Bi-fold doors
Bi-Fold Door Specialistsin Godstone & Surrounding Areas
Aluminium bi-folds surveyed against your actual opening, set up so every leaf folds with one hand, and backed for a decade.
Free no-obligation survey · Aluminium specialists · FENSA approved
Since 2005
Family-run in South Godstone
9.83 / 10
191 Checkatrade reviews
FENSA
Approved installer
10 years
Insurance-backed guarantee
CHAS
Accredited contractor
Recent installations
Bi-fold doors we have fitted
Overview
What bi-fold doors involves
A bi-fold door turns a wall into an opening. Folded back, it connects a kitchen or living room to the garden completely; closed, it is a glazed elevation that floods the room with light. It is the single most popular addition to a rear extension, and it is also the product most often let down by poor installation.
We supply and install aluminium bi-folds, from a two-leaf set replacing French doors to wide multi-leaf runs across the back of an extension. Aluminium is the right material here: the leaves are large, they are handled constantly, and they need a frame that stays rigid and true under that use.
Everything is surveyed against the real opening before manufacture. Leaf count, the stacking direction, the position of the traffic door for everyday use and the threshold detail all get decided with you at survey, because they determine how the door feels to live with.
Who this is for
- Rear extensions and open-plan kitchen-diners
- Replacing tired French or patio doors with a full-width opening
- Garden rooms, annexes and home offices
- New builds where the rear elevation is mostly glass
- Trade customers pricing bi-folds from drawings
- Anyone who wants a usable single door as well as a full opening
Why it matters
What happens if it is left alone
A bi-fold running on an opening that has moved will bind. The head above a wide opening has to be supported properly, and if it deflects even slightly the leaves stop meeting cleanly and the locking becomes stiff.
The wrong threshold causes years of nuisance. A flush threshold looks superb but needs correct drainage detailing on an exposed elevation; a rebated threshold sheds water better but is a trip point if it is chosen without thought.
Undersized or poorly maintained running gear is where cheap bi-folds fail. Rollers carry the full weight of each leaf every time the door is used, and once they wear, the whole set drags.
Common mistakes we are called in to fix
- Choosing the leaf configuration on price rather than on how the room is actually used day to day.
- Forgetting the traffic door, so the whole set has to be folded back just to step outside.
- Ordering before the structural opening is finished and true.
- Assuming all bi-folds are the same and comparing quotations on leaf count alone.
Our process
How we run the job, step by step
Step 1
Free survey
We visit, measure and look at the existing openings, lintels, cills and reveals. The survey is free and carries no obligation.
Step 2
Specification and quotation
You get one clear written quotation covering frames, glass, hardware, fitting, making good and certification; no hidden extras added later.
Step 3
Manufacture
Your frames are made to the surveyed sizes in UPVC or aluminium, with your chosen colours, glazing specification and hardware finishes.
Step 4
Installation
Our own installers fit the job. The work area is sheeted up and protected, materials are kept tidy and debris is cleared away each day.
Step 5
Making good
All making good is completed internally and externally, so the finished opening looks right from both sides before we leave.
Step 6
Certification and aftercare
You receive a FENSA certificate for replacement glazing, full product care advice and a 10-year comprehensive insurance-backed guarantee.
Benefits
What you actually get
Light all year
A glazed run replaces solid wall, so the room stays bright in winter, not just when the doors are open.
Smooth operation
Properly set running gear means leaves that fold with one hand rather than a shove with a shoulder.
Flexible opening
Use the traffic door on a normal day, open a section for a breeze, fold the whole run back for summer.
Weather sealed
Thermally broken aluminium and correctly specified thresholds keep draughts and driving rain out of the room.
Secure when closed
Multi-point locking across the set, with toughened glazing and internally beaded units as standard.
Backed for ten years
The whole installation, not just the product, is covered by our insurance-backed guarantee.
In detail
Bi-fold doors: the detail
Configurations
Bi-folds are described by the number of leaves and the way they stack: for example three leaves folding all one way, or four leaves splitting two and two. The right choice depends on where you want the stack to sit, whether furniture or a corner will foul it and where the traffic door needs to be for everyday use.
The traffic door is the leaf that opens on its own like a normal door. Most households use it far more than the full opening, so its position matters more than people expect at the point of ordering. We work through this at survey with the room in front of us.
Thresholds and levels
A low or flush threshold gives the seamless inside-to-outside look, and it is the right choice where there is a patio at the same level with proper drainage in front of it. A rebated threshold sits slightly proud and gives better weather performance on exposed elevations. Neither is automatically correct; it depends on the elevation, the exposure and the finished floor levels.
We check the finished floor and external levels at survey so the threshold detail is designed in rather than improvised on installation day.
Glass and frames
Standard specification is toughened double glazing in thermally broken aluminium frames, powder coated in your choice of colour: anthracite grey and black are the most common, but the full range is available, including different colours inside and out.
Solar control glazing is worth considering on a south or west-facing elevation, where a large glazed run can make a room uncomfortable in summer. Acoustic and self-cleaning options are also available.
Supply only for trade
Builders and developers can buy bi-folds supply only, quoted from drawings, for collection from our Godstone trade counter or delivery on request. Because the product is unforgiving of a badly prepared opening, we are happy to talk through the structural opening and threshold detail with your team before the order is placed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much do bi-fold doors cost?
Cost depends on the overall width, the number of leaves, the glass and the finish, so we quote each opening individually after a free survey. The quotation covers the doors, fitting, making good and certification rather than the doors alone.
How wide can a bi-fold run be?
Very wide runs are possible in aluminium, but the limit on any given job is set by the structural opening and the support above it. We survey the opening and tell you what it will carry before we quote.
How long does installation take?
A typical domestic set is installed in a day or two once the doors are made, depending on the width, access and the state of the opening. We confirm the expected duration with your quotation.
Are bi-fold doors secure?
Yes, when specified properly. Multi-point locking across the set, toughened and internally beaded glazing and rigid aluminium frames mean a closed bi-fold is as secure as any other external door.
Are they draughty in winter?
A correctly specified thermally broken bi-fold with good seals and the right threshold is not draughty. Most complaints about cold bi-folds trace back to the threshold detail or the installation rather than the product.
What maintenance do they need?
Keep the bottom track clear of grit, wash the frames and glass, and lubricate the running gear occasionally. Grit in the track is the main cause of premature roller wear.
What guarantee comes with bi-fold doors?
All of our installations carry a 10-year comprehensive insurance-backed guarantee underwritten through InstallSure. Replacement glazing is also covered by a FENSA certificate, so there is no council notification for you to arrange.
Is the survey really free?
Yes. The survey is free and carries no obligation. We measure, discuss the options and send a written quotation; if it is not for you, that is the end of it.
Which areas do you cover?
We work from South Godstone across Surrey, Sussex, Kent and South London, with Godstone, Redhill, Reigate, Sevenoaks and Crawley as our core territory. Our trade counter is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Also from us
Other services
Bi-fold doors by area
- Bi-fold doors in Godstone
- Bi-fold doors in Redhill
- Bi-fold doors in Reigate
- Bi-fold doors in Sevenoaks
- Bi-fold doors in Crawley
- Bi-fold doors in Oxted
- Bi-fold doors in Caterham
- Bi-fold doors in Edenbridge
- Bi-fold doors in East Grinstead
- Bi-fold doors in Lingfield
- Bi-fold doors in Horley
- Bi-fold doors in Westerham
- Bi-fold doors in Burgess Hill
- Bi-fold doors in Haywards Heath
- Bi-fold doors in Worthing
- Bi-fold doors in Folkestone
See where we work on our areas we cover page, or go back to the homepage.
Customer feedback
What customers say about our bi-fold doors
10/10“Excellent job, clean, tidy and clear instructions”
Bi-fold and aluminium French doors
10/10“Here within 20 minutes and fixed it”
Callout to a five-year-old bi-fold
10/10“First class communication, couldn't fault it”
Windows and a bi-fold
Open up the back of your house properly
We will survey the opening, talk through leaf configuration and threshold options with the room in front of us, and quote the whole job in writing. Free, no-obligation, and no pressure afterwards.