Concertina doors, sliding doors or French doors – which is best for my home?

With summer on the way, most people start to think about spending more time outdoors enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. If you love to lounge in the back garden, you might be thinking about the best way to utilise the space and add value to your home. One of the most effective ways to connect your garden and your home is with bi-fold doors, sliding doors or French doors. But which one is most suited to your home and lifestyle? Find out below.

Concertina doors

Bi-folding doors feature multiple leaves which concertina back like a fan or a screen to fully open the aperture.

Pros

Concertina glass doors are best suited for homes where there is a decking or patio area at the same height as the floor in the home, as they sit flush to the ground and move out of the way once opened so that people can step in and out of the house with ease. When the concertina door is fully opened, the exterior of the house becomes an extension of the home – ideal for summer parties and barbeques! Bi-folding doors usually have one section which can be used as a regular door for easy access throughout the year too.

Cons

The modern aesthetic of concertina doors means that they won’t be suited to more traditional homes, and the large surface area of glass can result in the room being significantly colder in winter.

Sliding doors

Sliding doors are made up of two or more large panes of glass, one of which slides back behind the other to open.

Pros

Sliding doors are the best choice if you want to make the most of your view when the doors are closed. They provide a wider view than patio doors and the larger panes of glass have will not break up the view in the same ways as concertina doors.

Cons

These doors might not be ideal for families with small children, as they can be risky if little ones think they’re open and run into them.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there will be less of an open feel when the sliding door is in use, as only one panel can slide back, meaning they are slightly more restricted than concertina or French doors.

French Doors

These are the traditional patio doors which are usually made up of two doors with smaller panes of glass, both of which open outwards.

Pros

French doors are the best choice for traditional homes as the aesthetic will fit with the overall look of the house better than bi-fold or sliding doors. They also come in a wide range of styles, colours and designs to suit town houses, country cottages and rustic homes, and to reflect the style of Georgian, Edwardian or Victorian properties.

Cons

French doors tend not to sit flush to the ground, meaning that when they are opened there is usually a small step, which could present a tripping hazard and break up the feeling of bringing the outdoors in.