly installed, this mass load can lead to the door dropping over time and starting to snag on the frame. This can make the door difficult to close and to lock.

The solution is a process that takes place during installation called ‘toe-and-heeling’.

An installer should toe and heel a door by ensuring the glass is braced using packers diagonally into the frame at key points. This ensures the frame stays square at all times. If the door is ‘toe and heeled’ correctly, it should never drop.

Getting rid of gaps

Even the most dedicated and experienced builders will not always create a perfectly straight aperture for your new bifold doors and/or windows. Nor will they be able to craft an opening that is the precise size down to the very last millimetre.

To ensure your bifold doors fit when they are delivered to site, they’re made to allow for a gap of around 10mm between the frame and the fabric of the building.

It is important to ensure this gap is properly filled and sealed to avoid the possibility of draughts. Many installers will add trim over the gap to leave it looking tidy, but it’s important to ensure they fill the gap adequately before the trim is added.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Reynaers Windows and Doors, please click here to submit your details, so that we can put you in touch with one of our dealers. Alternatively, please call 0121 421 9707 or email homeuk@reynaers.com.

Bifolding doors CF68 5

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