What are external bifold doors?

External bifold doors, also known as folding sliding doors or bifold patio doors, are a popular choice for external openings. They consist of two to six doors joined together with specialized hardware, allowing them to slide and fold together easily. While uncommon, configurations with more than six doors are possible.

Where can bifold doors be used?

External bifold doors are versatile and commonly used in various locations, including rear house extensions like kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms. They are also often found in conservatories, orangeries, bedrooms and are now widely used in garden rooms also.

Do exterior bifold doors need planning permission?

In most cases, installing exterior bifold doors in an existing opening of your home does not require planning permission. Permitted development rights usually cover new or enlarged openings, but it's advisable to consult your local authority beforehand. However, if your property is a listed building, located in a conservation area, or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), you would need to obtain the necessary planning permission.

Should my doors open inwards or outwards?

Most people choose to have open out bifold doors for two main reasons, firstly if it’s been raining and the doors are wet on the outside they won’t drip onto your flooring when open. Secondly, there is no issues with furniture getting in the way of the doors when they concertina open or closed. Vufold can manufacturer open in bifold doors as a bespoke order.

How secure are external bifold doors?

Modern bifold doors are highly secure, offering advanced security features compared to older sliding patio or French doors with a single locking point. The combination of bifold door hardware, track systems, and multiple locking points makes it extremely difficult to lift the doors out of the frame. These doors typically feature multi-point locking systems, which operate with a single key and engage 3 to 5 locking points distributed vertically along the door.

What are composite bifold doors?

Composite bifold doors combine two materials, typically aluminium and wood. Wooden bifold doors offer superior thermal efficiency compared to aluminium, and they complement interior design elements like furniture and flooring. These doors are typically top hung, providing easier operation and requiring less maintenance than bottom roller aluminium systems. However, wooden exteriors may require occasional refinishing. On the other hand, aluminium boasts a durable, long-lasting powder-coated finish, with guarantees stretching up to 15 years, surpassing wooden finishes in longevity.

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External Bi-Fold Doors

UP TO 30% OFF EXTERNAL BIFOLDS

External Bifold Doors

Want to bring the outside in and open up your home with more space and natural light?

External bifold doors are ideal, make a real design statement and offer great flexibility. They are available in a range of materials, configurations glazing and finishes to suit any project.

• Material - Timber, Oak and Aluminium.
• Guarantee - From 10 years.
• Efficiency - U Value from 1.4 W/m²K.
• Security - Multi-point locking system meets PAS24 requirements.

All Vufold external bifold doors are supplied as ready-to-assemble sets, virtually every component is prepared in our factories, so they are easier to put together.

Aluminium Bifold Doors

UP TO 15% OFF SELECTED ITEMS

Aluminium Bifold Doors

Jet Black 9005

Anthracite Grey 7016

Grey 7016 Outside/White 9910 Inside

Hipca White 9910

For a more durable set of doors that also present a premium finish, aluminium bifold doors are an excellent choice. Our Status and Supreme aluminium bifold doors are crafted to the highest quality, available in a range of colours and sizes to suit your space perfectly. Our aluminium bifold doors are configurable to suit your standards, making them the ideal option for any home.

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Double Glazed

5 Day Delivery

15 Year Guarantee

Heritage Bifold Doors

10% OFF

Rated 4.71/5

Heritage Bifold Doors

From

Jet Black 9005

Anthracite Grey 7016

The Heritage Supreme range is based on our ever popular and beautifully engineered Supreme aluminium bifold door, with its slim sightlines and a low threshold, you really can get that ‘Industrial look’ project off to a flying start.

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Double Glazed

4 - 5 Week Delivery

15 Year Guarantee

Oak External bifold doors

UP TO 30% OFF

Rated 4.88/5

Oak Bifold Doors

From

Prefinished Oak

Unfinished Oak

If you want the beautiful, natural look of oak, our Elite oak bifold doors are the ideal choice. Featuring an engineered hardwood core with a real American white oak veneer, they’re sturdily crafted yet have the slimmest sight lines of any oak bifold on the market. Available unfinished or fully factory-finished, they also come ready-glazed for rapid installation.

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Double Glazed

5 Day Delivery

10 Year Guarantee

Wooden Bifold Doors

UP TO 20% OFF

Rated 4.83/5

Timber Bifold Doors

From

Anthracite Grey 7016

Traffic White 9016

Elegant, slim sight lines complemented by a classic white or on-trend anthracite grey finish highlight out our Master bi fold doors as exceptional. These bestselling wooden bi fold doors are superbly-engineered from slow grown hardwood and use a smooth stainless steel top hung roller system that makes them easy to install and even easier to operate.

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Double Glazed

5 Day Delivery

10 Year Guarantee

External Bifold FAQ's

External bifold doors were originally called many different names folding sliding doors, folding patio doors, bifold patio doors, sliding patio doors, concertina doors. It is only more recently that bifold doors has been adopted by manufacturers and consumers alike.

Depending on the width of your opening, bifold doors usually have a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 6 doors that are joined together with engineered hardware which allows them to slide and fold together easily. It is possible to have more than 6 doors but it’s unusual.
Increase Natural light – dimly lit large and small living spaces can have their general atmosphere totally transformed by replacing areas of solid wall with bifold door systems.
Increases the feeling of space – Even with a small garden the fact you can visually see beyond the rear of the house really increases that feeling of space within. Even small rooms can benefit massively from this.
Blur Boundaries – create seem-less areas between the inside and outside when the doors are open, perfect for those larger special occasions.
Energy efficient – modern bifold doors easily outperform old style patio doors when it comes to thermal efficiency saving you money on heating bills.
Secure – most bifold doors feature multi point locks on the access door along with shoot bolts on other doors making them very secure.
Quick and easy to install – bifold doors are quick and easy to install typically 1 day is more than enough.
Easy operation – High quality bifold door hardware is very easy to use, sliding and folding open and closed in seconds.
Add value/saleability – Installing bifold doors in your home improves the appeal to potential purchasers and can even increase the value of your home. While at the same time giving you all of the above benefits.
External bifold doors can be used in many different locations. The most common use is in new extensions added to the rear of a house. This could be an extension to the kitchen, living or dining room. They are also often found in conservatories, orangeries, bedrooms and are now widely used in garden rooms also.

Visit our case studies or customer gallery for further idea's on where you can use bifold doors.

Bifold doors can also be used in bars and restaurants and shops on the high street.
Generally speaking, you rarely need to apply for planning permission to install exterior bifold doors in an existing opening in your home.

If you are creating a new opening or enlarging an existing opening you should be covered under permitted development rights however it’s worth contacting your local authority first before undergoing any work.

If you live in a listed building, conservation area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) then you would need to get the appropriate planning permission.

How much do bifold doors cost?

The cost of an external bi fold door in 2026 will vary depending on the:

Overall width
The material used in construction: aluminium, wood, upvc, composite
Number of doors
Glazing e.g double glazed, triple glazed, laminated glass

Some example prices can be found in the below table:

Vufold Range	Material	Width in Metres	No. Doors	Finish	Double/Triple Glazing	Cost inc VAT
Master	Hardwood	2.7	3	Anthracite Grey	Double	£2689.00
Supreme Express	Aluminium	2.7	3	Anthracite Grey	Double	£2749.00
Elite	Oak	2.7	3	Oak	Double	£2939.00
Heritage Bifold	Aluminium	2.7	3	Black	Double	£2979.00

Our external bifolds are only supplied as a complete package.

In other words, they come with everything, all the essential item’s needed such as hinges, tracks, hardware, ironmongery, fixings and seals are included.

The doors are even pre-glazed in our factories. Virtually everything is pre-machined and ready-to-assemble**.

That means once your external bifold doors are installed, you can be sure of having a fully engineered unit with all aspects of the design and components extensively tested by us for flawless operation.
You might find cheaper door sets that look similar but beware they don’t always include all the items you need and are often not pre-machined or pre-glazed ready-to-assemble.

Vufold sets offer you many advantages:
- Comprehensive easy to follow fitting instructions included.
- No complicated ‘toe and heeling’ of the glass is required.
- Consistent high quality, so every part fits as it should.
- Competent DIYer’s may not need a specialist fitter.
- Reduced time and cost through quicker installation on-site.
- No specialist equipment is needed as virtually everything's fully machined.
- No need to waste time and money sourcing fixings.
- No delays and frustration while you source essential components from different suppliers.
For true peace of mind, you need a Vufold Door Set - every supplied component has been thoroughly tested and approved.

That's why we guarantee all our external bifold door sets for a minimum of 10 years.

Find out about aluminium ready-to-assemble door sets

Find out about wooden ready-to-assemble door sets

** Elite, Master and Ultra require handle preparation to be done by installer all drill bits are included with the bifold door set.
All exterior bifold doors need both a main track and a guide track to operate. These are located in the head and sill/threshold of the frame.

Top hung systems have the main track located in the frame head, the doors attach to the track via a carrier with rollers. The doors then ‘hang’ from this track. To prevent the possibility of the rollers/doors falling out during operation they are fully enclosed within the main track. The guide track is located in the threshold.

Pros
- Lower threshold – Guide tracks have a slimmer profile than main tracks, as the guide track is located in the threshold on top hung systems the overall height of the threshold can be lower.
- This looks better and also prevents the likely hood of people tripping over it.
- Low Maintenance – General debris is highly unlikely to collect in the upper track this results in less cleaning and maintenance being required.
- Keeps doors secured – it’s impossible for the doors to fall out of the top hung track adding an extra layer of safety.
- Effortless Operation – as the door's weight hangs from the top they require much less effort to fold and slide together.
Cons
- Lintel or Support – Top hung bifolds need an adequate lintel or support in place to carry the weight of the doors.
- Installation – As the weight hangs from the top track it must be very securely fastened over the full width of the frame into a supporting lintel. Drilling holes upwards can be difficult.
Bottom rolling systems are the opposite of top hung the main track is in the sill/threshold and all of the door's weight is carried by the rollers on the floor during operation. The guide track located in the head stops the doors from falling outward during use.

Pros
- Installation – doesn’t require many fixings in the guide track located in the frame head.
- Require less support – as bottom rolling systems carry the weight of the doors on the floor the support or lintel needed above the doors is greatly reduced.
Cons
- More Maintenance – you will need to regularly clean the bottom main track to keep the doors operating smoothly and prevent jamming or blockages caused by debris.
- Higher threshold – the main track is usually larger than the guide track, bottom roller systems therefore generally have a higher threshold than top hung systems, this can be a trip hazard.
- Safety – if the bottom main track is very poorly supported the track can start to dip. While unlikely if the dip is large enough it could allow the doors to fall out of the top guide.

How energy efficient are external bifold doors?

Energy efficiency of bifold doors can be measured in two ways – traditionally the U value was used exclusively to measure how well the bifold door insulates a building, the lower the U value the better it insulates your home and thus reduces heat loss. More recently since June 15th 2022 energy ratings have also been used to measure bifold door efficiency. This is a different calculation and also takes into account solar gain rather than focussing purely on heat loss.

Current building regulations dictate that a ‘bifold door set’ should have a U value of 1.4wm2k or energy rating of C for replacement and extensions. If you are doing a new build then the bifold doors must have a U value of 1.4wm2k or less energy ratings do not apply.

It is important to get the U value or energy rating of the complete bifold set as this is the key figure for the regulations.

Some companies give the value of the glass only (It’s usually lower than the complete set value) and not the complete door set which can be misleading.

As a general rule when looking at doors of equal thickness wooden doors have superior thermal performance when compared with upvc and thermally broken aluminium doors.

A thermal break is an item of low thermal conductive material eg polyamide that is placed in between the aluminium to prevent the flow of energy between them.

Aluminium is a great thermal conductor so a thermal break is essential when making doors and windows.

All of Vufold’s range of external bifold doors have U values stated for the ‘complete bifold set’ and also easily exceed the regulations above.

Vufold Range	Material	Glazing	Energy rating - U Value w(m2/k)
Master	Hardwood	Double	1.4
Status	Aluminium	Double	1.4
Supreme Express	Aluminium	Triple	1.76 / C
Status	Aluminium	Triple	1.0

Most people choose to have open out bifold doors for two main reasons, firstly if it’s been raining and the doors are wet on the outside they won’t drip onto your flooring when open.

Secondly, there is no issues with furniture getting in the way of the doors when they concertina open or closed.

Vufold standard size bifold doors all open out. If you do need open in we can manufacture these in our Status and Supreme aluminium bi fold door ranges as a bespoke order.
Over the last decade or two, there have been massive improvements in door and window draught exclusion.

While this increase in airtightness is great for energy efficiency an entirely airtight interior is bad news for moisture and air quality levels.

For this reason, door and window manufacturers designed cold air vents to allow small amounts of air to pass from one side of the door set to the other and so the Trickle vent was born.

Since 15th June 2022 Building regulations have required an increase in background ventilation (Trickle vents) the regulations can be complicated so it is best to seek the advice of your local building control body if you are unsure.

While the use of trickle vents to get the background ventilation required is widespread they are not the only option and aren’t without problems. A more modern approach is to use an MVHR system (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) these new systems provide:

1. Enhanced Air quality: by filtering the incoming air.

2. Energy Efficiency: the systems recover heat from the outgoing stale air and use it to preheat incoming fresh air. Reducing energy consumption for heating.

3. Temperature Control: MVHR systems allow control over the temperature of incoming air where as Trickle vents just rely on the outside air temperature.

If you do choose to use Trickle vents over an MVHR system then as a general guide:

Replacement windows that contain background ventilation must include at least the equivalent ventilation.
• Where windows do not contain background ventilation, or the rate of ventilation is unknown, then the replacement windows must contain the following;
• Habitable rooms and kitchens – min. 8000mm2 equivalent area (EA) or 10,000mm2 equivalent area (EA) in single story Newbuild dwellings.
• Bathrooms (with or without a toilet) – min. 4000mm2 equivalent area (EA).
• If the dwelling will have continuous mechanical extract ventilation, then a minimum of 4000mm2 EA of background ventilation should be installed in each habitable room.

If you are fitting an external bifold door in a room with no other windows or roof lights that can be opened to provide ventilation then Vufold would advise that trickle vents are specified.

Even if you choose trickle vents it’s still a good idea to open windows in the house for a few minutes every day to improve air quality, it's particularly important to ensure that you have good extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom to help control moisture in the home.
Modern bifold doors come with a host of security features making them very secure especially when compared with older style sliding patio or French doors that just feature a single locking point.

Bifold door hardware and track systems combined with the numerous locking points generally make it impossible to simply lift the doors out of the frame.

Multi point locking systems – Are fitted to most bifold doors on the lead or traffic door, from a single key they usually operate 3 or 5 locking points that are spread out over the height of the door. Multi point locks come in two different type’s cylinder or cylinder-less.

Cylinder Locks are also called Euro cylinders. Beware as not all euro cylinders are the same from a security point of view.

Lock snapping and bumping is a serious growing security concern, it is therefore important when specifying your bifold doors that you ensure the doors are being supplied with an anti-snap/bump cylinder. Make sure the cylinder is tested to TS007 standard 3 star rating and also has a kitemark.

3 star cylinders with a kitemark have been independently tested against snapping. Vufold Aluminium Status and Supreme ranges come with 3 star kitemarked cylinders as standard.

Cylinder-less locks are used on all Vufold wooden and composite door ranges. As the name suggests it’s a multi point locking system that does not have a cylinder. As there is no cylinder the lock cannot be snapped or bumped and is therefore much more secure than using a cylinder even a 3 star kitemarked one.

Twin Point locks are found on upvc and aluminium bifold door systems and provide additional security on non-traffic doors. They have a handle mounted centrally on the door, as you rotate that handle through 180 degrees it engages a locking bolt at the top and the bottom of the door into the frame. Twin point locks can feature an additional lock that enables these to be locked as well as the lead door.

Drop Bolts or slide bolts as they can be called carry out the same function as the twin point lock. The only difference is they are mounted separately at the top and bottom of the door and so have to be operated individually. Slide bolts also can come with additional locks as on Vufolds wooden and composite door ranges.

As a general rule look out for Bifold doors carrying a PAS24: 2022 certificate. Doors complying with this standard will have been security tested to ensure they can resist a level of attack from an opportunist burglar. The PAS standard (Publicily Available Specification) is overseen by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

Glazing can also effect security, most external bifold doors come as standard with toughened double glazed units. Laminated glass can also be specified at extra cost if you are looking for that extra level of security. Laminated glass is two pieces of glass that are bonded together with a PVB (polyvinylbutyral) safety film. Most commonly known for its use in car windscreens even when the glass is smashed it remains in place making it very difficult for a thief to get in your house.
Composite bifold doors are made by combining two different materials when manufacturing the doors. Usually, the two materials are aluminium and wood hence the term aluminium cladding or alu-clad for short.

There are two main types, firstly wooden bifolds that have an aluminium cladding on the outside and secondly aluminium doors that have internal timber cladding which is the best option? Read on to find out.

The main advantages of wooden bifold doors are that it has much better thermal efficiency than other materials like aluminium it is also much easier on the eye especially internally when matching to furniture or flooring. Most wooden bifolds are also top hung which offers much easier operation and less maintenance than bottom roller aluminium systems.

Woods weakness is that externally it needs to be refinished occasionally to keep it in tip top working order. Aluminium’s main advantage as a material, is the long life powder coated finish is very resilient and guarantees can stretch to 15 years long which is far in excess of wooden finishes.

Vufolds Ultra range of composite folding doors take full advantage of both materials strong points by combining a wooden door set with its easy operation and great thermal efficiency with the fantastic durability of an aluminium powder coated cladding.

The result is not only a fantastic 15 year guarantee on the external finish but also a superb low u value of just 1.0wm2k for the complete door set, add in a beautiful light oak finish on the inside and you have a combination that can’t be beaten by aluminium door sets with a wooden cladding on the inside.

Our External Bifold Doors have been rated 4.85/5 based on 709 individual customer review(s)

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