Differences Between Sliding Doors And Bifold Doors

aluminium sliding door

Modern bifold and sliding doors are one of the most popular features in today’s homes and choosing the right doors for your home is an important decision that should not be rushed. Whilst both offer practicality and stylish looks, we have put together a guide to help you make the right decision.

What Is A Bifold Door?

A bifold door is a door that is made up of many panels that concertina together neatly when closed. The name originates from the ability to fold in or out, hence they can also be described as folding doors. Bifold doors are normally made with large glass panels that, when in the closed position, let in large amounts of natural light.

What Is a Sliding Door?

Sliding doors are doors that run on a set of tracks that can slide into cavities between or behind walls. Although large, even the heavy-duty sliding doors can be moved effortlessly due to the lightweight design and precision engineering.

Bifold And Sliding Door Comparison

Here we take a look at a comparison between the two…

Bifolding doors demo closing

Bifold Doors

The biggest advantage of bifold doors is that they offer the opportunity to completely open your home. With the ability to open inwards or outwards, bifold doors can merge the outside and inside as one huge area, unlike sliding doors. Another feature of bifold doors is that they can be installed with either a weathered or flush track. Weathered tracks provide additional protection from the weather for homes that are located in exposed areas whilst flush tracks offer a level threshold between the inside and outside. Bifold doors often include a standard style door at either end which can be used to enter or exit the room without completely folding all the panels.

Sliding Doors

One of the biggest advantages is that sliding doors offer the option to use larger panes of glass which is why these are preferred when a customer’s priority is to maximise their view or the amount of natural light entering the room. Sliding doors typically offer three-quarters to a half opening which is where they differ to bifold doors, as all panels can be folded open without restriction. Sliding doors are also preferable with customers where space is limited as they do not have the option to open doors inwards or outwards, a good example of this is a balcony or terrace. Just like bifold doors, sliding doors also have the option of a weathered or flush track.

To summarise, if you are a customer who is limited to space and your priority is your view and want the frame to have as little impact as possible, then we would suggest that a sliding door is the best option for you. If, however, your preference is a wider and clearer opening, combining the outside with the inside, we would suggest that bifold doors are the best option for you.

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