MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Our Favourite Tools

Little House On The Corner

DIY & Home Improvement

MENUMENU
  • Blog
  • Projects
    • Our Favourite Projects
          • DIY Outdoor Daybed with Canopy
          • DIY Outdoor Daybed With Canopy

          • DIY Epoxy Resin Dining Table
          • DIY Epoxy Resin Dining Table

          • 5 Floor Sanding Mistakes And How To Avoid Them | Little House On The Corner
          • What No One Will Tell You About Sanding Your Floors

    • Home Improvement & DIY
          • Hallway with Paean Black Front Door After Editing With Interior Presets for Lightroom by Little House On The Corner
          • How To Create A Home Renovation Budget

          • Floorsanding In Progress
          • What No One Will Tell You About Sanding Your Floors (& How We Did It)

          • How To Plan & Install Panelling | Little House On The Corner
          • How To Plan & Install Panelling

    • Painting & Decorating
          • painted wardrobe in Soumak by paint & paper library
          • How To Paint A Wardrobe

          • Dark Blue and Grey Painted Kitchen Cabinets
          • How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets + Tips For A Professional & Long Lasting Finish

          • What To Do When You've Chosen The Wrong Paint Colour?
          • What To Do When You’ve Chosen The Wrong Paint Colour & How To Fix It!

    • Furniture Upgrades
          • DIY Slatted Radiator Cover
          • DIY Slatted Radiator Cover

          • Beat Floor Lamp and Bar Cart
          • DIY Bar Cart

          • DIY Dining Room Bench | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Dining Room Bench

    • Outside & Garden
          • DIY Logstore
          • DIY Log Store

          • DIY Slatted Garden Fence | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Slatted Garden Fence

          • How To Lay A Gravel Driveway
          • How To Lay A Gravel Driveway

    • Free Printables
          • Cleaning Checklist - Free Printable
          • The Best House Cleaning Checklist

          • Free Printable Paper Houses for Advent Calendar
          • DIY Printable Advent Calendar Village

          • The Easy and Free Way To Organise Screws and Nails
          • The Easiest Way To Organise Screws And Nails

    • Craft & Art
          • DIY Pegboard
          • DIY Pegboard

          • DIY Modern Geometric Serving Tray
          • DIY Modern Geometric Serving Tray

          • DIY Guess Who Game - Setting Out Board | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Guess Who Game

    • Cleaning & Organizing
          • Cleaning Checklist - Free Printable
          • The Only Cleaning Checklist You’ll Ever Need

          • DIY Floating Spice Rack | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Floating Spice Rack

          • 30 Day Spring Clean Checklist - Little House On The Corner
          • 30 Day Spring Clean Challenge

    • Holidays & Festivities
          • DIY Giant Star and Snowflake Light | Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Giant Star and Snowflake Light

          • Free Halloween Printable Book Covers
          • Halloween Book Covers (Free Printable!)

          • Gingerbread style paper advent calendar village - Little House On The Corner
          • DIY Printable Advent Calendar Village

  • House Tour
        • Our Edwardian House
        • Our Edwardian House (1st Home)
        • Our Berlin City Centre Apartment
        • Our Berlin City Centre Apartment (2nd Home)
        • Take The Tour | Our Art Nouveau Apartment | Little House On The Corner
        • Our Berlin Art Nouveau Apartment (3rd Home)
        • berlin riverside apartment house tour
        • Our Berlin Riverside Apartment (4th Home)
  • Shop
    • The Little Corner Shop
    • Shop Our First Home
    • Shop Our Current Home
    • Our Favourite Amazon Finds

6 Things You Need To Know About Bifold Patio Doors

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Remember our ugly dining room? Well, it no longer looks like this as we’ve just had bifold patio doors installed and they’ve transformed the room from this…

Dining Room Before

… into this!

Installing Bi Fold Doors

We’re in love with the new bifold patio doors. From the very first moment I viewed the house, there we two things that I knew would make it so much better. The first was knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room which is a job we’ve already done (you can read about how we removed a load-bearing wall here.) 

And the second thing was installing bifold patio doors in our dining-living area that would lead out to a fabulous decked outdoor area. We obviously still need to build the decking but our new timber bi-folding doors are already a huge improvement on the ugly and surprisingly narrow uPVC that was there before.

Installing Bi Fold Doors

Installing timber bifold patio doors isn’t a cheap home improvement to do and there are a lot of things to consider before you can install them. That’s why we’re sharing everything we learned about having folding doors installed along with a cost breakdown to give you a better idea of what to expect if you want bi-folding doors in your home, too.

6 Important things you need to know when installing bifold patio doors

01

Check if you need building work done

Before you can even think about installing folding patio doors you will have to check if it’s even possible in your home. It’s likely that you will need some minor improvements carried out before you can install bi-folding doors in your home. 

If you live in an older property, one of the most common upgrades that you’ll have to make is exchanging the lintel over your existing doors for a steel one that will be strong enough to cope with the additional weight of the bifold patio doors. This is something we also had to do as the existing timber lintel wasn’t sufficient. 

We also had to remove part of our wall under the existing window to make the opening in the wall large enough for our new bifold exterior door. In addition to the new lintel and enlarging the opening, we also removed a course of bricks to be able to lower the threshold of the door. 

All of these jobs weren’t huge but they will add to the cost and timescale of your project.

How Much Do Bi-Folding Doors Cost

02

They are not cheap

There’s no getting around the fact that installing bifold patio doors is expensive. In most cases, bifold doors are large and it’s important to invest in high-quality bifold doors that will look good and be maintenance-free for a long time.

So, how much do bifold patio doors cost? 

As always, a lot will depend on your building and circumstances. How big is the opening? How many folding elements will you need? Will they be easy to install in your house? What materials are you using? Even where you live can influence the cost of your doors dramatically. 

To give you a better idea of what to expect, we’re sharing exactly what we paid for our doors.

The building work in preparation for the doors, including making our opening slightly larger and removing the brickwork under the windows, removing the old wooden lintel and installing a new steel lintel over the whole window and removing a course of bricks to be able to install the doors with a flush threshold cost £400. 

The bifold patio door including installation and removing the old windows came in at £3500. So that’s a total of about £4000 to install our bifold external doors. This didn’t include any making good around the door like plastering or installing new architraves as we did that ourselves to keep the cost down as much as possible.

(Update for 2022 – With material prices at an all-time high, I would expect to pay almost double what we paid when we had our doors installed).

Full Height Bi-Folding Doors

03

Choose your materials wisely

It’s always helpful to plan your projects to avoid any surprised and get achieve the results you want and when it comes to planning bifold doors there are a few things you should consider, too. 

There are three main types of available materials for patio folding doors (they are sometimes also called accordion glass doors) to choose from and like most things, all have pros and cons. 

Our doors are made of timber but other options include uPVC and aluminium. If you have a large opening, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to have uPVC bifold doors because they tend to warp if they are too large.

When choosing timber doors it’s important to look at the type of wood in your quote, too. Some timbers like Accoya or Afrormosia are strong and have a high rot and insect resistance. Afrormosia is on the endangered list so not necessarily a type of wood you want to choose though. 

Aluminium is a fantastic option for large doors as you can have extremely large doors with slim profiles but they are expensive and can look out of place in old properties.

Depending on where you live there may be restrictions on the type of material you can use, so check the rules and regulations where you live before you make any decisions. 

Installing Bi Fold Doors

04

Which way should bifold patio doors open?

When folded together bifold doors allow you to have a fantastic large opening but they do take up quite a lot of space when folded together so it’s important to consider in which direction the doors will open. 

You can have them folding to the left or right, or even open them in the middle so you can fold them away to both sides of the opening. 

It’s also worth considering if you want them to open inwards or outwards. Think about how you use your space both inside and outside and figure out where the stacked doors will be least intrusive.

In our case, it was a very simple decision. We wanted them to open outwards so as not to take away any space in our dining room and we folded them towards the garden fence so that they wouldn’t block the view or path into the garden.

Installing Bi-fold Doors

05

Plan the threshold

Do you want a completely flat surface between the inside and outside? Or would a step be acceptable, too?

We wanted a smooth transition between indoor and outdoor living and didn’t want a barrier between the inside and outside so removed one course of brick to give us additional space for the frame. 

Because the door is installed at a slightly lower level the frame finishes flush with the floor giving us a perfect barrier-free threshold. 

It’s not a complicated thing to do, but it does have to be planned before you order your doors!

Installing Bi-Folding Doors - In Progress

06

Look at other options

Bi fold patio doors are fabulous and we love ours but they aren’t the best solution for every space. There are other door systems like sliding doors which are a great alternative to bifold doors and are generally slightly cheaper, too. Sliding doors also have less frame area which means that you’ll have more glass and frames blocking your view.

Another great option, especially for period properties is double french doors. They can look classic or super modern and allow you to create a large opening without the expense of bifold doors. 

Installling Bifold Doors

Bifold Patio Door FAQ

How much are bi-folding doors in the UK?

We spent a total of £4000 on our doors. This included all building work, the doors and installation but not the making good on the inside. We had our doors installed in 2016 and prices have increased a lot. I’d expect to pay around double that at the moment. 

Is it worth getting bifold doors?

We loved our doors and are planning on installing them in our new home, too. We think they are worth splurging on but it’s always worth looking at other options to find the best solution for your house. 

Are bifold doors more expensive than sliding?

Yes, we found that bifold patio doors are about 30% more expensive than sliding doors (based on the quotes we got). This will always depend on the size of your doors, materials, location and house as well though.

Installing Bi Fold Doors

We still have so many home improvements we need to do in this room including replastering around the window and we still need to add an architrave around the window, too. 

We’re also looking forward to installing some fabulous decking to connect the inside and outside even more. 

Bifold Doors Before and After

What do you think – was it worth spending extra on bifold patio doors? Would you install bifold doors in your home?

If you like this project, you will love these ones, too!

DIY Outdoor Daybed with Canopy
DIY Outdoor Daybed with Canopy
Space Saving Outdoor Table
DIY Space-Saving Outdoor Table
Slatted Garden Fence
DIY Slatted Garden Fence
DIY Logstore
DIY Log Store
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Christine 20 Comments

the PAST
the FUTURE

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Sign up with your email address for secret projects, DIY advice & lots of fun!

Privacy Policy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    12/01/2021 at 15:16

    Hi! Your project looks beautiful! We are transforming a space like this – our detached garage, turning it into a three season indoor/outdoor room. How much did you pay for these doors? They are exactly what we are going for. Any regrets? Thanks! Danielle

    Reply
    • Christine says

      13/01/2021 at 07:16

      Thank you so much, Danielle. We absolutely loved the doors and had no regrets (other than not living there longer to enjoy them more). Choosing something high-quality was definitely worth paying the extra although I can’t remember the exact number it was around £4000.
      Hope that helps.
      Cx

      Reply
  2. Vanessa says

    09/09/2017 at 01:48

    Very pretty!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      10/09/2017 at 08:12

      Thanks! We love how they turned out!
      CX

      Reply
  3. lorraine says

    04/02/2016 at 16:23

    It looks great. Your setup is very similar to our sitting room with a patio door. We need to think about a replacement, so this has given me some ideas. Would you mind saying how much it cost, including labour. Did you use a local firm, how many quotes did you get? Many thanks still enjoying the blog.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      04/02/2016 at 18:57

      Thanks Lorraine! We got 5 quotes (some of which were for aluminium doors) and in the end we went with a local joinery. All together the project came in at £4000 of which the doors were £3500. French doors would have cost less, but we are glad that we went for the bifold doors and do think that the extra was worth it.
      Cx

      Reply
  4. Lins @ Boo & Maddie says

    29/01/2016 at 08:48

    Ooh I really need to sit down with a tea and catch up with your progress!! It looks totally amazing and you must be so pleased, I share your pain on the expense side of things of course but so worth it in the end, bring on the summer!! Xx

    Reply
    • Christine says

      29/01/2016 at 13:42

      Thanks Lins! At least this is a home improvement where we can actually see where we’ve spent our money and we feel that it was worth it! The worst projects are the ones where you spend, spend, spend and nothing looks different!
      CX

      Reply
  5. Kara says

    28/01/2016 at 16:36

    That has made such a difference, looks lovely, going to be fab come Spring

    Reply
    • Christine says

      28/01/2016 at 17:07

      Thank you Kara! Although the size of the opening hasn’t changed that much it really feels so different! Now all we need is some good weather …and a tider garden. ;)
      Cx

      Reply
  6. Louise says

    28/01/2016 at 13:30

    Great improvement, so nice that you got to have it flush as well, that is crucial to that flow feel. Such a lovely view it will be with flowers on the patio and climbing the fence… Now, how about splurging some on your neighbour, maybe some lovely new conifers to replace that overgrown joy? =)

    Reply
    • Christine says

      28/01/2016 at 17:06

      Improving the garden has jumped right to the top of our to-do list! It’s still such a mess, but I totally agree with you about the possibilities Louise – it could be lovely!
      Cx

      PS. If you think that conifer is big, you should see the one on the other side. It’s huge – easily twice the size of that one…

      Reply
  7. Kerrie says

    28/01/2016 at 09:30

    Looks amazing – already its like your view out the door is nicer LOL. I did a deck from doors and everyone just loves it.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      28/01/2016 at 09:47

      I totally agree Kerrie – although I’ve never quite felt the urge to sort the garden as much as now! Now all we need is a dry and warm summer! ;)
      Cx

      Reply
  8. Stacey @ Dohiy.com says

    27/01/2016 at 14:48

    Christine, what a transformation! Congrats on the completely worth-it change (and great post describing the challenges and process).

    Reply
    • Christine says

      27/01/2016 at 14:57

      Aww, thanks Stacey! We of course still have all of the finishing off to do, but I got a bit over excited and couldn’t wait to share it. ;)
      Cx

      Reply
  9. Lucy says

    27/01/2016 at 10:57

    Oh wow what a difference – looks totally epic! So smart, what a great turn of luck that you could get the even threshold after all. Definitely worth the splurge you’re going to enjoy them so much!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      27/01/2016 at 11:04

      Thank you Lucy! It’s weird how different it feels. We obviously knew how big the opening would be, but it still feels so much better than expected!
      Cx

      Reply
  10. mike says

    27/01/2016 at 10:52

    It looks fantastic.

    I’m so glad you went for wood over UPVC. It will give you pleasure to look at every day.

    Reply
    • Christine says

      27/01/2016 at 11:00

      Thanks Mike. Even if we’d wanted to, we couldn’t have opted for uPVC because of the height. Either way, I totally agree that timber is much much better than uPVC.
      Cx

      Reply
Painting Checklist

Our Favourite Tools

*Contains Affiliate Links*

Things To Know

ABOUT US

CONTACT US

DISCLAIMER

Privacy Policy

Shop Our Home!

OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS

SHOP OUR HOME

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Please read our full disclaimer here!

Let’s Be Friends!

Keep Up To Date!

Subscribe for exclusive content and tutorials!

Thank you!

Copyright © 2023 · Little House On The Corner · This Website is powered by Cloudways and the Genesis Framework