Aluminium bifold doors

Having narrow sight lines maximises the view. Our bifold doors are engineered to have the thinnest possible sight lines.

We design our bifold doors so, when stacked, they provide a slim profile that maximises space and when closed they look narrow whichever angle they are viewed from

Thermal performance of the doors is measured as a U-value. When comparing products it is crucial to compare the overall U-value of the system and not just the U-value of the sealed glass unit. The SUNFLEX bifold doors can achieve incredibly low U-values based on a centre-pane of 0.5W/m²K, with the SF75 capable of achieving a figure low enough for use on Passivhaus standard projects.

The maximum size of each individual glass panel installed in our sliding doors range.

Whilst the majority of bifold doors are installed in an outward opening configuration, inward opening doors are ideal for use with balconies or with small courtyard gardens.

The gaskets that seal the panels of the doors together when closed, providing a weather-tight seal, are made from an incredibly durable, synthetic EPDM rubber.

Separating the external and internal aluminium frames of the door the polyamide thermal breaks prevent cold bridging, increasing the thermal performance of the system.

Our bifold doors include shoot bolt locks that extend from the lead door and intermediate panels into the top and bottom of the track, whilst the lead door features a mushroom head lock into the side jamb.

Independently certified for quality assurance to prestigious BSI Kitemark™ standards.

PAS 24:2016 is the testing standard for security required to comply with Building Regulations Document Q. P1a glass (usually laminated glass) specification is required to meet Building Regulations Document Q approval.

The Secured by Design award marks the police preferred security specification for windows and doors

Double glazing is a minimum requirement for external doors and windows. Our standard double glazed units consist of a soft-coat Low-E (low emissivity) pane and argon gas-filled cavity which provides a centre pane U-Value of 1.2W/m2K. Over the standard, we can provide super-insulated double glazed units providing a centre pane U-Value of 0.5W/m2K whilst providing solar control.

Triple glazing is becoming increasingly popular, especially in total new builds, as it provides the lowest U-Values possible and can be up to 40% more efficient than double glazing. Combining two panes of Low-E glass and two gas-filled cavities, glazing U-Values as low as 0.5W/m2K are possible with the added benefit of great sound reduction.

Each set of our bifold doors is handmade to the highest standards or quality and performance by experienced fabrictors

Every set of doors and windows undergoes independent physical testing to assess the ability of the systems to withstand air and water. Water tightness is tested against BS EN 12208 standard with air permeability tested against BS EN 12207 standard.

Our bifold doors come with a choice of track options. Non-weather rated flush tracks are only typically recommended for internal or sheltered urban locations. Low-threshold tracks have 14mm upstands are ideal for urban or rural locations, with our fully weathered tracks designed for rural or exposed locations.

A truly unique and innovative feature, the SUNFLEX locking panel catch holds the lead door of the system in place when the doors are being opened, preventing the door from swinging shut.

Unique to SUNFLEX bifold doors, the exclusive stacking clip holds the doors securely in place when they are stacked open, stopping the wind (or young children) closing the doors unexpectedly.

Our bifolds are manufactured with two styles of running gear, both ensuring ease of use and ultra-smooth operation of the doors.

The integration of a moveable corner post allows the doors to open up a complete, unobstructed corner of a room

Our doors are available in a range of standard colours, alternatively you can select from an almost infinite choice of optional colours and finishes – or even opt for a dual colour door with different colours on the internal and external frames.

We are able to fit integral Venetian blinds within the glazed unit, ensuring a totally dust-free environment which requires no cleaning or maintenance. These are very popular, especially on internally opening systems where curtains are not practical.

Integrated blinds can be tilted to help prevent the build-up of excessive heat and glare of the sun during the daytime and provide privacy when closed. Blind units are manually operated with an ingenious magnetic control device.

The requirement for trickle vents to provide background ventilation can be a requirement of Building Regulations Document F, depending on the type of project you are undertaking. IDSystems trickle vents are installed through the head track of the outer frame if required.

Laminated glass: Improved security and UV reduction preventing furniture fading.
Tinted anti-sun glass: Reducing solar gain, available in blue, green, grey or bronze.
Neutral anti-sun glass: Neutral in colour with reflective properties to reduce solar gain.
Self-cleaning glass: Reduces the need to clean the glass, very useful in roofs.
Obscure glass: Our satin deco is a stylish solution for areas requiring privacy.
Low-iron glass: Improves the light transmittance through glass while providing some free energy.

For new-build homes or for change of use projects (barn conversions etc) we fit laminated glass as standard to meet the requirement for P1a glass as specified by Building Regulations Document Q for security. For all other projects (extensions, replacements or renovations etc) we fit toughened glass to comply with Building Regulations Document N.

Toughened glass
Toughened glass has been heat tempered to increasing its strength over ordinary annealed glass by up to five times. Other than the strength the advantage of toughened glass is that should it break it would shatter into non-sharp pieces. It is also available with the widest variety of coatings and can be supplied in larger sheets than equivalent thickness laminated glass.

When the glass is toughened it can suffer from some visual distortion making, meaning the face of the glass is not perfectly flat distorting some reflections.

Laminated glass
Laminated glass is manufactured by bonding two panes of annealed glass with a clear plastic interlayer. The benefit of laminated glass is that if it’s broken the glass will crack rather than shattering, improving security. In addition, laminated glass reduces bleaching of carpets, curtains and furniture by filtering UV rays that would usually penetrate the glass.

The drawback of laminated glass is that extreme heat or cold can cause invisible defects in the glass to form a crack due to the two panes expanding and contracting independently. As the laminated glass is not toughened is does not suffer from the visual distortion that can occur to toughened glass during the toughening process.