Bi-Fold, French or Patio Doors: Which style should you choose?

When it comes to changing, or upgrading, the exterior doors at the rear of your home, you have the choice of either Bi-fold, French, or sliding Patio doors. But what style should you choose? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each option? Even though these door styles often feature out of sight from the front of the house, they still impact the overall beauty and style of your home, and choosing the most appropriate style ensures the right fit for your property.

Here we will delve into each style of door individually, outlining the benefits of each and the style of property and living they suit best. We will also aim to advise you on what to consider if you are thinking about what would be best for your own home.

Bi-Fold Doors

Bi-fold doors are a style of door that feature multiple leaves/sashes that fold and stack away to the side, creating a concertina effect and providing a large, unobstructed opening between home and garden. This style has been growing in popularity in recent years, especially in more contemporary styled homes, new build properties, and home extensions, as they are seen as a more modern option, compared to a traditional French door for example. They are commonly seen as both an internal and external door solution, connecting rooms as well as the home to garden. If therefore, you are looking for that traditional touch, a bi-fold may not be the most suitable option. However, timber bi-folds can be made to look more traditional with panels, an option unavailable with other materials.

For those with a large garden and/or patio area, bifolds provide a perfect solution. Creating a fully open space allows for a fully unobstructed view, which, if you live in either a beautiful country space, or have a garden you are especially proud of, allows you to fully maximise your enjoyment and view when the doors are open.

The doors folding and sliding away neatly to the side is also a space saver, as opposed to French doors for example, where the hinged door system requires space when the doors are open. So for those looking for an open living space, Timber bifold doors provide a stylish piece of the puzzle and for those with pets and children, these may be seen as the preferential option. They have also risen in popularity as an internal door, connecting rooms and living spaces in a contemporary way, therefore providing a solution as both an external and internal door option.

This style of door is also more suitable for a larger opening. With French doors, the opening doors can only be so wide, and so the rest of the opening would need to be filled with fixed sidelights. While beautiful in style, for those wanting to maximise a larger opening, a folding door would make for a potentially better solution.

French Doors

The traditional, and perhaps most commonly seen option are French doors. These are a set of double doors, hung on a hinge system which open either inwards or outwards. These can either be fully or partially glazed with panels, and can feature side windows (which we call flag windows) or sidelights, to add further character and beauty.

For smaller openings, a French door is the most suitable solution. Sliding patio doors and folding bifold doors require a minimum width as they utilise a door gearing system instead of a hinge system. Depending on the space you are working with, French doors may be the only feasible solution for your home.

The customisation available with French doors allows you to achieve whichever look you are aiming for, be it a very traditional appearance to suit an older property (with White or Black Georgian French doors for example), or a more modern, fully double-glazed look incorporating contemporary mouldings and hardware for a sleek appearance. They therefore, can suit a wider range of properties than bifold doors for example, and while perhaps less flexible in their operation, are more flexible in their application.

As discussed above, for larger openings, with French doors this may mean incorporating fixed sidelights, which would mean you would not have a fully open area, and may encourage you to opt for a different style of door as an alternative. For those with pets or young children, the flexibility of the opening between home and garden may be a consideration.

French doors, unlike the alternatives being discussed here, are also sometimes incorporated as a front door when the opening requires something larger than a single door. For these instances, the flexibility of a ‘French front door’ in effect, is the only option, as a bifold or patio door, would just not suit as the main opening to a home or give the home the kerb appeal it deserves.

Patio Doors

Patio doors, sometimes referred to as sliding doors, feature two or more fully glazed door sections, where one or more of the door sashes slide and stack onto one another, creating a large opening to the garden or patio area.

A patio door is always fully glazed, unlike French or bifolding doors which can be specified with a partially glazed, partially panelled style. If you have a beautiful garden or view therefore, a patio door allows you to fully maximise your view of this when the doors are closed. Bifold doors for example incorporate multiple leaves that fold and stack away. Each of these leaves include framework, which when closed, impact the overall viewable area out of the doors. Patio doors therefore, ensure your room is flooded with natural light. Glazing bars can still be specified on patio doors, although are more commonly seen as a fully glazed style of door.

In terms of the size of opening, they are somewhere in the middle between bifold and French doors. Bifolds slide and stack away to the side, maximising the opening available, and French doors are on a hinge system, meaning the open door will still take up a bit of space. While patio doors slide away, at least one of the panels must be fixed in place for the doors to slide onto, and so this space is always taken up whether the doors are open or closed, which may be a factor to consider when you look at the space and the room you want these new doors in, and how you want to utilise the space.

Sliding doors are also on the rise with other materials such as aluminium for example. Aluminium sliding doors have risen in popularity for their slim frames and maximised glass areas, while also providing a contemporary visual appeal. With timber patio doors, you still get these visual benefits, while also benefitting from the natural insulation and strength of engineered timber combined with high performance double glazing.

So which should you choose?

When upgrading your doors (and windows for that matter) local inspiration is always a recommended place to start. If your neighbours and friends live in a similar style of property to yours, see what they have done and would recommend, and make your own judgement as to if what they have done really suits their home and would work with yours as well. This should also extend to online research. Pinterest and Instagram for example are two fantastic, image focused channels that can show you a variety of different doors in homes across the country, and really help you narrow down specific styles that you like, and think would work for you.

Upgrading or having replacement doors will improve the aesthetic and overall function of your home, but choosing the right style is an important factor that should be a key part of your purchasing decision. Ask yourself what you are aiming to achieve with new doors, such as maximising access between home and garden, making the most of natural light, enjoying the view your home looks out onto, performance, keeping a traditional look etc. This may help in your decision making, but speaking with a local expert is also advised. At our showrooms for example, the staff have worked in those local areas for many years on many properties of different styles. Their experience and knowledge can really make the difference in choosing the most appropriate new doors for your home.