Folding doors are unique kinds of door systems which are vastly different from conventional doors. The folding doors are made of two or more panels which are connected with each other by hinges. Thus, the folding doors are able to fold and slide in a concertina manner. Since a folding door collapses in on itself when opened, it saves a lot of space in the room and provides a huge opening. The folding doors are fitted with tracks on which the panels slide while folding.
Number of Panels
A foldable door can have 2,3, 4, 5 or more panels. The number of panels depends upon the area covered by the foldable door. For large areas, folding doors made of some large panels and many small panels are considered to be highly suitable.
Opening Mechanism
Folding door comes with various opening mechanisms. It can be folded to stack either inside the room or outside the room. Folding doors stacking outside the room are suitable for high-traffic areas because they save a lot of space inside the room. If the outside area of the room is used for some purpose, then folding door stacking inside the room is a suitable option.
Folding doors which open in the middle are also available in the market. These types of folding doors split in the middle when opened with two sections of the door sliding and folding to either side of the aperture.
Sizes
A sliding folding door come in various sizes and is available for both small and large apertures. Thus, folding doors can be used regardless of the size of the opening. The sizes of panels making up the folding doors come in various standard sizes to fit a plethora of apertures. The maximum width of a panel of a folding sliding door is 1m. The weight of the panels depends upon their size, material and type of glazing.
Uses
Folding doors are suitable to be used as external doors. This is because they can be easily opened, thereby, giving the feeling of a large open space. Folding doors made of glass give a clear view of the outdoor space even in the closed position and allow natural light to filter into the room. Folding doors with minimum glass panels or frosted glass panels are suitable for people concerned about privacy. External folding doors are suitable for dining rooms, kitchens as patio doors and garden doors.
Folding doors also have internal applications in the form of room dividers. The folding doors acting as room dividers insulate the two portions of the room from each other and also provide soundproofing. The glass panels of the folding door also allow a lot of natural light into the room. Internal folding doors are suitable for both houses and commercial spaces such as offices.
Material
Folding doors are made of various materials such as wood, aluminium and uPVC. Various factors need to be considered when picking a suitable material as per your requirements.
Engineered wood is commonly used to make wooden folding doors. This is because engineered wood is much stronger as compared to natural wood. Engineered wood used to make wooden folding doors consist of multiple layers of wood veneer which are bonded together by polyurethane. Wooden folding doors are resistant to moisture but they can warp and swell due to excess exposure to moisture and sunlight, thereby making them difficult to close and open. Thus, wooden folding doors require a high level of maintenance.
Aluminium is a strong material. Hence, aluminium frames can support more weight of glass as compared to wood or uPVC. This is the reason why aluminium folding doors can have very narrow frames which enhance the outside view through the large glass panels. Aluminium folding doors do not expand or contract with changes in temperature. They are also light in weight which makes them easy to open and close.
folding uPVC doors are cheap but their life is not very long. They tend to expand and contract with temperature changes and are prone to warping with the passage of time due to sunlight exposure.
Cost
The folding door prices range from cheap to reasonable to expensive. The cost of a folding door depends upon its material, size, style, security and other features and the brand value of the manufacturer.