TECHNICAL ADVICE
What to consider when specifying bifolding doors PT 1
A contemporary glazed door system is one of the most sought-after features in modern properties to bathe the internal spaces with light and to create a strong connection between the property and garden. Choosing the right bifolding door system is very important for both aesthetics and practicality to suit the architectural design and functional requirements of the occupants.
Bifolding Doors are often the most ideal choice of system to enable the occupants to open up to 90% of the opening when all the bifold panes are stacked to one side – compared to sliding doors which have less framing but cannot be completely slid open and they usually have one fixed pane that the other sliding doors stack on top of. With bifolds, the doors are made from multiple panes that are opened by concertinaing them neatly together and sliding them to one side of the opening. Bifolding doors can often be designed to either stack internally or externally and can be designed in various configurations.
Here are some things to consider when specifying bifolds:
What are the standard sizes for bifold doors?
The maximum pane sizes for bifolding doors varies depending on the system and the opening that it’s designed for. All bifold door systems from Sieger® are manufactured bespoke to each project to create the exact arrangement required for the architectural design. Sieger® has several bifolding door options including the Sieger® 120 Bifold, Sieger® Lux Bifold and the Sieger® Super Lux Bifold.
The Sieger® 120 and Lux Bifolding Doors are all available with maximum certified pane sizes of 3m tall by 1.2m wide. Although these bifolding doors have the same maximum pane sizes, they both have other unique qualities to consider including performance, drainage and sightlines.
For exceptionally tall bifolding doors, the Sieger® Super Lux Bifold can reach up to 5m tall to achieve outstanding elevations of bifolding glass panes. The maximum sizes the Super Lux Bifolding Door can go is 1.2m wide by 5m tall.
With the Sieger® Lux Bifold and the Sieger® Super Lux Bifold, there isn’t a restriction to the number of panes that can be used within the design of the bifolding door arrangement, however, with the Sieger® 120 Bifold there is a maximum number of 14 sashes per installation.
The Sieger® Bi-folding Doors can be designed as an inward or outward opening system with opening corners, bi-parting and can also have a pass door.
To fill impressively wide openings, the Sieger® Lux is the most suitable product as there isn’t a restriction on the number of folding panes whereas with the Sieger® 120 Bifold there’s a maximum of 14 sashes. For wide openings that are also incredibly tall, the Sieger® Super Lux is the most suitable product as these tall bifolds can also be manufactured without a restriction on the number of panes.
What are the sightlines of aluminium bifolding doors?
The vertical profiles again vary from system to system with bifolding doors as they are all designed for different performance abilities and manufactured in different methods.
Sieger® is able to offer the slimmest bifolding door on the market which provides a minimal sightline of only 74mm. This impressive system has structurally bonded glazing which helps to accentuate the minimalistic frame design. Each bifolding leaf of this system has a profile of just 30mm which combines to create the total vertical profile of just 74mm when the doors are closed.
The second slimmest bifold from Sieger® is the Sieger® 120 Bifold with an overall sightline of just 120mm.
The Super Lux Bifold Door has an overall sightline of 144mm, this is thicker than the standard Lux Bifold as this system had a stabilising wind post to provide additional support to the bifolding door due to the height it can go up to.
How does the drainage work with bifolding doors?
The Sieger® Lux and Sieger® Lux Bifolds are designed with an integrated drainage system as part of the base frame, whereby water can permeate through the track and down into a drainage system below. This design means that you don’t need to have a drain in front of the system for the water to run down into, it’s already hidden neatly below the base track.
Can I add glazing bars to Sieger® Bifolds?
All the Sieger® Bifolding Door systems are available with the option of horizontal glazing bars – to achieve traditional steel look aesthetic. For an all-over steel look bifold, the Legacy system has even more of an industrial style design. Due to the bespoke manufacture process of each bifolding door, the glazing bars can be designed with the desired number of horizontal glazing bars to meet the desired aesthetic of the project. The colour of the glazing bars can be designed with the same finish as the frame for a cohesive aesthetic.
What configurations are available with Sieger® Bifolds?
With the Sieger® Lux Bifold and the Sieger® Super Lux Bifold, there isn’t a restriction to the number of panes that can be used within the design of the bifolding door arrangement, however with the Sieger® 120 bifold there is a maximum number of 14 sashes per installation.
The Sieger® Bi-folding Doors can be designed as an inward or outward opening system with opening corners, bi-parting and can also have a pass door.