Bi-fold doors are now one of the must have features in modern homes. As trends for open-plan living with flexible and sociable spaces continue to increase in popularity, todays homeowners want to enjoy the various benefits that a bi-folding door brings.

XP10 Bifold doors boast slim frames that allow maximum light into the property, they’re great looking and easy to use. They offer space-saving benefits too because the door panels concertina together and fold away to one side when fully opened. The doors are relatively easy to install for an experienced tradesmen or skilled DIY enthusiast, but it is essential that you get the correct sized door for your home.

Typically, the minimum sized bifold door available is 1.8 metres, this is the same size as a standard French door. Two panel bifold doors are a popular alternative to French doors because they’re designed to be open in the warmer weather, so the two panels literally fold and stack to one side allowing the homeowners to enjoy an unobscured 1.8 metre opening. To incorporate an access door (everyday door) the bifold will need a third panel, we offer three panel doors at a minimum of 1.8 metres but recommend three panels at slightly larger widths to ensure the doors framework doesn’t look too heavy, a wider door means a larger glass area, more light and more views out to the garden.

We offer external folding doors that are designed to be installed into brickwork openings that are 1.8m in width or wider. We offer a large range of set sizes, colours and opening configurations starting with three panels and ranging up to six panels for brickwork openings in excess of five metres.

The opening configurations of our bifold doors varies on the size, which also affects the number of panels required. Three panel bi-folds always contain an everyday access door, as does any bi-folding door consisting of an odd number of panels. Four panel doors can all fold away in one direction, or two panels can fold left and two panels right, if an everyday access door is important to you then you will need a 3+1 configuration, which means one panels acts as an everyday access door and the remaining three panels fold away and stack on the opposite side. Five panel doors are very flexible as they always contain an access door, all panels can fold and stack to the same side, or if preferred the access door can be middle with a 3+2 panel split folding left and right. Bi-folding doors containing six panels give a real wow factor, a huge wall of glass that can be completely opened up with effectively a French door as the middle two panels and then all three panels folding and stacking to each side. All six panels can all fold and open to one side or if an access door is required then a 5+1 panel split is a viable option also.

The height of the door is crucial also. The industry standard door opening in the UK is 2100mm or 2.1 metres, we therefore offer our bifold doors at a height of 2090mm. This measurement is from the bottom of the cill to the top of the outer frame and is the total manufacturing height of the set sized bifold doors that we offer. This height leaves a fitting tolerance of 10mm into a 2100mm standard door height opening.

The standard door sizes that we offer are:

1800mm – Available in three panels.
2000mm - Available in three panels.
2200mm - Available in three panels.
2400mm - Available in three panels.
2600mm - Available in three panels.
2800mm - Available in three panels.
3000mm - Available in three or four panels.
3200mm – Available in four panels.
3400mm - Available in four panels.
3600mm - Available in four panels.
3800mm - Available in four panels.
4000mm - Available in four or five panels.
4200mm – Available in five panels.
4400mm - Available in five panels.
4600mm - Available in five panels.
4800mm - Available in five panels.
5000mm- Available in five or six panels,
5200mm – Available in six panels.
5400mm – Available in six panels.
5600mm ­– Available in six panels.
5800mm – Available in six panels.
6000mm – Available in six panels.

The height of all our doors is 2090mm, it is important that you check the measurements of your opening in milometers when you order doors, ideally you want a tolerance of around 20-15mm in the opening that the doors will be installed into, this will mean you have some roof to fit the door into the opening and to pack the doors outer frame level if the opening isn’t completely level.

Bi-folding doors need to be installed completely level and square to work properly so it is crucial that you have some tolerance to fit the door into. A slight tolerance for the width is required also, if the opening is less than three metres and the opening is completely level then 10mm tolerance may be sufficient, but we recommend 15mm to ensure the door will fit into the opening correctly. If you aren’t certain of the size of your door opening, or not confident to measure the opening in milometers then make sure you get it measured properly so that you get the perfect sized door for your opening.

Toe and heeling a bi-folding door is essential to ensure that it operates correctly. The principles of toe and heeling are the same for a bi-fold door as they are for traditional French doors. The reason the glass needs to be toe and heeled is because the weight of the glass in the door panels will causes it to drop and catch on the bottom track when the door is opened and operated. When we toe and heel, we are essentially using the glass to brace the door panel and to distribute the weight accordingly, so the glass supports its own weight.

Detailed below is a step by step guide to toe and heeling our bi-folding doors.

Step 1. Where to toe & heel.

Toe and heeling is always done in the bottom corner that is fixed to the runner and top corner that is diagonally opposite. This is repeated with every panel, so the glass needs packing in the bottom corner by the runner and the opposite top corner.

Step 2. Where to start.

The best place to start the glazing and toe and heeling of your door is at the hinged side where the doors will stack when they are open. Glaze the end panel first and then work your way along to the access door/first panel that will open.

Step 3. Place your first packer before inserting the glass into the panel.

Before you place the glass into the door, place a 2mm pack into the bottom corner. You can now place the glass into the door panel sitting it on top of the packer.

Step 4. Place your additional packers into the opposite top corner.

Pack the top of the glazing unit by filling the space between the top of the glass and the door frame, in the corner diagonally opposite from the packer you have just fitted.

Step 5. Use a glazing shovel to lever the glass.

Place your glazing shovel into the side of the glass about two thirds of the way up on the same side as you have just placed the last packers. Now lever the glass away from the frame and place packers into

Step 6. Similar process for the bottom glass.

In the same way that you have just levered the top of the glass, you now repeat the process at the bottom on the side where you initially started. Again, use your glazing shovel and lever the glass away from the frame. Fill the space that you have created with packers.

Step 7. Insert the glazing beads

Once the toe and heeling completed you now need to install the glazing beads that secure the glass in position. This is done by starting with the top bead to secure the glass. When putting the beads in, angle them backwards and then click the front in. This is the easiest method for inserting the glazing beads. Once you’ve fitted the top beads, repeat the process for the side and bottom glazing beads.

Step 8. Insert the gasket

To complete the job, you now need to insert the gaskets in the space between the glass and glazing bead. Begin by cutting the gasket for the top and bottom of the panels. The gaskets can be cut square and can be easily fitted using some window cleaning solution to help lubricate the gasket so it can be slide into place. Start in the corners by pushing the gasket in with your thumb and then work your way across the centre.

Step 9. Insert the side gaskets

The side gaskets need cutting to a 45-degree angle, so they are shaped to fit into the corners. The end of the gaskets will appear like you have cut them to a point. You simply then fit the side gaskets following the same process as described in step 8.
Repeat these steps across all your bifold door panels and the installation of your stunning new bi-folding doors is complete.

Once installed correctly, your bi folding doors should need very little maintenance. The beauty of stainless-steel rollers operating on a stainless-steel track minimises the maintenance needed. It is essential however that the bottom track detail across the base of the doors is kept clear of debris and dirt that could build up and this should be completed periodically. Most vacuum cleaner nozzles will fit within the bottom track detail. To ensure your bi folding door is running smoothly over many years, we recommend keeping the steel roller carriage and stainless steel runners located within the bottom track section lubricated with a silicone based lubricant which will ensure ease of operation.

The hard-wearing powder coated frames can be cleaned down with a warm damp cloth should dirt or cobwebs accumulate onto the frames. Please note that wire brushes and scouring pads etc should not be used. Only use non-abrasive cleaning materials.
Glass cleaner can be applied and wiped off of the glass to ensure good clarity through the glass units.

Occasionally as the doors settle within an opening, the door may need a slight adjustment if the door catches on the bottom track detail. This will require the door to be adjusted and you should contact your installer to remedy the door adjustment.

Should you require any additional advice, our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to assist with any queries you may have.

Once your order has been processed, our delivery team will contact you to arrange a chosen delivery date for your goods. This will be Monday-Friday 8-5pm. Typically, we will be able to give you a two- hour time window from your chosen day (traffic dependent). Should your allocated day not be suitable, please provide our delivery team with as much time as possible to re-arrange to a suitable date. Please note that we cannot change a delivery date within 3 working days of the confirmed date due to scheduling.

Express direct will deliver your goods directly within Express vans by Express trained and experienced drivers. Our products are not passed on to a third-party courier company because of the loading and handling requirements of our door and window products.

All of our framework arrives carefully packaged and labelled ready for installation. Naturally, the glass has to be handled with care and a designated area prior to the delivery should be allocated within your building ready for safe receipt of the goods.

Our delivery driver will assist with the unloading of your chosen product(s). Our driver will take photographs of the product in situ upon delivery and we will ask you to sign the delivery note to confirm safe receipt of your purchase.

Delivery zones:

As we deliver our own products and we do not outsource the delivery to a third-party courier company, there are key areas within the UK which are easy for our delivery team to deliver to. Naturally, as locations and postcodes very, we have to factor these into our delivery fees. Therefore, we have three zones dependent on postcode for how much delivery of your product will be. This charge is confirmed when you go through the order stage and your delivery charge will be confirmed once your postcode has been entered.

Our products come with some of the best security available on the market. As aluminium products, naturally our aluminium profiles are resilient, strong and hard wearing. However, security is paramount when purchasing a large expanse of glazing and there are certain characteristics to consider for your purchase.

A lock barrel within any door can be a weak point and an area within a door that thieves can target, so a high security lock barrel is essential. The lock barrels that we use within our doors are of the highest quality, and come with a 3 star security rating. Our lock barrels are resistant against drilling, bumping and snapping, and provide excellent security and a deterrent against opportunists.

What type of glass is a very important consideration also. There are advantages of both toughened glass and laminated glass. Toughened glass is widely used and installed within the fenestration industry and provides a very strong and durable option. Laminated glass is also a popular option and whilst often viewed as slightly more brittle, if a laminated glass unit were to smash, the film situated within the glass holds the glass fragments in one piece and stops the glass unit from falling in and being used as an entry point. You will able to see the options for a laminated glass upgrade to your product at the production selection point.

Upon delivery of your product, your guarantee will be sent by e-mail to the e-mail address you have provided. As with many products, our products will perform extremely well providing that the installation has been completed to a high level. As such, your installer should always be your point of contact if any queries arise after the installation.

We issue a guarantee which covers the aluminium, glass and moving parts within your products.

Once you have chosen your suitable product, and you are considering your chosen installer, it is important to remember that if your new bi folding door or sliding door is replacing an existing window or door in situ, your new product will need to have the relevant building control authenticating that the door has been installed by a competent person(s). Building control approval can be sought on this, but one of the easiest and popular options is to have your door installed by an accredited Fensa or Certass installer. If this is your chosen method, then your installer will have the necessary accreditation and experience to install this door for you. A Fensa or Certass certificate will be required if you ever move property and sometimes might be required for mortgage applications.

Please note that the above is only relevant for the replacement of an existing window or door. Any new openings being created with a new lintel/steel support, extension or new build will require building control permission from your local building/planning office or independent building inspector.

A tradesperson should carry most of the tools required to install our bi-folding doors, these include a glazing knife, self-tapping screws, fixings, glazing packers, laser level, tape measure, drill, jigsaw, glazing shovel, insulation foam, allen keys, silicone & a silicone gun.

Yes, if you have any questions prior or during the installation our team is available on phone and on e-mail to offer any help or advise that you may need.