Bifold glazed doors

metricspaces

Wondering if anyone has any pointers on where to get glazed internal bifold doors. See attached photo for what the type I'm looking for.

I know b&q do some. But reviews of them aren't very good.

I want them for an opening between living room and kitchen. The width is double normal door width, so about 1.6m

Call me Al

We have something very similar from Vufold. We ordered them through Heiton Buckley. They're in about a month. They feel very sturdy (solid oak) and we are very happy with them. We had a carpenter come and do the installation.
Only thing was they don't come with architrave or door saddle. You will need to supply these separately if they are required.
Eta our opening is 2.3m

metricspaces

Thanks for the reply! They look good, I didn't realise they'd be so expensive https://www.vufold.co.uk/internal-bifold-doors/inspire. Are these at the higher end of the price bracket, are there more mid-range\cheaper options?

I was going to ask do they come in white. But the site says them come as they are and you can paint them whatever colour you like.

I have a 4m wall. So I think the 1.8m would be a good one to go for?

My initial plan was to just put into two normal interior doors, so about a 1.6m space.

Call me Al

Yes they're expensive, but they're sturdy solid timber and the ones we have installed take up pretty much the whole wall. The price we paid reflected the fact that it was one item of a much larger order we placed with the branch. These were the only decent quality ones we could find on the market.
They come unvarnished so it's up to you how you finish them. Ours are solid oak.

metricspaces

Just looking at some of the videos on these doors. They look impressive, with some sort of sound\draft proofing membrane in them also. I like that idea, it looks like the really seal off the room when closed, so it will be close to having the sound proof of when you had no opening and a full wall. Is that your experience?

I hand not intended spending this amount, but now I am wondering. They look like a good investment.

One other question, maybe you can help me with. Whilst my wall is 4m, I only have 3.4m to play with, as the kitchen counter takes up 0.6m.
The site says I need a 1.8m opening, this will leave me with 0.8m either side.
Guessing the 3 doors are less than 0.6m wide, so this should mean I'll have enough room to pin them against the wall when open?

Call me Al

Yes there is a certain amount of very good soundproofing. We have a tv in both areas and at normal volume you can't hear one set from the other. Maybe not quite as good as the solid block wall we had in that space but definitely better than any other bifold doors I've seen in situ. The membrane/lip around the doors really restricts drafts too.

Overall we are very happy, and we were taking a chance and relying on the advice of one trustworthy person who had seen these doors. They look very sleek and stylish if I do say so myself. :-) Maybe if you're unsure of the price use the design as a template for what you do choose.

metricspaces

Well, the reason I say I'm unsure on the price is I hadn't really thought about it or reviewed what is out there in the market.

My only reference was B&Q , coming in at 78 sterling for one side, so 156 sterling altogether http://www.diy.com/departments/4-panel-2-lite-primed-woodgrain-effect-glazed-internal-bi-fold-door-h1950mm-w674mm/175305_BQ.prd

There's another thread on here about those doors from B&Q and they do not sound great.

There's quite a jump from 156 to 1000. I just wonder do I need to go that far, and if there is something in between that will suit my needs - which are folding doors with glass. I'm not too pushed on whether they are oak etc.

The INSPIRE range are not Oak, only Oak veneer. I will be painting white, as all the rest of my doors are white. So really paying for Oak veneer is a bit of a waste I'm thinking? But I've no idea! Any thoughts?

metricspaces

I had no idea what architrave was, just Googled. So it doesn't come with a door frame?

Any idea how much a door frame would cost me - the site says it's American Oak. If I just went for a veneer, not solid. Would it be that costly?

Call me Al

Thoughts? What is waste to one person may be value for another. So asking me if its a waste is pointless as I've already said that to us it wasn't. This specific finish and look was necessary for our downstairs rooms and so was important to us.

We struggled to find anything, let alone anything we liked, other than these.

Have you physically seen the B&Q doors? What did you think? Are you getting what you are paying for? Are they a waste of money? Maybe you could get doors made to your spec?

ThisRegard

I only bumped a similar thread in the Interior Design forum. Looking for the exact same thing myself, but would also need to have it installed. Plenty of places seem to do the external ones, not so for the interior ones.

Call me Al

These vufold doors comes with their frames. It is shown in the brochure.
But if you don't have perfect plasterwork around the frame then the architrave goes over that edge where the door frame meets the plaster.
We have found that pricing for all other doors we have bought is done separately: door, frame, architrave, lock, handle.
So you think the headline grabbing price of the door is maybe €120 but then you need to add in all these extra bits to get the final price of the door once fully fitted in your wall.

mcneil

How can they be heat and noise proof if one chooses the no bottom track system. Sure draught's and noise can come through bottom of the door.

B&q have good reviews on them doors OP

ThisRegard

Did you guys have just an empty space and then build the architrave around the door, or did you already have some sort of architrave that you adjusted to fit the door?

mcneil

Would be expensive getting delivered from uk

ThisRegard

It's an issue to find similar in Ireland though.

Call me Al

ThisRegard wrote: »

Did you guys have just an empty space and then build the architrave around the door, or did you already have some sort of architrave that you adjusted to fit the door?

We bought pre finished timber and built an architrave for around the door if that is your question.

metricspaces

Call me Al wrote: »

Thoughts? What is waste to one person may be value for another. So asking me if its a waste is pointless as I've already said that to us it wasn't. This specific finish and look was necessary for our downstairs rooms and so was important to us.

We struggled to find anything, let alone anything we liked, other than these.

Have you physically seen the B&Q doors? What did you think? Are you getting what you are paying for? Are they a waste of money? Maybe you could get doors made to your spec?

No. I've not seen the B&Q doors in person. Just on the website. But it's quite obvious Vufold doors are far superior.

I wasn't suggesting the Vufolds were a waste of money. It's just I don't know enough about doors to determine what I should be spending. So I've no idea if the Vufolds are giving me more than I need.

I just know I would like folding doors with glass, and that they should look reasonably nice. I'm finding it hard to find many such doors when I Google. So it's hard to get a view on what's out there when I've only two doors so far as a reference.

From any references I see about Vufolds people seem very happy with them and seem to view them as compatively priced/value for money. They look very nice, solid, well made...so I'm now tempted.

On delivery. You could just use Parcel Motel to get them delivered, as Vufold provide free delivery in UK. Alternatively just get from an Irish supplier if the price is comparable?

metricspaces

Call me Al wrote: »

We bought pre finished timber and built an architrave for around the door if that is your question.

I'm getting a builder to knock through the wall from my living room into my kitchen. Assuming he finishes it off nicely, am I correct in thinking that I do not need an architrave?

Call me Al

mcneil wrote: »

How can they be heat and noise proof if one chooses the no bottom track system. Sure draught's and noise can come through bottom of the door.

B&q have good reviews on them doors OP

Is this a question? For me?
All I can discuss is our experience and we find them noise and draft proof. Now I might have a different opinion if all windows were open and it was howling a gale outside or there was a full-on party going on. But there isn't. There is no obvious visible gap at the bottom of the door. Maybe that is down to the carpenter who fitted them, maybe it's design, or perhaps a bit of both.

mcneil

metricspaces wrote: »

No. I've not seen the B&Q doors in person. Just on the website. But it's quite obvious Vufold doors are far superior.

I wasn't suggesting the Vufolds were a waste of money. It's just I don't know enough about doors to determine what I should be spending. So I've no idea if the Vufolds are giving me more than I need.

I just know I would like folding doors with glass, and that they should look reasonably nice. I'm finding it hard to find many such doors when I Google. So it's hard to get a view on what's out there when I've only two doors so far as a reference.

From any references I see about Vufolds people seem very happy with them and seem to view them as compatively priced/value for money. They look very nice, solid, well made...so I'm now tempted.

On delivery. You could just use Parcel Motel to get them delivered, as Vufold provide free delivery in UK. Alternatively just get from an Irish supplier if the price is comparable?

No one stocks vufold doors in Ireland! And parcel motel won't being a 3m length of track. Only doors

Call me Al

metricspaces wrote: »

I'm getting a builder to knock through the wall from my living room into my kitchen. Assuming he finishes it off nicely, am I correct in thinking that I do not need an architrave?

It's as much about your plasterer as your builder. It all depends on how happy you are with the job they do. There may also be expansion and contraction if the wood which may leave a gap.
I suppose it's always something you can retrofit at a later stage if you're not happy.

metricspaces

mcneil wrote: »

No one stocks vufold doors in Ireland! And parcel motel won't being a 3m length of track. Only doors

Heiton Buckley supply. They appear to be in Ireland?

Where does 3m come from? I was looking at their 1.8m door.

mcneil

metricspaces wrote: »

Heiton Buckley supply. They appear to be in Ireland?

Where does 3m come from? I was looking at their 1.8m door.

Sorry, I was thinking maybe the longer doors.

Are you sure heiton&buckly store them.

metricspaces

One of the early posts in the thread mentioned Heiton Buckley supply.

Call me Al

metricspaces wrote: »

One of the early posts in the thread mentioned Heiton Buckley supply.

Yes they supplied for us. But I don't think they hold any in stock. The branch we went through didn't hold any.
Have you tried any of the other "doors and floors" type shops?

mcneil

Call me Al wrote: »

Yes they supplied for us. But I don't think they hold any in stock. The branch we went through didn't hold any.
Have you tried any of the other "doors and floors" type shops?

How much extra would one expect to pay jere if the vufold door is 1049£ in UK.

metricspaces

mcneil wrote: »

How much extra would one expect to pay jere if the vufold door is 1049£ in UK.

It's Ireland. Celtic tiger has risen back from the dead. So I'd expect to be ripped off and pay an extremely inflated price

Of course it's entirely reasonable we pay such inflated prices as Ireland is such a small market compared to UK. Also there's the transportation costs you know.

mcneil

metricspaces wrote: »

It's Ireland. Celtic tiger has risen back from the dead. So I'd expect to be ripped off and pay an extremely inflated price

Probably 3k here. Might be interested in buying them if cheaper

metricspaces

mcneil wrote: »

Probably 3k here. Might be interested in buying them if cheaper

Let us know what price you get. Will be interesting to see.