Bi Fold door help pls - upvc, aluminium or wood?

Walter_Sobchak

Anyone been recommended solarlux?

http://www.solarlux.co.uk/en/pub/solutions/room-dividers-sliding-dividers/aluminium/room-divider-sl60e-aluminium.cfm

J-Mac

ritesh wrote: »

We recently had aluminium bi-fold doors fitted (2.1m x 3.6m). We did a lot of research by going to home shows etc. We finally chose the aluminium doors from Open Living, who use Origin frames for their bi-fold doors. The frames come with a 20 year guarantee from Origin.

The doors are bottum hung and very solid! Easy to open and close and maintain.

The wife loves them and will have Hilarys to fit the vertical blinds.

(ps...price for the doors was just over £3k and, more importantly service from Open Living was fantastic!)

I've just had a quote from Open Living for 2.1m x 2.4m aluminium bi folds. It came to around 3.5k, a little higher than I expected. Were you able to negotiate on price with them?

J-Mac

Decided to go with a FENSA registered company who will fit Origin Easifold 3000 doors with integrated blinds. Fingers crossed everything goes well with installation etc!

blackshirtuk

J-Mac wrote: »

Decided to go with a FENSA registered company who will fit Origin Easifold 3000 doors with integrated blinds. Fingers crossed everything goes well with installation etc!

thats what we went for but minus the blinds

Avenger2274

Having phoned up this company(slideandfold.co.uk) to inquire about delivery times,I was told 2 to 3 weeks for standard delivery at £75 +vat but for £225+vat I could get express delivery in 14days(3times the cost),I was then informed my delivery would take place on the Friday,the 14th day but the night before I was phoned to say the item was damaged and therefor could not be delivered until the Monday, the 17th day.but they only offered £50 refund on the express delivery.I have not got the bifold doors yet but I am now dreading if anything goes wrong.If you phone you get the same woman in sales,tech and delivery and she keeps saying sorry but 'they' say this or that,but you cant connect to them or anyone else other than by Email. This seems like good a way of overcharging customers so beware.
PS Had to cancel the fitter as well, not happy

alanw8555

Ok here goes
I work for an aluminium and upvc manufacturing company, and shall try and explain a little about aluminium bifolding doors.
Just for the record we do not manufacture upvc bifolds, as in my own opinion theirs not a good one on the market.

Aluminium bifolds
Over the years, I have looked at several different manufactures of bifolding doors and our company now only manufacture the Smarts Aluminium range, as in my own personal opinion they are probably one of the best on the market.

Cost Smarts aluminium 1000 series, should not break the bank these days, in fact I have run several pricing exercises against upvc over a period of time and there is very little difference in price, provided you don't buy from !!!!!! Turpin.

Thresh Detail Most bifold door manufactures will offer a low thresh or full wraparound (Rebated)
Low Thresh Smarts is 15mm, 20mm, however buyer beware!!! Low thresh have NO weather ratings and therefore in bad weather you could possibly feel a draft under the door sashes and in extreme cases leek water in (however I have never had anyone complain about water intake) ,Low thresh in not recommended in exposed areas, personal I would never recommend low thresh at all, and certainly woudnt put it on bifolds in my house
Wraparound (Rebated) Thresh
This is basically outer frame all the way round, and is fully weather tested and the only thresh i would recommend to be used on domestic builds

Fitting
I have lost count the amount of times supply only customers have rang me with problems not being able to open and close their doors. 99% of the time the reason being
Bifold doors have to be fitted square and plumb, there is no adjustments on the hinges, and therefore its is critical that the doors are toe and heeled correctly. if this is not done then you will always have problems with your doors. Not everyone seems to be able to fit aluminium bifolding doors, so look for a company who have plenty of experience.

If you need more help Im more than happy to try and answer any questions you may have

Good luck Alan

martin1959

OK...I may be losing the plot here....but I generally believe that playing 'piggy in the middle' does not work.


I am having an extension built within the next 4 months and have just gone out to tender to various builders. Incorporated into the 5m x 5m extension are two sets of bifold doors, fully glazed apex in vaulted roof, and a seamless glazed cantilever corner.


I have gone to a glazing company who has quoted me to visit the site once the walls and steels are in situ, take full measurements, manufacture all the windows doors, and frames, and then fully install them.


The problem with arranging one company to supply, and one company to fit, is that if/when it all goes t*ts up, all they will do is blame each other.


Yes it will probably cost me more, but if it does all go wrong, I only have one company to blame. (and I will be paying the deposit for the glazing on a credit card!).