Bespoke Door Sets
Bi-fold Doors
Bi-fold doors open a whole elevation to a garden, and on a period property the question is how to do that without the building suddenly reading as new. The answer is timber, and slim sections.
Folding doors, in timber
A bi-fold is a run of doors hinged together that fold and stack to one side, opening a span far wider than a single or French door. Done in timber rather than aluminium, with sections kept as slim as the structure allows, a bi-fold can open up a garden elevation while still reading as joinery. The timber is stable and the glazing specified to the building, with double-glazed units where performance is needed. The running gear — top-hung or bottom-rolling — and the threshold are detailed so the doors run reliably and weather correctly.
Where they belong on a period property
Bi-fold doors belong on extensions and garden-facing elevations, where a wide opening is wanted and the setting is contemporary enough to carry it. They are rarely right on the principal elevation of a listed or significant period building, where a French or panelled door is the correct choice — and on a listed property the location and design are specified to suit consent. Used in the right place, a timber bi-fold gives the opening a modern building needs without importing a modern material the property does not want.
Bi-fold Doors start from £5,000 as a single element.
- Suits
- Extensions · garden-facing elevations · contemporary settings
- Configuration
- Folding run of leaves, stacking to one side
- Material
- Timber with slim sections — sympathetic, not aluminium
- Running gear
- Top-hung or bottom-rolling; weathered threshold
- Where not
- Rarely right on a listed principal elevation
- From
- £5,000 (single element)
Common Questions
Can you make bi-fold doors in timber rather than aluminium?
Yes. A timber bi-fold with sections kept as slim as the structure allows opens up a garden elevation while still reading as joinery, rather than importing a modern material onto a period property.
Are bi-fold doors suitable for a listed building?
Rarely on the principal elevation, where a French or panelled door is correct, but often on an extension or garden elevation where the setting carries it. On a listed property the location and design are specified to satisfy consent.
How do timber bi-fold doors run?
On top-hung or bottom-rolling running gear, with a weathered threshold, detailed so the folding leaves run reliably and weather correctly.
French doors or bi-folds for my extension?
Bi-folds open the widest span and suit a contemporary garden elevation; French doors are quieter and more traditional. The choice follows the opening, the elevation, and how the extension relates to the period house.
Considering bi-fold doors for a period or rural property? The conversation starts here.
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