If you are considering a folding door as part of your home improvement or renovation, there are two main types of opening configurations. The main design is a set of folding hinged doors and the newer alternative is the sliding pivot door system. The two styles look similar when fully open or closed, but there are significant differences.

Choosing the correct configuration depends on the layout of the house and the natural paths of the occupants.

Many people may now be familiar with double pleats as they have become increasingly popular since the turn of the century. The frames are typically made of wood, plastic, or metal (or a combination) and each of the panels is hinged in a way that allows them to fold, in a zig-zag fashion, like an accordion or concertina, while opening across the length of top and bottom rail. guides to reveal a wide travel space.

Likewise, the sliding pivot system is fully retractable to open up ample passage space.

Sliding and revolving doors were introduced in the UK five years ago as a means of reducing the width of door frames; If the frames weren’t needed to accommodate hinges for folding, they could be thinner. Aluminum door frames are less noticeable in cool gray tones and measure less than 20cm (much less than an inch) on each side of the double-glazed panels.

More recently, folding patio door lock and hinge systems have been better designed to fit contemporary lifestyles and are also manufactured with ultra-thin side door frames.

Although it is difficult to visually differentiate them from a set of folds, sliding and pivoting (or sliding and revolving) doors are very different in the way they open. The panels are not hinged to each other, so each one slides and pivots to open individually.

How bi-folding doors work

A simple three-door system will have a front door that opens pivotally, like most normal doors in a typical home. It can be positioned to the left or right of the door set and will fold into the adjacent (middle) door.

If more clearance is required, the door assembly moves away from the space that was created by opening the original pivot door, folding at the hinges, to rest on the side farthest from the opening.

How Sliding Pivot Doors Work

With a similar three-door system, the main door (left-most or right-most of the set) will swing open away from the other two doors. The adjacent (middle) door will slide into the space left by the original opening door and then open to stack next to and parallel to the front door that was first opened. Now there is a wider space, a double width door space, allowing additional access.

If necessary, the process can be repeated with the end panel of the door, to maximize the clearance space of a three door wide installation.

A four-door slide and pivot system works identically to the three-door system, but the zigzag opening combination of bi-fold doors provides other opening options. For example, there may be a set of two plus two center-opening doors, similar to folding French doors.

An informed decision

Making the right configuration decision that suits the family’s lifestyle is essential and a good door company will have experienced sales staff to help you make the right choice.

Good quality doors are manufactured to specific measurements to ensure an exact fit. Careful and correct installation by experienced installers will result in a door that opens and closes properly and effortlessly. A well-adjusted door system will also improve energy efficiency in the home.