Are Internal Bifold Doors Worth the Cost?

The many advantages offered by bifold doors can also be applied to interior spaces within a home or building. Creating light and open social spaces, bifold doors can work fantastically within a home. There are some disadvantages to consider, especially the high costs involved.

What Are Bifold Doors?

Bifold doors are a type of sliding door, which will be made from a series of panels folding together along a track, creating an open bridge between spaces. These panels will typically be glass panels framed in wood, uPVC, or metal, allowing huge amounts of light to pass through. Bifold doors move on tracks, either hung from the top or rolling along the bottom. They are most famously used as back doors, joining interior and exterior spaces.

Where Are Internal Bifold Doors Used?

Larger bifold doors are used internally within open planned living spaces, such as for connecting a kitchen to a dining room, or a living room and a conservatory. They allow light to move throughout a building, especially useful for buildings where sunlight is missed from certain angles. It also means that the door can be fully opened, perfect for entertaining groups of people or creating a larger space. They can also be closed to give some privacy and noise insulation between areas like kitchens and living rooms.

Smaller bifold doors will also be used for internal features like wardrobes, particularly built-in models. You’ll also find single bifold doors, which will typically be solid and made from engineered wood, with a single horizontal fold down the middle. These can be used as entrance doors for places like bedrooms, and are a great way to make the most of limited space. As they fold rather than open traditionally, you will be able to use a larger amount of floor space inside a room. 

While most of these will be solid, glazed options are also available, with frosted glass making them a great choice for a bathroom door.

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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Interior Bifold Doors

When considering bifold doors inside a property, it’s important to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

• Visibility: Having multiple glass panels within your property will allow light to easily pass through, offering a considerably higher level of natural illumination than a standard glazed door.
• Adjustable: Bifold doors can be closed, partially opened, or fully opened, giving different looks to a room.
• Large Width: Bifold doors can offer a considerably larger opening than a standard door, which can essentially turn two separate rooms into a bigger room when opened.
• Fantastic Look: A bifold door inside your home can give a stunning modern look, with smooth frames and huge amounts of natural light. 
• Space Saving: While this will not always be the case, smaller bi-folding doors will take up a smaller area than traditional doors when opened, allowing more floor space to be used.

Disadvantages

• Costs: We’ll take a more in-depth look at prices later on, but interior bi-folding door sets will come with a higher price tag than other door choices. They will be a considerable investment for a homeowner, especially if you need to alter your house to install them.
• Cleaning Issues: As bifold doors have a variety of panels, joins, and frames, it can be a time-consuming process to clean them.
• Wear Issues: Over time, the hinges of a bifold door set can become stiffer, which will cause issues with operation.

What Types of Internal Bifold Doors Are Available?

For larger bifold doors, you’ll normally be choosing between designs where all doors will fold to one side of the track, or French bifold doors where there is a join in the middle and doors fold towards both sides. In addition, bifold doors with an access door can be installed. This will feature one single door to the side of the track and a multi-panel folding door on the other side. 

Almost all of these larger models will feature glass panels, which can be frosted if needed. Some will feature a large glass panel with a frame, while others will feature smaller glass panels surrounded by cross beams of wood or metal.

When it comes to materials, internal bifold doors are usually made of wood. This can be varnished or painted depending on your needs. Some internal metal framed designs are also sold, which can give a sleeker look.

Single-width bifold doors are usually made from solid wood or engineered wood, though glass-panelled options will also be sold.

How Much Do Internal Bifolding Doors Cost?

Larger internal folding doors will never be the cheapest option. Checkatrade estimates a 3-5 panel timber bifold door will cost an average of £3400, with at least another £2000 on installation. If you need to have part of an internal wall removed that number is likely to climb even more. This is considerably more money than a standard-width internal door and frame.

Smaller single-width bifold doors are much more reasonably priced, with prices starting at around £100 before VAT on our website at the time of writing.

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Building Materials Nationwide works with professionals and DIYers alike across the UK, selling a huge range of building supplies, from cement to bricks to our full suite of doors. Whether you’re looking for internal doors, external doors, or a wide range of frames and accessories, you’ll find a wealth of great choices on our site. 

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