Bifolding doors are becoming a very popular upgrade for new conservatories as they provide much wider unobstructed door openings than traditional French double doors or sliding patio doors. When fully open these folding sliding doors allow you to seamlessly merge your garden with your conservatory and bring the outside inside.
If you are considering adding a bifold door to your new conservatory here are a few essential points that should be considered.
Bifold Door Width
When selecting the size of folding sliding door for your new conservatory it is important to remember that adequate structural support for the roof must be provided to prevent any possibility of deflection in the conservatory roof when the doors are fully open. Most conservatory roof systems now provide optional reinforced structural components that have been designed specifically for use where bifolding doors are to be fitted and provide a stronger reinforced eaves beam to support the roof.
However, you will be limited to a maximum width of door aperture based on the door's position together with the style of conservatory and it's projection which allow weight and snow loadings to be calculated. Typically, a folding door width of up to 3.5 metres may be possible using these reinforced eaves beams.
If you require a wider aperture or are considering multiple sets of bifolding doors for your new conservatory steel beams or a fully engineered steel portal frame may be required to provide support for the conservatory roof. This will require a structural engineer to calculate the loadings and design a framework that may not always complement the design of your conservatory and will substantially increase your costs.
Bifold Door Style
Once you have determined the width of the door aperture you can select a folding door style that suits your individual requirements. Most styles feature a hinged traffic door that provides single door access to the garden which is useful during the colder months of the year when you don't want to open the complete door. Traffic doors also provide external handles and key locking allowing conventional door access.
There are also other bifolding door styles that do not include traffic doors which also means that all locking handles are on the inside only without any external key or handle access on the outside which can be particularly important where security is a concern.
Threshold
Height of thresholds is usually a very important factor for new conservatories and most bifolding door systems will provide a choice of flush or low thresholds to eliminate trip hazards although some low threshold options may not be as weather-proof as purpose designed flush thresholds.
Choice of Materials
Folding sliding doors are available in a choice of materials and finishes to complement your new conservatory including powder coated aluminium and PVCu doors that can be sprayed to a specific colour or supplied in a wide range of coloured wood grain foil finishes.
All glazing options currently available for conservatories can be specified for the bifolding door including self cleaning solar control glass designed to help reflect direct heat from the sun helping you to control the conservatory climate and protect your furniture.
Adding a bifolding door to your new conservatory will open-up your new living space with the outside and create an extended living space that can be instantly merged with the outside.
This article written by Tony Wiggins who is a director of Trade Conservatories 2 U Ltd leading UK suppliers of self build conservatories and folding sliding doors. You may reproduce this article providing you display the above links
Orignal From: Bifold Doors in Conservatories
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