Bifold
doors.Cortizo, Schüco, Origin.

It comes down to opening width and where you want the traffic door. As a rule of thumb, panels work best between 500mm and 1000mm wide, so a 3m opening usually lands on three or four leaves and a 4m opening on four or five. The bigger decision is the configuration: a 3+0 stacks everything to one side, a 2+1 gives you a single "traffic door" you can use day to day without folding the whole run back. Most families end up glad of a traffic door — you use it every day and open the full run a few dozen times a year.

No, but it is worth thinking about early. A low or flush threshold gives you a near-seamless step out to a patio, which is what most people picture, and it is the accessible option if anyone in the house uses a wheelchair or a pushchair. The trade-off is drainage: a flush track needs the outside level set correctly and a drainage channel, so it is far easier to specify before the patio is laid than after. A standard weathered threshold sits slightly proud, sheds water on its own and costs less. We survey the existing levels before recommending either.

Modern aluminium bifolds are not, provided the frame is thermally broken — a resin barrier through the middle of the frame that stops cold transferring from outside to inside. That is standard on the Cortizo, Origin and Schuco systems we install. Pair it with a good double-glazed unit and you get a U-value comparable to a decent window, over a much larger area of glass. The systems worth avoiding are older non-thermally-broken aluminium, which does exactly what people remember 1980s aluminium doing: runs with condensation on a cold morning.

Outward-opening is the usual choice in the UK. It keeps the stacked panels outside on the patio rather than eating into your floor space, and it stops the doors fouling furniture. Inward-opening makes sense where the outside space is tight — a narrow balcony or a path — or where the stack would sit somewhere exposed. Either way the panels stack to one side or split, and you choose which side at survey based on where the room actually gets used.

Replacing existing doors with bifolds normally falls under permitted development, so no planning application. You will need approval if the property is listed, in a conservation area, or if the work involves enlarging the structural opening. Either way the installation must meet Building Regulations for thermal performance and safety glazing, and we register every job with FENSA so you get the certificate for your records — the document your solicitor will ask for when you sell.

It depends on the number of panels, size, glazing and brand. Get in touch with your project details and we’ll give you an accurate estimate.

Bifold for summer use: when fully open, the whole wall opens up, no panel obstructs the view. Sliding for winter use: even closed, the sightlines are slimmer than a bifold and there's less hardware to look at. We have both on display in the showroom and will recommend at survey based on how you actually use the space — most Peterborough customers go bifold because summer use is the priority.

Yes. Modern aluminium bifolds use multi-point shoot-bolt locking on every panel, anti-lift technology on the running gear, and laminated security glazing options. The Cortizo, Schüco and Origin systems we fit are all tested to the latest UK security standard (PAS-24). Our installation is FENSA-registered with a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee.

Almost none. Aluminium frames don't rust, rot or warp — a wipe-down twice a year is enough. The running gear should be lubricated once a year (we leave instructions). Origin bifolds come with a 20-year guarantee on the frame and 10 years on the running gear and seals.

Usually yes, but the existing opening often needs to be widened slightly to accommodate the frame and structural support. We survey the opening properly — measure, check the lintel, advise if structural work is needed before order. We work alongside your builder if so, and we never quote based on assumptions.