When it comes to colour, aluminium doors, bifolding doors and windows come with many options.

The polyester powder coating process used on aluminium bifolding doors and windows provides virtually unlimited colour choice. The colour and finish of handles can also be chosen, and colours can even be mixed and matched.

With so much colour choice available on aluminium windows, why are the glazing gaskets and seals still black? Study closely most of the aluminium products on the market and black gaskets are nearly always used.

Homeowners, however, tend to focus much more on the gasket colour. We have had some enquiries asking “what doors and windows are available with white gaskets?”

Are white gaskets available for windows and doors?

Most quality door systems have black rubber gaskets but can come with coloured gaskets such as Q-Lon. Shown here, a Schuco Door.

Some windows and doors are available with white gaskets. These systems are few and far between, and it depends on the material used.

Most rubber glazing gaskets will be black. These are made from materials such as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer (M-class) rubber), TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) and PVC (Polyvinyl chloride).

Origin offers a selection of coloured gaskets in their bifolding doors, but these are made from Q-Lon. Q-Lon is a foam weather seal, widely used in aluminium, PVCu and timber doors or windows.

Q-Lon is marketed as being resistant to paints and stains, provides good sealing and energy performance properties and products such as the Schlegel Q-Lon used in Origin bifolding doors has a lifetime guarantee. Q-Lon is a foam gasket coated with a polyethylene film. The advantage of Q-Lon over other materials is colour choice.

Potential problems with white rubber gaskets.

The feedback from the professional door and window installers is that they do not like white gaskets. It is important to stress that we are referring to rubber gaskets and not Q-Lon.

White Q-Lon gasket on an aluminium window.(Image courtesy of Schlegel UK).

Potential problems with white rubber gaskets include:

• Discolouration of the white gasket.
• Mould gathers on the gasket if moisture is not quickly wiped off.
• White can quickly look dirty next to the white powder coated finish.
• White gaskets can perish or degrade faster.

So while white gaskets can appear aesthetically better, black is regarded as the better colour and the better performing gasket.

Homeowners may prefer a white gasket on a white window or door, but the professional installers and indeed the systems companies themselves prefer black. It is rare to see an aluminium system as standard with anything other than black rubber gaskets.

The post White gaskets on aluminium bifolding doors and windows. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Frameless bifolding doors are suitable for any residential or commercial application. The frameless bifolding door is one of the most popular types of glass door product, but there are many other uses as well.

The innovative glass bifolding doors from Frameless Glass Curtains have many unique features compared to standard bifolding doors.

In this article, we look at how frameless glass doors can be made to suit a variety of other applications in the home or a commercial building.

Where can you use frameless glass doors?

The advantage of a frameless glass door is the minimal aluminium appearance, lack of visible mullions and the small amount of space taken up with the doors in the fully open position.

The flexible nature of frameless glass doors provides a suite of entrance doors, sliding doors and folding doors as well as partitions and screens.

Frameless bifolding doors.

For bifolding doors, frameless glass doors provide a virtual glass wall. Frameless glass doors can usually be made bigger in width and height than full aluminium bifolds and a product like Frameless Glass Curtains has half the stacking thickness of a conventional aluminium bifolidng door.

Frameless glass doors for shops.

Frameless glass doors can be used in restaurants, cafés and bars. If the premises benefits from outside space, frameless folding doors provide excellent views for customers, an open plan feel when closed as well as flexible opening in the warmer months.

The very low threshold of frameless doors makes access easy for users as well. It is even possible to create a frameless glass door as a main entrance door to a retail premises as well.

Frameless glass doors as room dividers.

Frameless doors are also extensively used in dwellings and commercial buildings as room dividers or partitions. The slimline nature of frameless doors can offer a better visual aesthetic than an aluminium door, fitted on the inside with a low threshold.

Frameless doors are provided with safety glass as standard and can be kept permanently closed to divide a space in the home or to give privacy in the office environment. Hotels can benefit from frameless glass doors creating a private room with the door closed or a larger entertainment room for functions with the doors open.

Frameless glass entrance doors.

It is possible to have a frameless glass door as an internal or external entrance door. A contemporary home can feature feature frameless glass doors to divide a hallway and create a lobby.

A frameless door can be used for a door leading to a modern bathroom or ensuite, fitted with obscure glass for privacy if required. You can even use a frameless glass door to a traditional home with a curved archway above the front door to create a porch.

Frameless single glass screens separating a landing.

There are also other uses where frameless glass doors have been used successfully. These are:

• Frameless balcony enclosures.
• Portable showrooms and offices with frameless doors.
• Frameless partition doors for studios, dance rooms and sports halls.
• Frameless glass swimming pool enclosures.
• Frameless glass doors for galleried balconies.

If you would like further information about frameless glass doors for residential properties or commercial buildings, please contact us.

The post Where can frameless glass doors be used? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

When it comes to building new homes, most developers look to save money by fitting quite standard windows and doors.  In general terms PVCu is chosen for it’s low cost to quality ratio and today’s modern PVCu windows are great products with energy efficiency, security and good design.

It is only specific designs, planning requirements or the construction of luxury homes that will give a buyer of a new house aluminium windows.  Finding new homes with aluminium folding doors as well is still quite a challenge.

Frameless Glass Doors for Riverside properties.

Frameless bi-folding doors by FGC have enhanced five luxury riverside homes.

One private developer, HC Moss of Cambridge created five contemporary houses on the site of a former pub on the river Cam.  For these houses, their location and their style, frameless glass doors were specified.

The houses are on the market at £1.5m and are built to a very high standard and specification.  This prestigious development of five chalet-style homes took its design from the River Cam, the association Cambridge has with boating and the beautiful surroundings.

Each home has a private morning and very much in touch with the local wildlife and scenery.

Advantages of frameless bifolding doors for new build homes.

Light and space were very much the theme for this exclusive development relying upon the river, countryside and open aspect.

The frameless glass doors were chosen to maximise the outside views and provide a virtually uninterrupted glass wall where it was most important.  The developer considered that only a frameless door could properly connect the inside of the house to the outside.  The frameless doors were matched internally by structural glass and polished stainless steel balustrades to the deck area and open balconies of each home.

Features of frameless glass bifolding doors.

The frameless doors used are the premium bifolding door product manufactured and installed by Chatham-based Frameless Glass Curtains Ltd.  On this particular development, six-panel doors were constructed, polyester powder coated in white RAL 9910 gloss and provided with high specification glazing.

Frameless bifolding doors and the FGC doors especially, provide features not found in aluminium bifolds, in particular a virtual all glass door folding and sliding door.

• A patented glass spacer bar separating the double glazed units.
• An entirely frameless appearance where the panels meet with no capping pieces or trims.
• A longer warranty than other frameless doors.
• No visible hinges, magnets, guides or rollers.
• Doors that can be made wider than aluminium folding doors
• Impressive security, weather performance and low U-Values.

You can read our full review of the FGC frameless glass bifolding door on this website or contact us for further information.

The post Frameless BIfolding doors for new build homes. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

The Comar 7P.i bifolding door has been cleverly designed to meet the requirements of both quality conscious homeowners and the design-focused architect.

In creating their bifolding door, Comar has taken its expertise from its success in both the residential and commercial market sectors. The result is a Comar product that we think is one of the few bifolding doors on the market that can meet both the needs of the discerning homeowner as well as the commercial client.

Are residential and commercial bifolding doors the same?

Comar bifolding doors possess some special features rarely found in other bifolding door systems.

A bifolding door is very much targeted towards the homeowner promoting security, aesthetics, excellent performance and colour options. All these features are important. However, when a bifolding door is to enhance a property other than a dwelling, there are other features that a client may require.

Exceptional Features of the Comar bifolding door.

The Comar aluminium folding door provides all the essential elements of a well designed, quality aluminium bifold. However, it also possesses some features that many other bifolding door brands do not have.

These are features will appeal to both homeowners and commercial clients.

1. Comar doors are one of the slimmest bifolding doors you can buy.

As homeowners do their research around their ideal bifolding door for their house, one important requirement is the slimness of the product. The key dimension is the visible sight line when all the door panels are closed together, commonly referred to as the ‘door mullion’.

Most major systems are around the 135mm to 160mm sight line. Comar offers sight lines of just 120mm making it one of the thinnest aluminium bifolding doors on the market.

2. The Comar bifolding door is available with a deep bottom rail.

There are few systems on the market outside of timber bifolding doors providing a deeper bottom rail. Some property styles, high traffic environments as well as preference call for bifolding doors with a thicker, deeper bottom rail.

Comar bifolding doors are available with this deeper bottom rail adding a further 100mm to the sight line at the foot of the doors.

3. Comar bifolding doors have four different midrail options.

Residentially at least, a bifolding door midrail is not often required when a bifolding door is intended for the back of the house to provide great views of the outside space and link the inside to the outside.

By comparison, a well-designed bifolding can be used in an entrance porch, as an internal room divider as well as a shop, cafe, restaurant or bar. Commercial buildings catering for customers must provide doors to meet many different user requirements.

A midrail can create a visual barrier as well as provide flexibility to combine glass with solid panels or other glazing materials. With this in mind, the Comar bifolding door provides four midrails, available at depths of 65mm, 70mm, 85mm 105mm.

4. Comar bi folds can have a letter plate.

Comar has designed its bifolding door to take a two-part midrail housing an aluminium panel with a letter plate. A particular midrail profile is fitted in the door panel with an Axim letter plate in between. For bifolding doors in studios, small retail units and many other buildings the facility to have a letter plate provides new functionality to a folding door.

5. Comar bi-folding doors offer fixed and adjustable frame jambs.

The Comar bifolding door is good news for builders in being able to come with both a fixed and adjustable frame jamb. For new or replacement openings, the flexibility of additional adjustment ensures doors will work reliably even if the structural opening is a little irregular in its size.

6. Comar bifolding doors feature a Tied Mullion Section.

The tied mullion feature on a Comar folding door enables additional reinforcement to be fixed better the meeting stiles of the folding door panels. This feature is useful where doors are likely to have regular and intensive use in high-traffic environments or where the glazing material results in a much heavier door panel. It is also useful where the client simply wants a more reinforced door at the mullions.

7.  Comar bifolding doors integrate with other aluminium products.

All Comar products are designed to work with each other and the Comar 7P.i folding door is no exception.  The door can integrate with curtain walling, shopfront screens and can have additional side panels, gable feature windows or toplights.

The Comar 7P.i folding door is available from a network of aluminium fabricators and installers. If you would like further information on where to buy, please contact us.

The post 7 Special features found in the Comar Bifolding Door. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Aluhaus tell us that in creating Alufold, they were anxious to look at what the customer would want not what installers and systems companies believe the customer wants.

Aluhaus developed the Alufold bifolding doors after many years in the home improvement industry, a long period of research, understanding the market and talking to many expert home improvement companies.

When it comes to what makes a quality bifolding door, every professional door installer has a view. Over the last ten years, we have seen the introduction of many good bifolding door brands as well as niche trade suppliers focusing on providing an excellent service with aluminium folding doors.

What features must a quality bifolding have?

There are many great bifolding door systems on the market. But what features make a good bifold?

• A salesperson will want slim sight lines and perceived benefits that make their job of selling doors easy.
• A fabricator wants a good system that is simple to machine and fabricate for their customers or the trade as well as a reliable service from the systems company.
• An installer wants a door that is easy to fit, easy to adjust and one they will not have to keep coming back to.
• An end user has a mixture of all the above and more.

Consumers arguably want a door that looks good, operates smoothly, has handles that look and feel right and a door that sings out to them. They will also do their research on specifications.

Then we have to look at other features behind a good bifolding door:

• Does a bifolding door that achieves a 1200mm width or a 3000mm height rank as a better door?
• How important are colour quality and availability?
• How important are the main and intermediate bifolding door handles in a door from a quality and visual standpoint?

All of these features are well known to bifolding door professionals. Aluhaus went a stage further by cementing exclusive agreements with component manufacturers, finishers and others in the supply chain to create a door that offers much more than the expected plus points in a quality bifold.  Let’s examine these.

The Key Features of the Aluhaus Bifolding Door.

Welded Corner Construction.

Aluhaus has invested substantially in the latest GRAF Fusion welder to create an aluminium bifolding door with a welded corner construction. The advantage of fusion welding is that it creates a virtually seamless joint while ensuring it remains incredibly strong.

When comparing a conventional mechanical joint with a Fusion GRAF welded one, the latter is evidently and visually better.

A mitred outer frame.

The traditional method of assembling a bifolding door is with mitred corners and a square outer frame. Normally this is for design and installation reasons.

Aluhaus has added a mitre to the outer frame of the bifold for a consistent diagonal line at the corner of every door set and arguably a much better appearance.

Severe weather rating to standard and low thresholds.

Alufold bifolding doors come with four different threshold options including a low threshold and a Part M compliant threshold. All of these have a severe weather rating.

In an industry with limitations and exclusions on where you can use a door with a low threshold, finally we have a system providing a low threshold with a weather rating.

Colour matched seals and gaskets

The colour matching of gaskets may not be that new an innovation, however, on the Alufold Warmcore, door gaskets provide an exact match, not a near match. This is achieved by forging an exclusive agreement with Schlegel, the Q-Lon manufacturer for colour matched gaskets only available for the Alufold door.

Importantly colour matching is not restricted to a standard range of colours.

A unique seal where doors meet

Aluhaus have redesigned the sight line where bifolding door panels meet in the middle. Look at any other bifold with the doors closed, and the seal between the doors always has two gaskets on each door that compress and help provide a good seal. Aluhaus provides only the one gasket. This not only reduces the visible sight line by 9mm but retains all the weather performance and the anti-finger trap protection typical of other quality bifolds.

Colour matched premium hardware

Again Aluhaus has partnered with leading hardware manufacturers to create an exclusive range of hardware specifically for Alufold that is colour matched.

The HAFI door handle is arguably one of the most impressive and desirable door handles, familiar with the door industry and end-user customers. Alufold doors have these excellent handles and with all the external components in the same colour too.

1250mm door leaves

One of the things that professionals regard as integral to a premium bifolding door is door leaves at over 1000mm wide.

An Alufold Warmcore door is possible with doors at 1250mm high.

Schuco inspired door catch.

Like it or love it, the Schuco door catch is distinctive but functional. It is is not exclusive to Schuco doors as other systems also use it. Aluhaus has re-engineered it for Alufold, provided as standard instead of a conventional door magnet.

Up to 80-micron thick powder paint finish.

Those that understand the powder coating process will know that a standard paint finish on architectural aluminium is a minimum of 40 microns.

Marine grade goes better at 50 microns for a more severe environment’. Alufold doors come as standard with 70-80 micron paint thickness.

AntiRack and Safetrack

Antirack is a method of ensuring every door leaf aligns correctly in the open position. For large doors over one metre wide, it is often the case with other systems that the doors can separate. Antirack ensures the door leaves all stay level, aligned and together.

Safetrack ensures that the critical top and bottom sliding components remain inside their respective tracks. The top guides have a much deeper engagement in the head than other doors. The benefit Aluhaus say, eliminates derailing and the jumping effect of some bifolding doors as they slide open.

Has Aluhaus got their bifolding door right?

Many bifolding door brands exist possessing individual features and benefits to fabricators, installers and the public. Alufold is another excellent bifolding door in the luxury and quality market.  The engineering, the colour matching choices, the different method of fabrication, the low thresholds and the excellent U-Values of the Warmcore system are all great benefits.

For a homeowner doing in-depth research around quality bifolding doors, the features of Alufold Warmcore bifolding door give them a new and very different product to consider.  How a bifolding door is engineered matters to many quality-focused customers. For them, Alufold is a consideration.

The post Features of the Aluhaus Bifolding Door appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

For any homeowner looking to add a bifolding door to their house, one consideration will be whether an integral blind is worth having. Do you need integral blinds in your bifolding doors and are they worth the extra money over the standard glass in a bifolding door?

Our website has arguably the most comprehensive section on integral blinds you will find anywhere. Our pages provide lots of information about the quality, technical aspects and features of integral blinds. So in this article, we look at practical reasons for considering integral blinds.

Integral blinds are very desirable in a bifolding door.

Bifolding doors are one of the most popular products that are suitable for integral blinds.

Without a doubt, it is bifolding doors that feature most prominently with integral blinds. There are, of course, other solutions. There are many different types of after-market blinds at varying price points, quality and types.

Integral blinds will be provided by the same Company that also supplies the new bifold. Other types of blinds are widely available elsewhere. It is the contemporary appearance and desirability of a bifolding door and the shape and function of the modern extension with open plan living spaces that has brought integral blinds above the parapet. They are by no means a new product.

Will your home decor and style change in the future?

If you are a homeowner that always likes to freshen up their home every few years with new colours, new furniture and a new look, it is worth considering whether integral blinds will be in keeping with your future interior design ideas. They are very much a modern looking product.

You will have given careful thought to the colour of your bifolding doors, therefore consider whether the modern colours and nature of metal blinds will work in any future home styling.

It is also worth remembering that most integral blinds have vertical and horizontal housings creating a picture frame effect and border in the glass. You get less visible and transparent glass area with an integral blind.

We recommend you see a full-size door with an integral blind fitted. You can then see how the stacked slats look when all together at the top of the door, the perimeter frame an integral blind has and the visual border we mention.

Will you be staying in the property?

In today’s fast moving property market, if you are considering moving home then the extra cost of integral blinds should be considered. If you are upgrading your home to sell on in a rising market, it may not be worth investing in the long-term nature of integral blinds.

Attractive as they are in bifolding doors, they do not add to the property in monetary terms.

What are your privacy requirements?

Bifolding doors with many panels can benefit from privacy and shade with a quality integral blind.

This is one of the most important considerations. The large glass panels of a bifolding door also mean a lack of privacy. How much privacy and shade you want through your bifolding doors can depend upon:

• How overlooked your garden and bifolding doors are.
• Their location to sunlight and whether south-facing.
• Whether bifolding doors are in a family room or a lesser used part of the house.
• Whether your blinds and curtains are routinely closed at night.

How busy is your home?

It is worth considering how active your home is. A large family, young children, pets or frequent visitors result in greater wear and tear on the internal fixtures and fittings.

If you are regularly changing your blinds through misuse or wear and tear, have young children or pets that may damage external blinds, then integral blinds may be a more reliable solution in the longer term.

What look are you after in the home?

One of the reasons bifolding doors are attractive is the powder coated aluminium finish, the slim frames and the modern hardware. Some people may want the visual impact of a bifolding door to be constantly in view day or night. In this case, an integral blind does away with the need to obscure the folding doors from sight with roller or fabric blinds while still having privacy.

If you are not bothered about admiring the folding doors all day long then obscuring them with curtains or an alternative blind may be worth thinking about.

The integral blinds featured in this article are the Screenline Integral blind, manufactured by Morley Glass. Morley Glass are the biggest and most popular provider of integral blinds in the UK. Contact us if you would like further information.

The post Do you need integral blinds for bifolding doors? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

The bifolding door market now consists of many quality and highly engineered bifolding door systems. Not only is the design of current bifolds great, but components, reliability and the overall product makeup are excellent. There isn’t a bad bifolding door on the market.

How bifolding doors are supplied to end users or the trade has also changed. Notably, suppliers have improved lead times and colour choices; service levels are better than ever, and there are plenty of good brands and systems to choose from.

The Alufold Warmcore bifolding door from Aluhaus of Nottingham.

Aluhaus manufacture a substantially improved Warmcore system to create bespoke, premium aluminium doors and windows.

Another change in recent years is the experienced aluminium manufacturer that has taken a bifolding door from an existing system and has rebranded or re-engineered it to make it better than the original version.

Dekko windows have Reynaers under the Raum brand, Vuelite by Aspect Windows of Exeter is also Reynaers. The Evolution bifold is available for fabricators to market under their own name, and Duration has versions of the AluK and Smarts systems. Expert fabricators see a niche, invest and capitalise on it.

Aluhaus of Nottingham has done just that with their Alufold bifolding door. Based upon the Warmcore system, Alufold bifolding offer enhancements and service levels that are impressive. The Alufold bifolding door is supported with a residential hinged door, called Aludoor and by the Aluframe Warmcore aluminium window.

Aluhaus is headed by Tim Armitage who was for many years with Synseal Extrusions that created Warmcore. Tim took his corporate, engineering and product experience to set up Aluhaus and manufacture a better Warmcore door.

Why change and re-engineer an aluminium system?

No bifolding door is perfect. Often systems companies design a product and with the best will in the world cannot come up with something to please and meet the requirement of every fabricator, salesperson, fitter and end user. Even the bifolding door systems perceived as ‘the best’ through reputation or sales have their shortcomings.

This is not to say Synseal got Warmcore wrong.  Far from it given the vast number of very well known fabricators and installers that sell Warmcore today.  Warmcore is not as slim as a Schuco door with 121mm meeting stiles, the Comar folding door with 120mm or the new Visofold 5000 with 108.5mm.

What Aluhaus has done is to be admired. It takes time, commitment and enormous investment to re-engineer an aluminium system. The advantage of bringing out a new bifolding door in an already successful growing market is that you have had plenty of time to see what the industry and the customer want from a bifolding door.

Talking to your customers provides invaluable feedback on what they know sells a door and what features make it easier to fit and what improvements systems companies often miss out for often unexplained reasons.

You can also learn what elements appeal and help sell a bifolding door outside of just good security and accreditations. Then you set about creating a product that takes the best the bifolding door industry has to offer in design, hardware and production methods.

Alufold Warmcore Doors have features many leading brands do not.

Our research into the Alufold Warmcore bifolding door reveals a product with several key innovations by Aluhaus that few other doors possess. Aluhaus has taken the best in current bifolding door technology, improved it and added it to the Warmcore system. Alufold has several cosmetic, performance and design enhancements to make it even better.

Aluhaus say on their marketing materials that the Alufold door is probably the best on the market. Having examined how Alufold came about and what the current product provides, they could well be right.

The fusion GRAF welding giving a near seamless appearance is just one of many clever features found in an Alufold.

You can find out more information about the many individual features of an Alufold door just some of which include:

• A new method of fabricating bifolding doors that move away from mechanical joining.
• A bifolding door with a mitred outer frame where others use square cuts.
• Alufold doors finally give the homeowner weather rated low threshold.
• Colour matched Q-Lon seals exclusive to the product.

Alufold is marketed as the best bifolding door. Is it the best?

In reviewing the Alufold Warmcore bifolding door, one thing that is apparent is the thought that has gone into the product as well as a clear vision of who the target customer is. The trade counter cut-price bifold is not sold to appeal to the more quality-conscious buyer. The cheaper supply only bifold is there to fill an aperture for a builder.

When we first reviewed the Warmcore bifold we said it offered a different sales proposition because of how it looked, its thermal performance and its construction. It shifted away from the polyamide systems giving an end user an alternative aluminium door to consider and installers an entirely different non-polyamide system to sell.

We think Alufold has many new features in a bifold that make it a very credible and different bifolding door for installers to consider adding to their range.  Alufold also places a new product in the eye of the clever consumer that likes to research their bifolding doors and dig deep into what door is right for them.  It is clear the Alufold door is on the market as a credible and different proposition for an installer and a homeoner to consider.

The post Our Alufold Warmcore Bifolding Door Review appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Our earlier article on deciding whether to have integral blinds in a bifolding door focused on the practical considerations for bifolding doors and blinds in the home.

In Part 2, we examine the day-to-day aspects of integral blinds, reliability, repair and other considerations.

Are integral blinds reliable?

Integral blinds in bifolding doors when correctly used should give years of trouble free use.

Integral blinds are indeed highly reliable and designed to work in your bifolding doors for the long term. As with any mechanical or electric product, quality is everything and price often reflects the quality.

There are many brands of integral blind in the UK, frequently rebranded and often with no apparent clue to whose they are. Some systems are European, others from the Middle East and others from China or America.

In our professional experience, bifolding door installers will generally choose the integral blind that has proven itself as the most reliable, even if it is more expensive. No window company wants to be called back to the customer for service calls to problematic or faulty integral blinds. There is little that can be done to an integral blind as it is sealed in the glass unit and cannot be accessed to repair.

It is in your bifolding door providers’ best interests to supply an integral blind they know from experience is the best they can buy and one they can ‘fit and forget’, and one the homeowner will be happy with.

We recently wrote about Morley Glass when they repaired a 10-year-old integral blind and providing excellent levels of after-care service to one of their customers.

What happens if the glass with an integral blind breaks?

In the event that your bifolding door glass is broken, the entire unit needs to be re-manufactured. It is feasible that the existing integral blind can be re-used in the new glass unit assuming it is not damaged in any way.

What happens if the blinds are faulty or need repair?

It is important to remember that blinds are part of the glass not a separate item.

Most integral blinds will come with a five year warranty, typical of the glass industry as a whole. Some door installers may choose to offer the same ten-year warranty they provide with the door or window but this is rare.

Some high quality doors such as Origin bifolds come with a 20-year warranty. An aïr 800 bifolding door has a 25-year manufacturer warranty. However, these doors if they have integral blinds will be guaranteed on the doors only and not the blind itself in most cases. Check with your installer what warranty is offered on the blinds in relation to the bifolding door they are fitted into.

Beyond the warranty, any repairs will be down to tracing the original manufacturer of the blinds or finding a reputable door and window maintenance company to see if older integral blinds still have parts available. If you have purchased a property with integral blinds already provided to bifolding doors this will be hard to find out.

The most important thing to remember with integral blinds is that they are part of the double glazed unit and not separate from it. Some American systems on the market enable the inner pane of glass to be hinged inwards to access the blind. These systems are not available in the UK and do not create a hermetically sealed and energy efficient unit.

In most cases a faulty integral blind will need new glass as well.

Will the colours match?

Most integral blinds are powder coated to match the most popular colours of bifolding doors. Some people choose a contrasting colour to create a border effect in the glass.

While the powder coating sector uses RAL, Syntha Pulvin, BS, NCS and other colour references to coat aluminium, RAL colours are most popular codes used. It is worth bearing in mind that the people who powder coat the integral blind components will not be the same as those who paint the door profiles. A 100% colour match cannot therefore be guaranteed for technical and production reasons.

Check with your provider how exact the colours will be to ensure a close or identical colour match or ask to see samples.

Size limitations with blinds

It is important to know that integral blinds cannot be made at any size and are subjected to size limitations. If you are designing a Schuco door at 3 metres high or with folding panels at 1200mm or 1250mm wide, check that your chosen integral blind can be made at the required glass sizes. You may find it can’t be.

If you require any further information about integral blinds for bifolding doors, please contact us.

The post Living with integral blinds appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

The Alumina bifolding door has been on sale for several months, following its preview at the 2016 FiT Show. There are many Liniar window installers now selling Alumina.  Established Liniar PVCu trade suppliers have also recognised the sales opportunity of the Alumina bifolding door.

The Alumina bifolding door joins the ranks of several other quality door systems. It is a well designed product that needs to be viewed in the flesh to be appreciated fully. The Alumina bifold we think offers numerous opportunities for existing Liniar pvcu installers as well as homeowner appeal as an individual aluminium bifold.

How Liniar window installers can benefit from Alumina.

The Alumina bifolding door comes from Liniar and is a very credible full aluminium bifolding door.

Our website contains several articles about Alumina, its primary feature being an aluminium bifolding door to match the existing Liniar suite of PVCu windows. This is important, given the prominence of Liniar in the PVCu sector and the broad appeal Liniar windows and doors have with installers and homeowners.

For advocates of the Liniar suite of products, Alumina is a great addition. Better still, for Liniar installers that have been used to the reliable and familiar Liniar supply chain, with Alumina, this remains unchanged.

Alumina can help Liniar installers enter the aluminium market.

Despite the popularity of aluminium today there are still a large number of retail window and door companies that still sell only PVCu. The distinct sales advantages of aluminium are now well reported. However, those PVCu installers that have yet to sell aluminium, while potentially missing out on sales opportunities, can also have legitimate reasons for doing so.

The fenestration sector can give the impression that starting to sell aluminium is easy. The reality as established aluminium professionals will tell you, is entirely different.

Training of all staff, product education, understanding colours, the risk to exposed paint finishes in transportation, caution about where to buy aluminium and just integrating an aluminium range into a business is not easy. For existing Liniar installers, we think Alumina gives them a great opportunity to enter the aluminium bifolding door arena while retaining the same supplier and a familiar system. Liniar is of course on hand as well.

Alumina also offers a single and French door opening option giving these PVCu installers an aluminium rear or side door product as well. These conventional hinged doors with Alumina have the same profiles as the folding door giving a consistent aesthetic in the home.

The advantage of a foiled aluminium bifolding door.

Alumina bifold doors offer a good looking wood effect bifolding door in more colour options than sublimated paint finishes.

As good as aluminium powder coated finishes are, Alumina gives the UK market a foiled aluminium bifold that looks the part. The quality of foils in the PVCu marketplace with systems such as Residence 9, make foiled PVCu windows far better than the not so authentic wood grains of many years ago.

Using the best in foiling technology and quality Alumina foiled bifolds provide both a decorative and a functional benefit. Foils look better, they do not need painting and offer protection to the aluminium profile beneath.

The other advantage of a foiled aluminium bifold is the warm touch exterior, something not possible with even the most insulated of aluminium systems.

Is a foiled bifold better than a painted wood effect bifold?

The only real contender presently for wood effect aluminium bifolds is the sublimated aluminium finish. There are no evident flaws with either method of achieving a wood effect to an aluminium profile. It is subjective which finish looks better, but the foil certainly improves the temperature of the profile.

The other thing favouring a foiled bifold is more choice of wood effects and other colours. Alumina offers more wood effect finishes than the other systems presently available with a sublimated paint finish. Alumina also provides the option of flat plain coloured foils, something the competition does not.

The obvious advantage is matching the existing Liniar finishes and as an aluminium bifold available in a host of other colours as well.

Fully Sculptured Aluminium Bi-fold Door.

Alumina provides the sculptured detailing that PVCu windows are known for and that homeowners want.

A fully sculptured bifolding door we think is an aesthetic advantage for Alumina. Most associate a bifolding door with a contemporary aesthetic, but having seen the door, the sculptured details does work in providing a softer profile while retaining proper proportions in the door given the typical size of a bifold in the home.

The sculptured aesthetic works very well with a wood foil finish and especially when chosen with black or gold hardware. Alumina is a great product for the installer in areas where traditional windows and doors sell better because of the regional styles of properties.

So while Liniar may market the bifold as matching their suite of PVCu windows, doors and roofing products, Alumina is credible as a stand-alone bifold with a traditional aesthetic. The foil finishes on offer its a great alternative to a timber bifolding door as well.

Plastic Glazing Beads for an aluminium bifold.

What you may not know is that when a foiled Alumina bifold is ordered, it is supplied with PVCu glazing beads.

Although rarely an issue for the professional installer, sometimes glazing beads that are cut to size a fraction oversize can mark the paint finish of the adjoining bead as it is clipped into position. The great thing about the PVCu beat is its wider range of movement and flexibility over an aluminium bead.

We can see the logic of providing plastic beads with the foiled Alumina bifold, which will please installers familiar with glazing PVCu system as well as a faster glazing time.

By far the biggest advantage is that window installers can choose to hold a ‘hospital kit’ of a selection of beads. In situations where beads may cut wrong, damaged or for any other reason replacements are needed, PVCu beads mean no waiting for replacements to arrive.

Finally, the foiled plastic extrusion options extend to trims, add-ons, trickle vent extension pieces and other window frame accessories.

The Alumina Advantage to Liniar Installers.

Liniar we think has been very smart with Alumina. Brand loyalty is hard to come by with most installers today. PVCu installers tend to offer a complete home solution from one system. With aluminium, most retailers choose windows from one supplier, doors from another, bifolds, sliding doors and roofs from others. Few are loyal to one system.

With Alumina, Liniar becomes another company that offers homeowners a complete suite of windows and doors under one system and guarantee. Liniar also provides bolt on products such as conservatories, soffits, fascias, trims and accessories.

The post How the Alumina bifold door benefits Liniar Window installers appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Whichever way you look at it, many of the leading bifolding door brands in the UK are broadly the same. All have quality aluminium extrusions, quality hardware, are well made, have a good specification, high-performance figures and so on.

Alufold Warmcore appeals to both installers and the homeowner.

Aluhaus’ Alufold door also has the features expected of a latest generation bifolding door for the quality conscious and discerning buyer. But Alufold also has added benefits that we think appeal to salespeople expert in selling bifolds, professional door installers and of course, the consumer directly.

The welded construction, the colour matched hardware and seals, the mitred outer frame, the quality door handles and the particular elements of Alufold they will not see on other quality doors. The weathered low threshold for us is a huge plus point for this product as well.

We think the Alufold door brings the Warmcore system several steps up from the standard product and pitches it against the well-known premium bifolds too.

Alufold Warmcore benefits to the homeowner.

Alufold is a product offering a completely different proposition to homeowners and installers.

There are several categories of customer when it comes to buying a bifolding door.

• The customer that leaves the choice of folding door to their builder.
• The customer that only wants the cheapest bifolding door.
• The customer that wants a high quality bifold at a reasonable price.
• The customer that researches bifolds, reviews and testimonials for a long time before making a buying decision.
• The customer for whom specifications, quality, engineering and perception is most important.

Our view is that Alufold will appeal to the end user that cares about quality and is looking to put the best product they can in their home. The category of customer with a good budget, with quality in mind and with enough research under their belt to be able to examine the fine details around their bifold. We know these customers are plentiful – they contact our website on a daily basis.

Alufold gives the consumer a new product to consider as they visit showrooms, search on the web and ask questions. The way Alufold is presented is different in many areas too. The welded corners and the mitred outer frame are just two features that the customer can now consider as whether important to them from an aesthetic and technical point of view.

Many customers want a low threshold yet are made aware they will get no weather rating, or the door has to be internal. Alufold finally gives them a solution.

The colour matched seals and gaskets will appeal to some but not others but provides more choice for the buyer yet.

Also, for customers wanting low U-Values, Warmcore as a system has already cemented its place as one of the best performing doors on the market with a more standard glass specification. They also get a very attractive bifolding door. We have seen it and it looks great.

How Alufold can benefit installers.

We talk to installers that often tell us there is now too much choice and that is not always a good thing. Yes, a Schuco door is slim, but an Origin door is backed by legendary service levels and a 20-year warranty that, for many, outweigh the benefits of a German bifold and a narrow mullion. The other issue with so many good aluminium systems is installers now have more than aluminium supplier to deal with.

The reality is, installers are constantly on the look-out for new products and products they think they can sell. Having seen the Alufold Warmcore in action and discovering what went into creating it, there are in our view, several reasons why an installer should consider it.

A quality bifold doesn’t need to be better, but different.

The low threshold with a weather rating is one excellent feature that beats other brands.

We think Alufold creates an opportunity for installers to put a product in their showroom that’s not designed to diminish the sales value of other doors but provide a different option. The features of this particular door are there so the customer can understand bifolds better and look at what options are available.

It is good news for the end user and good news for the installer as it keeps the customer in their showroom for longer.

Alufold is ideal as an entirely new and completely different product for the professional bifolding door company that sells more than one system in their showroom.

The thermal core, the aesthetics and the U-Values give installers a shift from the leading polyamide-based systems.

Alufold will benefit the expert salesperson that truly knows how to sell bifolds and can explain its many features over their other quality doors.

We think the Alufold bifolding door can appeal to the installer that only wants one bifolding door system to sell. It is a high-quality door with all the features of several brands in one.

If you would like to find out more about the Alufold Warmcore bifolding door by Aluhaus, please contact us.

The post The benefits of Alufold Warmcore to installers and homeowners. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

There are very few products in the home improvement industry offering anything more than a 10-year guarantee. For many customers, a peace of mind warranty is important to them. Firstly, the purchase of an expensive folding for sliding door is a significant financial investment.

Secondly, the window industry reputation is unfairly tarnished by a small number of window companies carrying out shoddy work, lost deposits and businesses going into administration before work is complete. The consumer is expected to part with their money before they even see a window or a door.

Bifolding and sliding door warranties can be complicated.

Air folding and sliding doors come with an industry leading 25-year manufacturer warranty.

It is also worth considering that all the components that go into making a quality bifolding or sliding door do not come from a single source. Aluminium, colouring, gaskets, glass, locks and seals all come from different manufacturers and suppliers, not just one. These suppliers also have their warranties. Glass or integral blinds may only have a five-year warranty. Locks and handles that come from these specialist hardware manufacturers do not have an extended warranty, yet the window industry provides an expected ten years.

Some homeowners remain sceptical of extended warranties aware they may have exclusions, limitations or only apply to the purchaser of the doors, not the new owner of the property.

Then there is the issue of understanding how industry bodies and associations work, set up to provide consumer protection should things go wrong. It is usually the manufacturing and installation process that compromises a product, rather than the product itself. From the design stage, all modern door and window systems are developed by expert aluminium systems houses, extensively tested and accredited before they hit the market.

All the people, processes, manufacturing and administration that goes into creating a new bifolding or sliding door enables customers to enjoy peace of mind warranties. Some companies, however, go the extra mile.

What bifolding or sliding door has the longest warranty?

When it comes to manufacturer warranties Air folding and sliding doors are unique in the marketplace in having a 25-year guarantee. We know of no other brand of bifolding doors, patio doors and contemporary sliding doors with this length of the warranty.

The 25-year warranty on an air door is possible because of how the product is designed and importantly who is behind it. If you are thinking about a quality bifolding door and one that offers marked differences in who makes it and benefits it offers we give an insight into aïr doors by Everglade Windows.

Everglade Windows. The Company behind aïr.

Everglade Windows are a multi-award winning manufacturer and exclusively provide air doors.

Everglade Windows in Perivale Middlesex are the exclusive manufacturers of air folding and sliding doors. Some facts about Everglade Windows:

• Everglade Windows have been trading for nearly forty years.
• Everglade Windows are one of the best-known manufacturers in the UK.
• The Emmegi Quadra machining centre for creating windows and doors is one of only three in the UK at the cost of £500000.
• Everglade make and install for homeowners, the window industry as well as providing products in local authority housing, for construction firms and property developers.

To provide an industry leading warranty, the company behind the product has to be strong, established and stable.

Why do air folding and sliding doors have a 25-year warranty?

Air doors are designed for long life, high performance and to add value to a home.

The extended manufacturer’s warranty in an air folding and sliding door comes about from the way air doors are designed and made. Some facts about air doors.

• The paint finishes on aïr doors in thicker than many other standard doors and windows with a marine grade thickness.
• The components of an air door are the finest available in the door industry.
• An air folding or sliding door is primarily hand made with extra features to boost performance, reliability and product quality.
• Professional window companies only install aïr doors.

Everglade Windows developed the aïr suite of doors by looking at what previous folding and sliding doors had to offer and making their product even better.

Another important reason why aïr doors are different is that one company only makes them. The majority of aluminium systems are handed down as bar lengths and accessories to fabricators all over the UK. To provide peace of mind with a lengthy guarantee, only one company can make the product. Only with a sole manufacturer can quality remain consistent.

If you are considering new bifolding or sliding doors and would like further information about aïr, please contact us.

The post How is a 25 year guarantee on air folding and sliding doors possible? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

What makes Alumina different from other bifolds? Many bifolding doors today have the security, weather performance, low U-Values and quality expected of a modern and well-designed aluminium bifold. Alumina bifolding doors are no exception.

Alumina. A different type of bifolding door.

Alumina by Liniar gives installers the opportunity to offer a different type of aluminium bifold for customers to consider.

When we review a product on this website, we take an objective view focusing on the advantages each product has. Every good bifolding door today has features that appeal to a customer, whether the customer is an installer looking to sell a product or a homeowner wanting it in their home.

This is why we hold the view that there is no absolute best bifold. Many trade customers will consider that even excellent service from a supplier, although it is not directly related to the product itself, can be relevant when choosing a folding door.

When a company starts to consider what additional folding door brand to add to their range, it is very much about highlighting the differences in two products, not making one product they sell appear better than the other.

Alumina, therefore, offers an entirely different sales proposition because of how it looks, its foil choices and its suitability for integrating with Liniar PVCu products and its individual characteristics.

We think Alumina gives bifolding door installers a different bifold to offer their customers because it is so markedly different from other bifolding doors on the market. We take a look at three of these:

Bifolding door rollers to match hinges and handles.

The bottom carriage shown on the Part M Threshold is available in a choice of finishes with Alumina doors.

Handle and Hinge colour choices are nothing new with bifolding doors. Many systems offer a choice of white, black, satin or polished handles. However, the bifolding door fork, carriage and rollers remain in a standard finish with most bifolds. Some suppliers choose to colour match them to the profile finish but not often to the handles and hinges.

Alumina offers colour matched forks, carriage and rollers. White, Black even Chrome and Gold finishes are available. With the bifolding door bottom carriage and roller being quite prominent on most systems, we think this is a smart touch.

For the homeowner that is a little more focused on how the hardware looks on a bifold, this colour option is a great feature.

Part M Threshold.

Not every leading bifolding door system offers a Part M Threshold with most only providing a standard or a low threshold. Alumina doors come with the Part M threshold, providing easy access and the choice of a ramp one side or both sides.

Again, there aren’t that many systems on the market offering a Part M threshold with their bifolds. It is important to remember Part M enables doors to meet specific access requirements as laid down by current Building Regulations and the Equality Act.

Liniar Modlok

Modlok offers excellent 5-point security and helps improve thermal efficiency

Liniar has been providing its Modlok in their PVCu bifolds for a while. Modlok is very different from a standard bifolding door lock.

Modlock is a lock and thermal insert in one, providing excellent security and providing a thermal bridge. Alumina meets the latest 2016 Document Q requirements as well. One of the reasons the U-Values on Alumina are low is thanks to Modlock.

These are three key features of an Alumina bifold alongside the others that make the product stand out, making it a different proposition for homeowners to consider.

If you would like further information about the Alumina bifolding door, please contact us.

The post Top Three Alumina bifolding door features appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems are already well established in the UK as one of the leading aluminium systems companies. Comar aluminium windows, doors, facade glazing and specialist systems are widely specified and installed in all manner of construction projects.

Comar is perhaps better known for their commercial systems but has a strong reputation in providing aluminium windows and doors for dwellings. The Comar 7Pi Folding Sliding Doors is a quality bifolding door in the latest generation of thermally efficient aluminium and is ideal for residential settings.

The Comar aluminium bifolding door.

Comar Bifolding doors offer British design and engineering in a contemporary folding door

The advanced Comar bifolding door features high-performance aluminium sections creating a thin, strong, secure and thermally efficient product for the quality conscious buyer.

Bifolding doors from two to eight panels as a standard product are possible. Bigger banks of folding doors can also be created with a particular design for larger openings. Bifolding doors can open in or out with panels stacking all to one side or a mixture of leaves sliding to the left and the right.

For homeowners where their bifolding door may be their only exit door to the outside or for convenience, Comar folding doors are available with access or traffic leafs. The access door enables one leaf of a door set to be hinged like a regular door allowing entry and exit without having to fold the remaining panels back.

Glazing options on Comar folding doors.

The Comar 7P.i bifolding door is designed to accept glazing materials from 17mm up to 62mm. This versatile glazing range makes Comar doors suitable for use internally as room dividers glazed with single glass. Externally the extensive glazing options mean Comar doors can accept laminated or acoustic glass, integral blinds and triple glazing.

The better the glass specification the more improved the U-Values of the product meaning figures as low as 1.39Wm2K are possible with a Comar door.

How weather resistant is the Comar Bifolding Door?

Comar Architectural Aluminium has extensively tested their bifolding door to meet and in some cases exceed current established standards.

Performance testing to British Standards BS6375: Part 1 2009 reveals a door with high-performance figures for Air permeability, Watertightness and Wind Resistance. Comar doors meet 600 Pascals for air and water with 1200 Pascals for Wind resistance and exposure.

How Secure are Comar bifolding doors?

Independent testing by accredited testing houses places the Comar folding door as exceeding the requirements set out in BS6375 Part 1 for security. The Comar folding door holds security testing to PAS 24: 2012. Doors feature multi-point locking systems, internal glazing beads and good design.

Contact us for more information about Comar Folding Sliding Doors.

The Comar folding door provides a contemporary folding door in the home with a choice of opening configurations, several threshold types, Lifetime Homes suitability and vast colour options. It can also integrate with other Comar aluminium products to create bifolding doors with feature windows or inset into a large glazed screen.

If you would like further information about Comar aluminium bifolding doors, please contact us.

The post Comar Aluminium folding doors – Contemporary and Stylish appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

The air 800 bifolding door is a luxury bifolding door, exclusively manufactured by Everglade Windows and sold through a specially selected network of quality home improvement companies.

In creating the air bifolding door, Everglade Windows set out to provide a door that offers specifications over and above many other brands on the market. For anyone doing their research around bifolding doors, they will frequently come across some very familiar names such as Smarts Visofold, AluK bifolds, Reynaers, Schuco and others.

Is there a best bifolding door?

Air 800 bifolding doors are the only doors on the market with a 25-year warranty.

We are frequently contacted with information about what is the ‘best’ bifolding door and do we consider one door better than the other. There is no definitive answer to this.

What constitutes the best product is down to many factors. For example, many websites market the Schuco bifold as ‘market leader’ or ‘the best quality bifold’. Schuco doors are fine doors indeed. However, we talk to homeowners that don’t like the aesthetics of a Schuco door, the gaskets, the handles or the door catch. Others disagree.

In examining the air 800 bifolding doors, what we found were some key features not found in other popular bifolding door brands. In our review of the air 800, we focus on these key features and explain how these may matter to a homeowner doing their research around bifolding doors.

What is the most important feature of a quality bifolding door?

This is another complex question to answer but one that aïr bifolding doors along with Origin have addressed. That is the extended warranty. To the best of our knowledge, only Origin and Air provide a guarantee more than the 10-year norm. An Origin door has a 20-year warranty, the aïr folding door 25 years.

The Bifolding door warranty

Other bifolding door brands that are provided with a 10-year warranty are not inferior. However, what a long warranty provides is peace of mind for those homeowners making a substantial investment in extending or renovating their home. It is up to the customer to determine the value of a guarantee.

Everglade Windows are a multi-award winning manufacturer and exclusively provide air doors.

In creating this review, we spoke to some installers and bifolding door providers. When directly asked if the extended warranty helped sell bifolding doors, the resounding answer was a yes. The most popular reason cited was peace of mind for the buyer as well as confidence that the company providing the bifolds supplied and installed quality products.

The air 800 bifolding door supply chain

The fact that one company only makes aïr bifolding doors is, from a homeowner perspective, another positive selling point. Again this is not to imply that doors supplied by a network of fabricators are low quality. Far from it.

A professional salesperson will be able to us use the exclusivity of the air products by highlighting the integrtiy of the supply chain, of course without rubbishing the other systems. Many consumers will be reassured that their expensive bifolding doors are manufactured from start to finish by one company, especially when that company designed the system.

For the aïr door in particular, Everglade Windows are amongst the largest, best known and longest established door and window manufacturers in the UK.

In the first part of our review of the aïr 800 bifolding door, the 25-year warranty and the exclusivity of the manufacturer are two of its stand-out features.  The second part of the air 800 bifolding door review will follow in a few days.

The post The Aïr 800 bifolding door review. Part 1. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

The aïr 800 bifolding door offers several features that make it different from the other bifolding door brands on the market. In Part 1 of our 2 of our review we explained the importance of the supply chain and the warranty.  Now, we take a look at the installation options and explain why they may matter to a homeowner.

aïr doors are slimmer than many other brands.

Air folding doors provide specifications other leading brands do not such as thin lines, improved engineering and weather performance.

When compared to the most popular brands of bifolding doors, aïr 800 bifolding doors offer narrow sight lines in critical areas of the doors. In fact, aïr doors are slimmer at the meeting stiles than all of the popular brands of bifolding doors including Smarts Visofold, AluK BSF70, SAPA Bifolding Doors, Origin and others.

How thin a bifolding door is may not be relevant to every customer, but for those desiring a slimline bifolding door, aïr doors are one to consider.

aīr bifolding doors are severe weather rated.

All quality bifolding door brands have been tested to meet the latest standards for air, wind and water penetration. The tests are measured in pascals, with most systems comfortably meeting 600 or 1200 pascals.

The aïr 800 bifolding door meets wind loads of up to 1800 pascals, that the manufacturer says equate to winds of more than 120mph.

aïr doors can be made taller than many other brands.

Most bifolding door systems are designed for maximum heights of 2500mm up to 2700mm. The achievable height of a bifolding door is also relevant to the width of the door as well.

Air doors are amongst only a handful of bifolding door brands designed to create doors of up to 3 metres in height. For the majority of home extensions and renovation projects, this height may not be significant. However, for those homeowners looking to create large glazed areas and tall folding doors, without the use of a glazed window above aïr doors can be considered alongside Schuco and others.

aïr doors have lower thresholds than many other bifolding doors.

When comparing the aïr folding door threshold to other systems, the standard, low and level threshold heights are lower than other bifolding door brands. The standard threshold offers a height of 40mm, the rebated threshold only 30mm and the low threshold just 19mm.

Furthermore, the low threshold option provides a light weather rating where other systems offer none.

air doors do not need a floating mullion.

For homeowners requiring a two or four panel bifolding door all sliding in one direction, aïr doors are possible without the requirement for a floating mullion. The floating mullion is commonly used to provide a locking point on an even number of doors but on the one side, creates a thicker and uneven sight line.

On some systems needing a floating mullion, the locking system frequently comprises a shoot bolt locking rather than a full multi-point lock.

Other considerations with bifolding door specifications.

Customer requirements around bifolding doors vary around aesthetics, performance, budget and hardware choices. Other clients drill down into specific elements of their bifolding door helping them make a decision on the most appropriate product for their home.

The aïr 800 bifolding door provides a higher specification product than other brands and finer details in its design. For example, the gaskets provided with aïr doors feature double interlocks as well as being Teflon coated. Door gaskets may not often be a key consideration, (outside of the anti-finger trap facility that this and other doors provide), however on an air door they’re designed to be more dirt resistant and provide enhanced weathering and protection.

The engineering behind the product also creates hidden benefits that the homeowner may not necessarily require, but are built into the product nonetheless. Aïr door leaves can accommodate greater glass weight at up to 120kg per leaf. Most other systems sit at the 80kg to 100kg weight limit.

Other enhancements built into the design include a marine grade paint finish, improved adjustment for the installer, a choice of luxury anti-bacterial handles and a stronger thermal break.

For the homeowner looking for a quality bifolding door with improved design and specifications, the aïr bifolding door can be considered alongside other top bifolding door names.

The post The aïr 800 bifolding door review. Part 2. appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

With any quality bifolding door system, there is the option of standard or low thresholds. Some brands go a stage further and offer a choice of threshold heights including a low threshold. Then there are bifolding doors that also offer a low or ramp-type threshold, also referred to as Document M threshold.

All the different threshold options on a well0-designed folding door provide not only a choice for the end user but also make a bifolding door suitable for a variety of property types and installations. One question often asked is whether low thresholds are weather resistant?

Is a bifolding door threshold weatherproof?

Can you have a level threshold with weather protection on a bifolding door?

With many bifolding doors on the market, the level threshold is clearly marketed as having no weather rating. Other brands may also state that the low threshold option is only suitable for internal applications, with no warranty or where the door is unlikely to be at risk of driving wind and rain.

The reality is that even a standard bifolding door threshold can be recessed and provided with the proper drainage to provide a low-level threshold and minimal barrier between the inside and the outside of the home. However, a step still exists as the standard bifolding door threshold has a rebate or upstand.

However, if a customer wants the low, ramp type threshold this too will usually come without a weather rating. The Aluhaus Alufold bifolding door however, based on the Warmcore system, offers not only a choice of thresholds but also a level threshold with a weather rating.

Is the Warmcore Alufold low threshold truly weatherproof?

The low threshold with a weather rating is one excellent feature that beats most other brands.

Many homeowners are planning their new extension and desire their outside patio at the same level as the interior floor. They just want as minimal a threshold as possible.

The Warmcore bifolding door does indeed offer a low threshold with a weather rating. In fact, this particular feature was one of the Warmcore principle design criteria that was cited at the development stage of the product.

While the standard Warmcore bifold has the weather rated threshold, the Alufold Part M Low Threshold offers a specially designed kicker-seal. This particular seal is located in the bottom of aluminium threshold chassis. The seal sits under each door leaf.

The result of this seal and design found in the Alufold bifolding door is that when the door leaf pushes against this seal, a tight water and wind barrier is created. In practice, the harder the wind blows against the doors, the tighter the seal gets.

There are very few bifolding doors on the market with a weatherproof low threshold.

The Warmcore Alufold bifolding door is one of only three standard products in the UK (to the best of our knowledge) that provides a weatherproof low threshold. In fact, none of the big brands of bifold in the UK actually offer this feature.

For consumers looking to create a low-level threshold, a seamless effect between their inside and outside spaces, the Alufold bifolding door provides a solution. When correctly designed and integrated into a new extension or renovation the visual effect is excellent.

There is no reason why a qualified provider of Alufold bifolding doors cannot work with a builder and ensure that the exact visual effect with a low threshold is achieved. If you would like further information about bifolding door thresholds and the weathered Alufold door, contact us for details.

The post Is a low threshold bifolding door weatherproof? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Homeowners today have more choice in bifolding doors than ever before. Many home improvement companies now offer more than one bifolding door system. Suppliers choose strong brands such as the Origin bifolding door. We know homeowners love Origin’s unique selling points such as its 20-year warranty and excellent dealer support.

Alongside a product like Origin, installers also offer alternatives.  The Schuco ASS70FD door and the Comar 7P.i folding door are two of the slimmest bifolds on the market.  Smart Systems Visofold 1000 or the AluK BSF70 are a more competitively priced door.

Installers also sell bifolding doors perceived as more exclusive. Examples include the air 800 bifolding door, or products from Dutemann, Centor, Sunfold, Sunflex or Reynaers.  Alumina by Liniar offers a foiled finish and a more pvcu-focused appearance.  Senior Systems’ Alifold is exclusive, slim and with low U-Values.

Alufold Bifolding Doors help installers secure more sales.

Alufold bifolding doors are an enhanced and improved Warmcore aluminium system.

The Alufold Bifolding door is one of the newest products to hit the market.  Aluhaus of Nottingham exclusively manufactures Alufold. Based on the Synseal Warmcore system, it is a re-engineered and enhanced door.  We’ve written about the Alufold door in detail,  but to summarise it is unlike Warmcore in some core ways:

• A Fusion Graf Welded Construction and a mitred outer frame.
• Premium Quality Hafi Door handles found on the Origin product.
• Perfect RAL Matched Q-Lon Seals
• A weather rated low threshold.
• Door leaf sizes up to 1250mm wide.

Aspire Bifolding Doors of Surrey is the latest Alufold Bifolding Door Dealer.

Aluhaus has enjoyed significant success since its inception, growing its network of installation partners. Aluhaus Dealers benefit from the manufacturing and technical features of Alufold combined with a new level of service and support from Aluhaus. One of the latest companies to take on board the Alufold door is Aspire Bifolding Doors of Surrey.

John Small, Managing Director of Aspire, told us.

At Aspire Bifolding Doors we offer several systems to meet the many design, budget and other requirements of our clients. Origin remains a firm favourite with our customers, thanks to its industry leading warranty and unbeatable lead time.

When we first saw Alufold and the company behind it, we could see a real opportunity to offer an entirely different type of bifolding door and one with features that our other bifolds simply do not have.

Alufold Bifolding doors present the customer with a different folding door proposition.

Aspire Bifolding Doors of Surrey report improved sales thanks to Alufold Bifolding doors.

Aspire say that with Alufold, their customers see a door that cannot be compared to their other ranges, as good as these are.  It is the visible technical and manufacturing differences that they can explain to their clients.  Examples include

• The matching Q-Lon seals
• The hinges with dog bolts
• The premium hardware
• The impressive features to price point.

It is not about giving the impression that other doors are inferior, more a case of giving the customer something else to consider in their buying decision. The U-Values of the Warmcore system are also much clearer with a double glazed unit compared to other systems as well.

Most of our clients buying choose a standard width bifold. However, the knowledge that Alufold doors go up to 1250mm wide, the welded construction and features like anti-rack gives our customers a perception that the fabrication of this door is better.

We use the analogy of wearing a divers watch. You many never dive to 300 metres, but the capability is there. Even though we highlight all the great features of our other bifolds, customers who bought Alufold did so because they perceived it as a stronger and better bifold. Also impressive is the price point of Alufold especially for popular grey colours such as RAL 7016 and RAL 7032.

Installers also like Alufold because the furniture is already fitted to the doors making installation quicker and easier. For customers wanting a low or ramp-type threshold, finally having a bifold with a weather rated low threshold is a huge advantage.

Installer opportunities with Aluhaus bifolding doors, entrance doors and windows.

The Aluhaus range consists of Alufold bifolds, Aludoor residential entrance doors, French doors and aluminium windows.

If you are an installer, looking to add a new system and want further information about Alufold, contact us.

The post Alufold Bifolding Doors creating installer opportunities appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Modern house design now brings aluminium to the inside of the home.  It is common today to find aluminium internal doors.  Examples include interior sliding and folding doors, aluminium french doors and roof glazing.  One of the recent trends is aluminium screens inside the home as well.  As well as the slimline range of aluminium internal screens available, there are also frameless aluminium internal screens.

Frameless aluminium internal screens for residential property.

Aluminium is ideal for use inside the home as partitions and fixed screens.

Unlike full-framed screens, frameless aluminium internal screens bring all the advantages of the frameless bifolding door in a static glazed window.  Frameless screens offer advantages.

• Made to order to suit the property.
• A minimalist glass wall.
• Creates a focal point and feature inside the home.
• No visible mullions
• A contemporary aluminium and glass partition.

Internal glazed screens are ideal for not only closing off critical areas such as galleries but also help to create additional private areas in the home.

What to consider with an internal frameless glass screen.

In choosing a frameless glass screen, it is worth considering the number of panels, the height of the gazing and it’s location.  Safety glass will be provided as standard.  The use of safety glazing takes into account that most internal screens are in ‘critical glazed areas’.  Safety glass is therefore used in these areas.  It also provides protection for building occupants.

With a frameless aluminium internal screen, there is the option to have either single or double glazing.  Single glazing will be more cost effective for screens that don’t need better insulation such as galleried landings.  There is no specific requirement to have energy efficient glazing internally.  This helps keep the cost of the internal glass screen lower.

Doors can be integrated into screens and are an option for extra flexibility.  The advantage of the frameless internal screen is that the door element remains as discreet as the glazing.  In a frameless screen, there is the option of a full glass hinged or frameless folding door if required. 

Other uses for frameless aluminium internal screens.

Aluminium screens can be used outside as well as inside the home.  Examples include:

• Closing off an open verandah or terrace.
• Can improve the front of the home with a frameless glazed porch or vestibule.
• Ideal for closing off and making more weather resistant an open garage or carport.
• Can divide a large room into separate spaces.

The product featured in this article is manufactured and installed by Frameless Glass Curtains Ltd of Chatham, installing frameless bifolding doors, windows and screens nationwide. If you would like further information on aluminium or frameless screens for inside the home, contact us.

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Origin and aïr bifolding doors are two brands that share many similarities. But which is best? In this article, we take a look at the various features of the Origin and the aïr 800 bifolding doors to help you compare the two.

If you are presently thinking about the excellent Origin bifold, but are also wondering what other bifolds to compare it with, we think the Air 800 bifolding door is a contender.

Only Origin make their bifolding doors.  Similarly, only Everglade Windows make aïr 800 bifolding doors.

Why compare the Origin and Air bifolding doors?

Both Origin and air 800 doors are excellent. We recommend you study aesthetics, feel and individual selling points of each.

Two of the most commonly compared bifolds on the market are Origin and Schuco. In fact, one of our most read articles compares Schuco and Origin. We think if you are comparing the Origin and the Schuco door, then the aïr door should be considered as well. Close examination of the aïr 800 door reveals it to have more in common with Origin than the Schuco ASS70 Folding Door does.

Both Origin and Aïr bifolding doors offer more personalisation options than Schuco doors. As good as Schuco doors are, when compared to Origin and Air bifolds, the Schuco product is quite ‘standard’ in what options are available. Origin and Air give you a more bespoke bifold, outside of the colours and configuration options available with virtually any bifold.

That said, the brand prestige of Schuco is one of the reasons why so many people compare it with others. We now give you an alternative to consider as well.

Similarities between Origin and Aïr bifolding doors.

Three things make the Origin and Air bifolding doors similar and worth comparing. They also separate these bifolds from many other bifolding door systems including the Schuco bifold.

• The extensive manufacturer product guarantee.
• Air and Origin doors are only made in-house. Schuco doors are not.
• The manufacturing expertise and reputation of the companies behind Origin and Air doors. Many manufacturers make Schuco doors.

It goes without saying, that both Origin and aïr doors are top quality bifolds. The differences in the products are mostly aesthetic, so we take a look at their key features.

What is the better bifold? Origin or Air?

As our table shows, there are several differences between both products, but this does not necessarily make one door inferior to the other. Each bifold has its particular set of features and unique selling propositions. Some of these will appeal to a buyer, others are not as important to them. Origin is the bigger brand with a huge network of Origin dealers that sell the product.  Aïr doors are gaining traction as awareness of these products becomes greater.

Sight Lines.

Air folding doors provide specifications other leading brands do not such as thin lines, improved engineering and weather performance.

If you are looking for one of the slimmest bifolding doors, then the air door is thinner than Origin. The air 800 bifolding door offers virtually identical visuals to the Schuco door with its 122mm sight line where the folding panels meet. Origin is 154mm.

Sight lines on bifolding doors are very subjective. It is evident the trade believes the slimmer bifold is what the customer wants. However, the best-selling bifolds on the market such as Origin, AluK or Smart Systems are wider. Our view is that the clients look at the aesthetic of the overall product and not just one area of the doors.

Origin doors when configured as a two panel or four panel bifold, all sliding in one direction need a floating mullion.  This adds an additional profile to the one side of the doors which some may not like the look of. Air doors do not need a floating mullion in the same configuration.

Maximum leaf sizes.

Many systems will heavily market the capability of their doors in achieving heights of 3000mm. The reality is that doors for most home extensions and renovations are rarely specified at this height.  The same applies to doors marketed at 1200mm wide.  It’s great for those that want wide door panels.  The reality is, in the fully open position, most won’t want this much intrusion into their inside or outside space from three or more doors folded open.

It is also important to throw some balance into the size limitations of bifolds. It is easy to simply assume from publicised figures that one door is available taller than the other. The reality is these systems are designed to be flexible and meet client needs.

The size capability of a door shows what is possible with the system. Our advice is if you want an Origin door, but your size is 2700mm high, don’t assume it is not possible. A narrower leaf can often mean a taller door. So talk to your local installer or contact us.

Hardware Options.

Both Origin and Air bifolding doors offer a choice of standard or more premium hardware. Furthermore, Origin provides colour matched components as well as coloured Q-Lon Seals. Again the colour matching of hardware is down to personal preference. Some customers want white seals with their white doors, and others do not.

Some customers like the contrast of a grey door with stainless steel handles and components, others like to colour match. The availability of these different features gives the clients something to consider as part of their overall buying decision.

The product warranty.

We understand that Origin and Air bifolding doors presently offer the longest guarantee in the industry. We know from talking to Origin dealers that the 20-year warranty is what sells Origin to the homeowner. The air 800 bifolding door offers a 25-year warranty.

The quality of any guarantee is down to the small print, and your local Origin or Aïr dealer will explain this in detail. More importantly what these two great guarantees demonstrate, is the confidence Origin and Everglade Windows have in their products.

Origin and Everglade make their doors and nobody else. Both doors have quality hardware and components. The product quality is controlled at every stage of the process. What these guarantees also demonstrate is the aluminium expertise of both Origin and Everglade Windows. It is all of these factors that enable these doors to come with a long warranty.

Want to see Origin and Air 800 bifolding doors? Contact us.

Origin and air bifolding doors provide a bespoke, made to order bifold and the latter is certainly a contender for the Schuco bifold.  Both types of doors give you the option of matching French or single doors as well.  One benefit of the Origin system is the complete range of windows, entrance doors, garage doors and front doors from Origin and all with the same long warranty.  A customer looking for an air door won’t find the same matching suite, but they will have the choice of the wider window and door brand on the market to choose from.

Contact us if you would like further information on these two excellent bifolds.

The post Comparing the Origin and aïr bifolding doors – which is best? appeared first on Aluminium Trade Supply.

Air bifolding and sliding doors are widely used for residential installations.  Air doors feature contemporary sight lines, premium manufacturing and are designed as high-performance doors. You can read all about the air suite of aluminium systems on our website.

A recent installation saw air bifolding and sliding doors installed in a London residence where an impressive new glazed extension was created. The nature of the extension and the glazed elements of it, called for specialist design, expert installation and aluminium expertise. Everglade windows, the exclusive manufacturers of the air suite of sliding doors designed the doors to meet the requirements and specifications of the project.

Anthracite grey air bifolding and sliding doors to London residence.

Two 7-metre wide three panel sliding doors to a new glazed extension.

The new extension to the detached property consisted of a steel framed extension with expansive glazing on all three elevations. The existing house leading to the new extension is fitted with a new set of 5-panel air 800 folding doors, a 3-Panel set of bifolds as well as a glazed three-panel aluminium window.

Air 600LS sliding doors.

The external elevation of the new glazed extension comprises two sets of three-panel air 600 sliding doors. Each door set is an impressive 7 metres in width, 2300mm high and has a triple track. This enables each panel to slides independently. When fully opened the doors stack together on the one side giving a two-thirds clear opening.

Air doors are well known for their light and smooth operation even with the biggest sliding doors. For this installation, each sliding panel of the air 600ls installation is in excess of 200kg.

Panoramic aluminium windows.

The side elevations are glazed with an aluminium frame in one large glazed fixed panel 3500x2300mm. For the two fixed screens on the end elevations the fixed frame profiles from the aïr 500LS sliding door system is used. To install such large one-piece glass units various challenges were overcome. One was the weight of the glass units at over 350kg each. To glaze each piece of glass, specialist access equipment and glass handling was required. In fact, entire installation of doors and fixed windows on this project contains over two tonnes of glass units.

Air 800 bifolding doors.

The air 800 bifolding doors also feature prominently on this glazed extension, also at 2300mm high. Powder coated to a matching colour, each door panel is large and tall with glazing of 100kg per panel. Even at these weights and sizes, the gearing, heavy duty hinges and overall design of air 800 doors gives a smooth and reliable folding operation.

The bifolding doors feature premium door catches, multi-point locking, and Purity designer handles.

Specialist doors require specialist manufacturing and installation.

In writing about this exceptional installation of air bifolding and sliding doors, Everglade Windows, designers of the air suite of bifolding and sliding doors tell us that quality of manufacture and expert installation is key.

All dealers of air sliding or folding doors are accredited and trained to carry out specialist installations of large sliding doors such as those used on this project.

Air doors are manufactured by Everglade Windows and installed by their network of approved Aïr retailers. Part of the partnership arrangement with an aïr dealer involves training in the specification and installation of air folding and sliding doors.

Everglade provides extensive product training meaning their dealers are accredited in the installation of large and complex sliding doors. For the end user customer, this results in a quality installation every time.

Like this installation? Vote for it on the Fit Show Installation Competition.

Everglade Windows has entered this impressive installation on the Fit Show installation competition.  We think it’s a worthy contender and certainly showcases all the great features of modern aluminium in one installation.  Colour, contemporary aesthetics, slim sight lines as well as the technical challenges that can be overcome when using a quality aluminium system. You can vote for this installation on the Fit Show Competition page via Twitter. 

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