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Internal bifold doors: Materials, tracks, handles, installation, finishes and glazing


Amanda Hewer - Operations Manager

Author: Amanda Hewer - Operations Manager


Internal bifold doors (also known as concertina doors or internal folding doors) are a great way to introduce more light and space into an interior space. If you want to replace an old door, internal bifold doors will provide a flexible solution with a huge range of benefits.



What are the most common internal bifold door materials?


Internal Bifold Internal Bifold

Wooden internal bifold doors are designed to be fitted inside the home. uPVC and aluminium bifold doors are traditionally used as exterior doors, although some people decide to use them internally to match interior décor or to improve space within a room or two rooms. In this section, you will find a brief overview of each material.

 

Timber

uPVC

Aluminium

Made for internal use

Yes

Unlikely

Unlikely

Maintenance

  • Requires little maintenance
  • Requires little maintenance
  • Requires little maintenance

Style

  • Offers the widest range of style
  • Can be varnished or painted
  • Looks cheaper than alternatives
  • Some finishes available
  • Has a distinct look
  • Comes in a range of powder-coated finishes

Glazing

  • Single glazed 4mm toughened safety glass
  • Compliant with European standards BSEN12150 and BSEN12600
  • If external—double glazing
  • If external—double glazing

Durability

Durable

Durable

Durable

Price

Low to mid-level

Mid-level

Most expensive

For a more in-depth look at each material and their pros/cons, visit our guide: Internal bifold doors: timber vs uPVC vs aluminium



What are the benefits of wooden internal bifold doors?

As seen in the table above, wooden internal bifold doors are a cut above those in other materials. In this section, we will look closer at the main benefits of wooden internal bifold doors.


Internal Bifolds Internal Bifolds

  • Stylish—offers a contemporary look and feel
  • Durable and long-lasting—Vufold offers a 15-year guarantee on all interior bifold doors
  • Environmentally friendly—simpler manufacturing process compared to synthetic materials, meaning less carbon dioxide
  • More space—turn two rooms into one room with bifold doors
  • Increased light—using bifolds with glass as a room divider invites more sunlight into both rooms
  • Designed for internal use—Vufold’s timber internal bifolds are designed specifically to be installed inside the home
  • Sound absorption—wood absorbs sound, which can help reduce noise levels

Why not look to see the benefits of wooden bifold doors for yourself?


What is the difference between top-hung vs bottom-rolling internal bifold door tracks?

Bifold tracks hold and guide the bifold door rollers, allowing the panels/doors to open and close. They consist of two sections: the main track and the guide track.

When researching bifold tracks, you will encounter two key terms, both relating to where the bifold door’s main track is located:

  • Top-hung (located in the frame head)
  • Bottom-rolling (bottom threshold of the frame)

You may also see references to ‘trackless systems’. A trackless system has no base track running across the floor of your room, and can only be used with top-hung bifolds.

 

Top-hung

Bottom-rolling

Pros

  • Smooth operation—top weight means less force is required to move along the track
  • Low-maintenance—highly unlikely that debris will collect in the upper track, so less maintenance is required
  • Lower threshold—the guide track is based at the bottom, which has a slimmer profile than the upper main track
  • Secure doors—doors cannot fall out of top-hung tracks
  • Requires slightly less support—bottom-rolling systems have their weight carried on the floor
  • Installation—fewer holes are needed in the guide track that is located in the frame head

Cons

  • Installation—the main track of bifolds must be securely fastened over the full length of the door set—this requires drilling holes upwards, which can be awkward
  • Blockages—debris and small items can jam the main track at the lower part of the door set
  • Maintenance—to stop blockages, you will regularly need to clean the bottom track
  • Track dipping—if the main bottom track isn’t perfectly level, the track can dip. This can disrupt operation and cause the doors to fall out of the guide track
  • Higher threshold—bottom-rolling systems have a higher threshold at the bottom of the door step. This is a trip hazard and is much harder to install flush.

To find out more about internal bifold door tracks, including FAQs, visit our guide: Internal bifold door tracks: types, hardware & FAQs



Types of internal bifold door handles

While handles might be one of the last pieces of door hardware you consider for your bifold doors, they still play an important role in both the overall look of the doors and can have an impact on interior design too. Most internal folding door handles fall into four main categories:


1. Lever handles

  • Often used on the lead door
  • Common type of handle
  • Simple mechanism

2. Pull handles

  • Used to pull bifold doors towards you in order to close them
  • Numerous designs but most of them are D-shaped
  • Folds flat against the door so the doors can concertina closely together to take less space

3. Door knobs

  • Another common type of handle
  • Available with two types of latches:
    • Tubular mortice latch—similar to a lever handle, except you twist to retract the latch
    • Roller latches (ball catches)—simple pull or push to open and close the door

4. Flush handles

  • Used for wardrobes or pantries rather than proper bifold doors
  • Recessed flat or flush into the door
  • Also known as a flat handle

To find out which handle is best for your internal bifold door, visit our guide: Internal bifold door handles: Types, positions and best handles.



Internal bifold door installation tips

All bifold doors are different and require a different installation process. Always ensure that you follow the instructions closely for a successful installation.

Before ordering or installing your new internal bifold doors, it’s important to carefully measure the opening to ensure your doors are the right size. You can choose from our range of standard internal bifold door sizes available in stock, or you can take advantage of our made-to-measure service.

The following step-by-step process is designed to give you a broad overview of what you can expect when installing bifold doors:

  • Prepare the opening
  • Choose left or right opening
  • Assemble the frame
  • Install assembled frame
  • Fit top and bottom pivot hinges
  • Hang the doors
  • Fit draft seals to the doors and frame
  • Fit the drop bolts
  • Fit the mortice latch
  • Adjust the door
  • Fit the door holders to the doors

All of Vufold’s wooden internal bifold doors are provided as ready-to-install door sets and are pre-machined and ready for you to install yourself without the need of a professional.

These doors are available with all essential items including:

  • Tracks
  • Hinges
  • Hardware
  • Glazing
  • Fixings

If you are a competent DIYer, you should be able to install these doors yourself. But, even if you’re not, a tradesperson will be able to fit them for you easily.

To find out more about installing internal bifold doors, visit our guide: Installing internal bifold doors: Advice, considerations and FAQs.



Internal bifold door colours and finishes

Vufold offers a variety of finishes for interior and exterior doors:


Internal bifold door colours

All of Vufold’s interior folding doors are made from timber. They are available in two finishes:


White bifold doors


White internal bifold door White internal bifold door

White is a popular interior décor colour so it’s no surprise that white wooden internal bifold doors are popular too. Choosing this colour will allow you to blend doors in with your current décor but, in the future, if you choose to redecorate, the doors will still match.

Our Finesse range of internal doors are all available in white.

White bifold doors provide a number of benefits including:

  • Versatile and adaptable
  • Maximise light within a room
  • Ready to hang doors

To find out more about the best finishes for internal bifold doors, read our guide here: Unfinished oak vs white: best finishes for internal bifold doors.


Unfinished oak bifold doors

Unfinished oak doors are delivered to you as unfinished so will need to be treated or finish before you can install the doors. You may wish to retain the wood effect and simply varnish the doors or you might want to paint them a colour that better matches your interior décor. Whichever option you go for, unfinished oak doors provide maximum flexibility.

Our Edge range of internal bifold doors is available in unfinished oak.

To find out more about the differences between pre-finished and unfinished internal oak bifold doors, read our guide here: Internal doors: what is the difference between pre-finished and unfinished oak.


External bifold door colours

  • Black
  • Grey
  • Grey/oak
  • Grey/white
  • Oak
  • White
  • White/oak


What internal bifold door glazing options are available?


Finesse frosted range Finesse frosted range

Internal bifold doors are available with two glazing options:

  • Clear glass
  • Frosted glass

When choosing internal bifold doors for your home, it’s important to understand the glazing options available and the benefits of each. Clear glass allows light and visibility between one room and another. On the other hand, frosted glass provides privacy when the doors are closed whilst still allowing light to pass through into the adjoining room. Whichever glazing option you choose, our internal bifold doors are made to meet a wide range of needs and homes.



Bespoke made-to-measure options

Whilst Vufold’s range of internal bifold doors is available in a wide range of sizes and designed to cater to a wide range of needs, it might not be the right fit for your home or project. This is why we also offer a bespoke, made-to-measure service too. This means that no matter the project, we can provide the perfect solution for your needs and can provide delivery within the UK.

In order to get the most from your bespoke internal bifold doors, it’s important to ensure that you measure properly so that we can make sure that we provide the best service and can manufacture your doors at our UK headquarters.

Please note that it may take longer to deliver bespoke bifold doors than our standard doors but we will be able to let you know when the doors will be dispatched when ordering. We are able to deliver our standard internal bifold doors to most UK postcodes within three working days.

Simply fill in our custom form or talk to us via the live web chat (bottom right of this page). After you answer some simple questions, we will be able to send a quote for a bespoke, made-to-measure door in a matter of minutes.


Amanda Hewer - Operations Manager

Author:

Amanda Hewer - Operations Manager

About Amanda Hewer

Having been at Vufold for around 12 years now, Amanda became operations manager after spending time in Customer Service, Sales, Order Processing and our Warehouse. Amanda likes that no two days are ever the same and believes her successful career stems from her keen interest in people, helping them achieve their goals and striving for constant improvement across all departments.

Read more about Amanda Hewer