If you’re looking for alternative to bifold doors for your new extension, there are plenty of excellent options to consider. These alternatives can transform a wall into a stunning glass feature that seamlessly connects your home to your garden during the summer while ensuring a bright and inviting interior throughout the winter. Some great alternatives include sliding doors, slide-and-stack doors, pivot doors, and even pocket doors.

In this article, we will explore all the viable options available, showcasing the various alternatives to bifolding doors. Many of these solutions can also serve as great replacements for outdated patio doors in existing openings, bringing a fresh and modern feel to your space.

Why should you consider alternative of bifold doors?

While bifolding doors are undeniably popular and effective, there are several reasons to explore other options that might better suit your needs. Here are five considerations:

• Uninterrupted Views: When closed, bifolding doors feature multiple vertical mullions and panels that can disrupt the view. Alternatives with larger glass panels can enhance the visual connection to the outside.
• Slimline Aesthetic: If you prefer a minimalist look, you might be drawn to options that offer a sleeker design with fewer visual interruptions.
• Space Efficiency: Bifolds can require considerable space when fully opened. Exploring door designs that slide or stack may provide a more efficient use of space.
• Environmental Comfort: When bifolding doors are wide open, there’s a potential for insects and debris to enter your home, especially in windy conditions. Other door styles can provide better options for maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.
• User-Friendly Features: If you’re seeking a door with more straightforward operation or advanced features like automation, it might be worth considering alternatives to bifolding doors.

Additionally, if you have a smaller door opening that can only accommodate a two-panel door, or if local planning regulations impose limitations, other styles may offer more functionality and compliance.

First Understand How You Want to Utilise Patio Doors?

One reason for the popularity of aluminium patio doors is the lifestyle options they provide. In the warmer summer months, many of us enjoy al fresco dining and love the idea of opening our back doors to create a seamless transition to the garden. However, it’s important to note that our patio doors often remain closed for most of the year.

When choosing the best patio doors while property renovation, consider how you plan to use the space. Whether it’s for hosting guests parties, dining, or allowing children to smoothly move between indoors and outdoors area, these are all valid reasons for selecting the right doors.

People have different goals when it comes to their homes. Some may want to make the most of what they already have. If you live in a beautiful countryside area or have amazing views of the sea or hills, you’ll likely want patio doors that improve your view, whether they’re open or closed. For those with smaller homes, the aim might be to make the space feel bigger or to let in more natural light to make the room feel brighter.

Common Features That Most Patio Doors Offers!

When looking for options instead of bifolding doors for your patio, there are a few important features that many people appreciate regardless of the type of door they choose.

• Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Investing in new glazing with a focus on energy efficiency can lead to significant savings on energy bills. Many door alternatives feature insulated aluminium profiles and high-performance glass, ensuring excellent U-values and overall energy efficiency, just like bifolding doors.
• Low or Flush Threshold: A low or flat threshold is a popular choice because it makes it easy to walk in and out, creating a seamless connection between your indoor and outdoor spaces. This design is aesthetically pleasing and can be found in a variety of door styles, not just bifolding doors.
• Slimmer Frames: Many homeowners like the idea of slimline door frames. Choosing doors with slimmer aluminium profiles means you can have larger glass panels, which let in more natural light and offer better views of your garden or outdoor area. While not every door alternative to bifolding doors has these sleek designs, there are several great options available, including doors with minimal frames that look very modern.

The Alternative Types of Doors to Aluminium Bifolding Doors.

We have curated a selection of door types and styles that are ideal for replacing old patio doors or for incorporating into a new extension. Each option provides excellent views, features large glass panels, and effectively opens up the space from indoors to outdoors. Some of these options also offer bifold functionality while addressing common drawbacks associated with traditional bifold doors.

1. French Doors

French doors are a cost-effective alternative to bifolding doors. They usually consist of two doors but can be expanded to include multiple interconnected door sets for larger openings. This versatility allows for a wide variety of styles from different brands. Additionally, French doors are available in a popular industrial steel look designs, making them an excellent choice for Art Deco and Heritage Properties.

2. Sliding Doors with Large Glass Panels

Nothing creates a sense of space quite like a grand sliding door compared to bifold and French doors. We believe that sliding doors are among the best alternatives to bifold doors for new extensions or when replacing outdated patio doors.

Sliding doors offer the largest possible glass sizes. Even with a standard-sized door, the glass panels are still larger than those of bifold doors. When closed, the frame profiles of sliding doors are more than half the size of bifolds.

The only drawback of sliding doors is that they do not provide the full opening that bifolding doors do when they are open. However, the advantages of sliding doors when closed include a solid wall of insulated glass and stunning views.

3. Ultra-slim Sliding Door

Ultra-slim patio doors (Slimline sliding doors) are a stylish and modern choice that offers a sleek look with more glass and less framework compared to standard sliding doors. They are a popular option for those looking for something different from traditional bifolding doors. While they are more complicated to produce and install, the final result is truly impressive and enhances the beauty of any home.

Cortizo’s COR Vision Sliding and Smart System’s Invisoglide is best option for slim and durable aluminium patio door profile.

4. Pocket Sliding Doors

With the help of your builders, a sliding door can be installed to slide into the walls, making it disappear completely when opened. The main advantage of this design is that only a small portion of the door remains visible when fully open—just enough to hold onto for sliding it open.

Additionally, you can opt for a pocket sliding door with an open-corner configuration, which eliminates the need for a visible corner post.

Sliding doors that tuck into the wall cavity can provide a wider clear opening than bifold doors since they are not visible when opened. However, it’s important to note that you need sufficient wall cavity space to accommodate the door’s width and depth. This option is typically achievable only in new builds or extensions.

5. Slide and Turn Doors

There are several compelling reasons to consider slide-and-stack doors as a great alternative to bifold doors. These doors provide a fully open space similar to bifold doors but feature independently operating panels rather than being connected like concertina doors.

While slide-and-stack or slide-and-turn designs do require a designated stacking area for the doors, this can be easily managed with adequate space either inside the room or on the patio. The independent operation of the panels allows you to position furniture right up to the doors, both indoors and outdoors, maximizing your usable space. The doors glide along a track and fold inward smoothly at the end.

As shown in the accompanying image, slide-and-stack doors are designed to save space, provide ventilation gaps between the panels, and typically offer thinner sightlines compared to traditional bifold doors. This enhances both the aesthetics and functionality of the space.

6. Frameless Slide and Turn Doors

The frameless version of slide-and-stack doors stands out as a particularly exclusive choice compared to the framed option. Frameless Glass Curtains Limited (FGC) provides double-glazed slide and stack doors that eliminate aluminum at the mullions, ensuring no visible mullions are present. Additionally, these glass units feature a sleek, transparent edge.

These doors utilize an advanced gasket system, achieving a sightline as narrow as a finger’s width. Despite the absence of visible mullions, they maintain robust security and excellent weather protection, meeting the high standards expected from premium patio doors. While FGC’s doors are positioned at the higher end of the market, the distinctive aesthetic they offer is truly remarkable. Moreover, FGC also offers a single-glazed internal version, which is perfect for room dividers and partitions.

7. Monoslide 80: Slide and Turn Doors

Sunparadise offers the innovative Monoslide 80, a remarkable sliding door system that offers a clear and open view when you want it. These doors are not only stylish but also very functional, making them an exciting choice for any home. The panels can move independently on a special track, allowing you to slide them to the side and stack them neatly. This means you can tuck them away inside the room, along the outside wall, or even hide them in a cupboard when they’re not in use. Plus, they are great for creating a seamless open corner in your living space, adding flexibility and enhancing the flow of your home. Visit Sunparadise Monoslide 80 doors website.

8. Aluminium Pivot Doors

Aluminium pivot doors are an exciting choice for modern architecture, especially because they can be made in larger sizes than typical doors, reaching widths and heights of up to 3 meters. Their impressive size not only makes a bold style statement but also allows more natural light into your space and creates a large, open area when fully opened.

These doors work differently from regular doors. They are fitted with a special mechanism at the bottom and a hinge at the top, which helps them move smoothly, even if they are heavy. However, it’s important to remember that because they open in a unique way, pivot doors need extra space both inside and outside to operate fully. This makes them best suited for areas with enough room.

In terms of appearance, pivot doors are stunning and can really enhance the look of both indoor and outdoor areas. That said, they might not keep out wind and rain as well as traditional doors, so it’s ideal to use them in more sheltered locations.

Overall, a well-designed aluminium pivot door can give your space a modern touch. While they may not be everyone’s first choice, they present a stylish alternative to bifolding doors, making them a worthwhile option for anyone wanting to upgrade their home.

9. Tilt and turn door

Tilt-and-turn doors and windows are a innovative alternative to traditional bifolding doors. These windows are unique because they can be much larger than regular ones, even reaching the height of a door, making them versatile for different uses.

You can open these windows in two ways: by tilting them inward, which allows fresh air to flow in while keeping the window secure, or by swinging them open like a door for easier access. Although there are some situations where they might not be the best fit, they are great for specific needs, such as accessing flat roofs or providing ventilation without completely opening a door. Overall, tilt-and-turn windows offer a practical and stylish solution for enhancing your space’s functionality and design.

Still Confused? Reach out to Durajoin’s technical team to get free technical advice.