Innovation can make a good home great, especially when that innovation brings natural light and fresh air indoors. Such is the case with bifold doors. While there are many ways that you can open your home to more light and natural airflow, bifold doors are a modern solution that can turn heads and draw compliments from guests.
Luxury homeowners turn to bifold doors to add style and distinction to their home. These doors blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces, make entertaining easier, and add value to your property.Â
What Is a Bifold Door?
Bifold doors are folding window wall-style doors that add character and functionality to your luxury home. They’re made up of several panels that hinge along the side of the panels. When closed, a bifold door will stretch out along a track until the door is fully extended. To open, the door folds up along the track until the panels are stacked against one another at the edge.
Bifold doors can be varying lengths, and therefore can take the place of a full wall, if necessary. This flexibility is part of what makes these doors desirable in luxury homes: they can easily be fit to the style and architecture of the home.
High Level of Security
Bifold doors can help protect your home from threats of different types. They can be made with impact glass, which is designed to protect your home from high winds and impacts of various kinds. Impact glass is made of laminated or laminated insulating glass. Laminated glass is made from two panes bonded together with a durable interlayer. Laminated Insulating glass adds an extra single pane of glass to the laminated glass unit with a sealed air filled space in between. Even if the glass does shatter, the bonded interlayer will hold the glass in place and continue to protect your home.
During tropical storms and other weather events, impact doors can protect your home from flying debris and strong winds. This same type of glass can help protect your home from intentional impacts made by potential intruders. When you install bifold doors in your home, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your doors are not an easy point of entry for intruders.
Compact Footprint
Bifold doors may be long and wide when closed, but when opened, they enjoy a compact footprint that takes up little space in your home. To open your bifold door, simply fold it down along its track, stacking the panels together until they’re out of the way. When closed, your bifold doors can take up an entire wall of space. When fully opened, that wall can be shrunk to a stack of panels, opening up your home to the world outside.
This is part of what makes bifold doors so effective for entertaining. When your bifold doors are fully opened, guests inside and outside your house are able to mingle together. Bifold doors turn your indoor space into outdoor space with one swift motion.
Conversation Starter
Of all the different types of doors, bifold doors may be one of the most unusual. They have a unique look that can easily grab attention and hold it. Like pivot doors, bifold doors are a conversation starter that can become a point of interest in parties and among guests and visitors. If you’re selling your home, bifold doors can be an asset that make your home stand out from the others.
In addition to their beautiful design, these doors also allow a great deal of natural light into your home, and present a lovely view that can create the backdrop to your memories and family events.
Choosing a folding door for your home is even better when you place them on a wall where the view is spectacular. Think of the most interesting and attractive view on your property. Is it the water? Are there natural wetlands or a lovely garden? This should be the view you see out your doors every day.
Creates a Healthy Indoor Environment
Natural light is important for our bodies in so many ways. Natural light helps our bodies produce vitamin D, boosts our mood and immune system, enhances our ability to focus on activities and even helps regulate our sleep cycles. We need exposure to natural light throughout the day in order to feel and perform our best.
While there are many ways to bring natural light indoors, few options are more effective than bifold doors. When closed, bifold doors allow natural light to filter into the house through the elegant glass panels. When open, bifold doors bring the outside in. The natural balance between exterior and interior is restored when the doors are closed once again.
Creates Comfortable Indoor Environment
Impact glass naturally helps keep out more than just the storms, wind and rain. Loud noises outside, whatever they are, can be kept at bay via impact glass, which has a natural sound dampening ability. Impact glass doesn’t completely soundproof your home, but well-built doors can create a quiet environment indoors.
In addition to insulation from sound, bifold doors also have insulation from uncomfortable temperatures. Dual pane, high performance low-E glass is designed to block heat. In winter, bifold doors help keep your home warm and comfortable. In summer, those same doors block heat from entering your home, to help maintain a cool indoor temperature.
When energy efficient bifold doors are installed, this helps eliminate problems like hot spots, temperature fluctuations and stuffiness that can put wear and tear on your home’s HVAC system. Overall, well-designed bifold doors can help ensure that your home will stay comfortable and can reduce your utility costs at the same time.
Are Bifold Doors Right for Your Home?
The first step to installing bifold doors in your home is in finding a manufacturer and dealer that produces quality products. Your home is too important to install low quality fixtures, and installation of a bifold door can be a bigger project than installation of simple windows or a standard door.
Some factors to take into consideration when installing a bifold door:
- Dealer and manufacturer reputation. Don’t leave your door installation to chance. Seek an award-winning company with a reputation for excellence.
- Warranty. A company that believes in its products will stand behind those products with a strong warranty that offers protection to clients.
- Aesthetics. See the products in person at a showroom. Look for a door with elegance and sophistication in materials and design.
- Functionality. Doors made from dual pane, high performing low-E impact glass protect your home from the worst conditions outside. Don’t settle for anything less.
Want to install bifold doors in your home? Start by shopping around for the best manufacturer in your area. Once the project is finished, you’ll have added an element of luxury and sophistication that can enhance your home’s value while also making it more beautiful to behold.