Bifold, Sliding or French Doors: Which Suits Your Home?

Opening up the back of your home to the garden is one of the most rewarding changes you can make. Bifold, sliding and French doors all bring in more light and make the step outside feel easy. Each one works in its own way, and the right choice comes down to the size of the opening, the way you use the room and the style of your home.

We have made and fitted patio doors across Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds for 36 years. This guide explains how each style works, so you can picture which one suits you.

Bifold Doors

Bifold doors are made of panels that fold and stack neatly to one or both sides. Fully open, they clear almost the entire width of the opening, so the room and the patio become one space on a warm day. Nothing else opens up the back of a house so completely.

Our aluminium bifold doors have narrow profiles and slim sightlines. Aluminium is strong, so slim frames can hold wide panes of glass. The number of panels and the way they fold are designed around your opening, and a traffic door lets you step in and out without folding the whole set. You can choose one colour inside and another outside, to suit your kitchen and the outside of your home.

What to Consider

When bifolds are closed, you see a vertical frame between each panel, so the view has more lines through it than a sliding door. When they are open, the panels stack to the side, so plan a little space on the patio or inside the room for the stack. Bifolds can open outwards or inwards, and outward opening keeps the floor space inside clear.

Bifolds suit wide openings, kitchen extensions, garden rooms and homes where you entertain and want the biggest possible opening in summer.

Four panel white aluminium bifold doors opening onto a garden patio

Sliding Patio Doors

Sliding doors glide along a track, so they need no space to swing open. Furniture can sit close to the glass, which makes them a practical choice for kitchens, dining rooms and busy family spaces.

With fewer frames and larger panes of glass, sliding doors give you a wide, clear view of the garden all year round. On the days the doors stay closed, which in a British winter is most of them, you still have a big, uninterrupted picture of the garden. They are a lovely option where the view matters as much as the opening.

What to Consider

A sliding door opens part of the width, since one panel slides behind another. A two-panel door opens about half the width, and three or four panels can open more. If the full open feel matters most to you, bifolds open wider. If a clear view through big panes matters most, sliding doors give you more glass and fewer frames.

We offer sliding doors in both uPVC and aluminium. Aluminium allows the slimmest frames and the largest panes, and uPVC gives excellent value with warm, low-maintenance frames. Take a look at our sliding doors to see the styles and finishes available.

Large sliding patio doors seen from inside with a wide garden view

French Doors

French doors are a pair of hinged doors that open outwards. They bring a classic, balanced look that sits beautifully in traditional and period homes, and they work well in smaller openings where bifolds or sliders would feel too large.

One door opens for everyday use, and the second opens when you want the full width, for moving furniture or letting the summer air flood in. With both doors open, the opening feels generous and the room connects easily with the patio.

French Doors With Side Panels

Where the opening is wider than a pair of French doors, glazed side panels can be added on one or both sides. This gives you the classic French door look with more glass, more light and a wider view, and it can be a cost-effective way to fill a medium-sized opening.

Our uPVC French doors are made in our own factory in Stratford-upon-Avon, which gives us full control over quality and finish. They can be matched to your windows in colour and style, so the back of the house looks consistent and considered.

White uPVC French doors opening onto a garden

How the Costs Compare

Cost is an important part of the decision, and the three styles sit at different points. French doors are usually the most affordable, because they have fewer moving parts and simpler hardware. Sliding doors usually sit in the middle, with the cost rising as the panes get larger. Bifold doors usually cost the most for the same opening, because they have more panels, more hinges and precise running gear that lets the whole set fold smoothly.

What Affects the Price

The size of the opening is the biggest factor, since wider and taller doors need more glass and stronger frames. The material matters too, with uPVC usually costing less than aluminium. The number of panels, the glass specification, the colour, dual-colour finishes, the threshold and the door furniture all play a part.

Building work can also affect the total. If the opening needs widening, a new lintel, making good to the brickwork, plastering and work to the floor levels may be needed. Replacing like for like in an existing opening keeps the work simpler.

Value Over Time

Good doors repay the investment every day, with a warmer room, easier access to the garden and a home that feels more open. They also add appeal when you come to sell. We give you a clear, fixed quotation after measuring up, and we offer 0% finance options so you can choose the doors you really want. Find out more about our finance options.

Cream aluminium bifold doors across the back of a brick house

Matching the Door to Your Opening

The width of the opening is often the deciding factor. Wide openings suit bifolds or large sliding doors, which make the most of the space. Medium openings work well with either, or with French doors and side panels, depending on whether you value the fully open feel, the larger panes of glass or the classic look. Narrower openings are the natural home for French doors.

How You Use the Room

Think about how you use the room through the year. Bifolds come into their own on warm days when the doors are fully open. Sliding doors give you the clearest view on the days they stay closed. French doors offer a little of both in a compact space.

Furniture placement matters too. Sliding doors let you put a sofa or dining table right up to the glass. Bifolds need space for the stack, and French doors need room to swing open onto the patio.

Which Way Your Garden Faces

A south or west-facing room catches the afternoon sun, so solar control glass can help keep the room comfortable. A north-facing room benefits from as much glass as possible, which favours sliding doors with their large panes. During a free home visit we measure up, look at your room and garden, and talk through the options with you, so the choice feels straightforward.

Dark grey double glazed bifold doors on a brick extension

uPVC or Aluminium

uPVC is warm, low maintenance and great value, and it suits a wide range of homes. Aluminium is strong and slim, which allows larger panes of glass and narrower frames, and it gives a crisp, contemporary finish. Our aluminium doors are PAS 24:2016 approved for security and fully compliant with the latest Document L of the Building Regulations for thermal performance.

Colour makes a big difference to how the doors look. Popular choices include White, Jet Black, Anthracite Grey and Anthracite on White, and aluminium is available in any RAL colour to match your home exactly.

Low Thresholds, Guarantees and Peace of Mind

Low thresholds are available on our doors, giving a smooth step between the room and the patio. This suits families with young children, anyone using a wheelchair or pushchair, and homes where you want the inside and outside to flow together.

Every set of patio doors we install is fitted by our own team and backed by an insurance-backed 10-year guarantee. Replacement doors are a controlled fitting under the Building Regulations, and as a Certass registered installer we take care of the paperwork for you.

Patio doors seen from inside, opening onto a sunny garden

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the cheapest: bifold, sliding or French doors?

French doors are usually the most affordable, sliding doors usually sit in the middle, and bifolds usually cost the most for the same opening. Size, material and glass all affect the final price.

Do I need planning permission for new patio doors?

Replacing existing doors like for like usually needs no planning permission. A new or wider opening, a listed building or a home in a conservation area may need consent, and we are happy to advise.

Can I replace French doors with bifold doors?

Yes, in the back wall of your house. Homeowners often do this to open up more of the room. Depending on the width you would like, the opening may need widening with a new lintel, and we look at this with you during your home visit.

Which style suits a smaller room?

Sliding doors and French doors both suit smaller rooms. Sliding doors need no swing space, and French doors fit neatly into narrower openings.

Do bifold doors open inwards or outwards?

They can do either. Outward opening is the most popular, because it keeps the floor space inside clear.

Will new patio doors add value to my home?

Well-chosen doors make a home brighter, warmer and more appealing, and buyers notice a strong connection with the garden. They are an investment you enjoy every day.