Bi-fold door panel options and configurations

To make sure that you offer the best bi-fold doors for your customers, it’s important to understand the panel options and configurations available. This may vary depending on the manufacturer you choose, so being informed of the products you’re specifying will mean you can inform your customers of the choices available to them.

Many homeowners are looking to open up their home and provide a greater connection with their patio or garden, so the number of panels and the configuration they choose will be an important factor.

Being able to advise your customers on their options will help to improve customer satisfaction and make sure that the completed project fits in with their needs.

Click the links below to jump to the relevant section

• What to consider when configuring a bi-fold door

Find out more about the factors that should be considered when choosing the number of panels and configuration for a bi-fold door.

• Bi-fold door panel options

Learn more about the most common bi-fold door panel options available.

• Why become an Origin Trade Partner?

Find out more about the benefits of becoming an Origin Trade Partner.

What to consider when configuring a bi-fold door

When configuring a bi-fold door, it’s important to know and understand how it will be configured and how it will meet customer’s needs.

Number of door panels

One of the most important aspects of any bi-fold door is the number of panels that it has. Your customers are likely to know the rough size of their desired door opening before they enquire about bi-fold doors, so knowing how many panels can fit into an opening size will help you to advise them properly.

Panel configurations range from two panels through to ten doors and above, depending on the size of the opening.

The direction the doors open

Another important consideration for any customer interested in purchasing a bi-folding door is the direction in which they open. Some customers may have a particular direction in mind and other may require guidance on making the best choice for their home. Bi-fold doors that open inwards will require more space inside the home, whilst bi-fold doors that open outwards will take up more space in the garden or patio area.

It's also important to consider whether all the doors will open from left to right. For example, in a five-door configuration, 3 doors could fold away to the left and 2 to the right or they could all fold away in one direction together. This will depend on the space available for the project and whether a traffic or lead door is included.

Traffic door option

A traffic door or lead door is a door that can operate independently of the rest of the bi-fold door system. The purpose of a traffic door is to allow access in and out of the folding doors without having to open the entire set. Many customers may be unaware that traffic doors are available, so outlining all the information will allow them to choose the best bi-fold door configuration for their needs.

The lead door will open first and contains the multi-point locking system to allow customers to access their garden without folding all the doors back. It is important to note that some configurations cannot be fitted with a lead door.

Bi-fold door panel options

Bi-fold doors are available in a range of panel options and, Origin Bi-fold Doors can be ordered to meet specific needs for individual projects, but details of some of the most popular panel options are below.

Two-panel bi-fold doors

For customers with a smaller space to fill or who are looking to replace existing patio doors such as a French door, two panel bi-fold doors can be the perfect option. They can be configured so that all the doors open to the left or right or inwards or outwards.

Whilst sliding doors can also be used for smaller spaces, many homeowners prefer to use bi-fold doors in order to open up the entire space and maximise the opening. On the other hand, sliding doors must have a static panel in place so cannot be opened all the way.

Three-panel bi-fold doors

Three panel bi-fold doors offer a little more in terms of flexibility, offering three opening options:

• All door panels slide to the left
• All door panels slide to the right
• Two panels slide in one direction and one door is hinged as a traffic or lead door and opens in the other direction

The final option provides similar functionality to a traditional patio door with easier access to the outside.

Four-panel bi-fold doors

Four panel bi-fold doors are the perfect option for wider openings and offers four different opening options:

• All door panels slide to the left
• All door panels slide to the right
• Three doors fold back in one direction and one panel acts as a traffic door and opens to the other side
• Two doors open in the middle in the same way as French doors and there are panels on either side of this that are fixed

Five-panel bi-fold doors

Five panel bi-fold doors create a feature for the project you’re specifying and can be configured in a number of different ways to suit the space they’re being installed into.

• All panels slide in one direction, either to the left or the right
• A 4+1 configuration, whereby 4 doors will go in one direction and one door on the opposite side acts as a traffic door
• The panels can be separated into a 3+2 design, so that three panels fold in one direction and two in the other

A split arrangement is usually preferred in many homes because it avoids having all five door panels stacked inside or outside your customer’s home.

Six-panel bi-fold doors

Six panel bi-fold doors offer the same configuration options as four panel bi-fold doors but with an additional panel at each end. It could therefore be a 6+0 where all doors go in one direction, a 5+1 with the 1 being the traffic door, or a 3+3, whereby the two doors open in the middle in a similar fashion to a French door. From there, either side of the 3 could open as 1 door set.

Seven+ panel bi-fold doors

Bi-fold doors with seven panels offer a huge glass feature for a project and offer flexibility in the way in which they are configured.

At Origin, our Bi-fold Doors are completely bespoke which means they can be configured in a number of ways to suit individual needs. Configurations include 3+4, 7+0, 6+1 or a 5+2.

With Origin, you specify the amount of doors you want in a set aperture size. So, for example, your customer may want lots of narrow doors in order to achieve a certain configuration, or they may wider less individual doors but wider to maximise their view.

Below is an idea of the most common panel options customers opt for and the opening size required, but this is not an exhaustive list. Details can be discussed with the team at Origin when you’re providing customer quotes. Alternatively, our online quoting and ordering system will walk you through what’s available with any aperture size that you put on.

Corner bi-fold doors

For larger projects or for where conventional straight bi-fold doors just won’t do, Origin Corner Bi-fold Doors are available in a range of configurations ranging from two to over ten door sets. When purchasing corner bi-fold doors, customers can choose from a range of configurations to suit the needs of the room. Origin can make corner bi-fold doors to suit internal corners or external corners.

Why become an Origin Trade Partner?

At Origin, our Bi-fold Doors can be completely tailored to meet your customer’s personal needs with various colours, sizes and opening options available for the doors in our range.

We have two types of bi-fold doors available:

• OB-49
• OB-72

Both doors have a range of options to choose from and both offer a modern take on traditional bi-folding door systems by providing a stunning blend of functionality and aesthetics.

The key difference between the two types of door is the sightlines that each offer. The OB-72 provides a wider sightline of 154mm, whilst the OB-49 sits at 110mm.

Each and every one of our bi-fold doors goes through rigorous testing before leaving our factory to ensure that they are of the highest quality. Origin Bi-fold Doors are made with the highest quality aluminium which means we can offer an industry-leading guarantee of up to 20-years.

Please download our Bi-fold Door specification guides for more information or contact us today to become an Origin Trade Partner.