Bi-fold doors - advice & recommendations please

Sheldor

Hi
I'm after some bi-fold doors, about 10ft wide, folding outwards. Grey aluminium all over or grey aluminium outside and oak inside.
They will be fitted by my builders.
Can you recommend any or warn me off any?
Magnet and Wickes don't look too bad at first glance but I've no idea if they're any good.
Thank you!

penguine

We had Origin bifold doors fitted in our new extension last year by our builder. Three panels, dark grey aluminium inside and out. We're really happy with them, especially the last few days when the weather's been nice and we've had a lot of use from them.

ETA: They came with a 20-year guarantee.

Sheldor

Thanks penguine. I'll take a look.

Grimbal

If you have the option, go for ones with internal venetians, as it means that you can avoid spoiling the line of your new doors with curtains, but still be able to block out the light when necessary

Sheldor

Thanks grimbal. Can you see the Venetians when they're open or are they hidden in the frame?

spannerzone

That's good advice, I got some trifold alluminium doors and the lovely open space and clean lines they give is slightly reduced (and slightly ruined I feel) with external curtains but hey ho.

Grimbal

Sheldor wrote: »

Thanks grimbal. Can you see the Venetians when they're open or are they hidden in the frame?

they fold up to a few inches, so you pretty much lose them in the line of the frame - especially if you go for similarly coloured ones

Sheldor

Thank grimbal. Is that a photo of your windows? What make did you get?

Grimbal

nope sorry, not a photo of ours just a grab from the web. I couldn't actually tell you what make we went for as we installed them as part of a renovation (so the builder sourced them). We didn't go for internal venetians & seriously regretted it !

HStone

Definitely go for internal blinds - wish we had, but thought of them too late. Aluminium doors are also tricky to fit blinds to because the beading can be too narrow compared to UPVC. Again, we learnt this too late to benefit us!


Just a bit of a warning also to avoid Folding Door Shop. Once we had paid our deposit it turned out they couldn't provide the door we ordered (the one they had said they could fit) They refused to return our deposit even though it was their fault they couldn't provide it.
Customer services don't exist and no-one replied to repeated phone calls, emails and letters so we lost our deposit.
[NB: There are companies with very similar names which I am sure are great!]

casper_g

Sounds like one for the small claims court!