Bi Folding doors... [Archive]

BigCal

13th February 2008, 11:47 AM

I fear i may be about to ask a stupid question...

Has anyone made their own bi folding doors?
I was just looking around the net getting an indication of pricing etc, they are bloody expensive even for aluminium ones - I have a wall with a large window and a door in it which I would love to combine into 1 opening and put bi folding doors into it, the width of the area would be about 4.5 meters wide... Its about 5k to do 4 meters...

Couldn't one buy the necesary number of doors and link them together with appropriate joinery, build a top and bottom track and put the runners in the top and bottom of the doors... I know that sounds extremely simplistic and that it would take some effort and fiddling to get it right, but am I missing something that makes it nigh on impossible?

I would like wooden ones with the bottom section being wood, top section glass inside the wood frame...

as i said it might be incredibly stupid question... so go easy...

BigCal

13th February 2008, 11:54 AM

Forgot to add, im talking external doors, not internal...

pharmaboy2

13th February 2008, 12:55 PM

there was a thread on this a couple of weeks ago, the tracks and hardware are very expensive - made by centor - looking at well over a 1k just for that, then timber, then glass - has to be safety etc, and you suddenly figure out why they are so dear.

depending on your house, maybe consider 3 track sliders, about half the price and they have the advantage that you can use fly screens with them and you get a 66% opening - they are also more weatherproof than the bi folds

BigCal

13th February 2008, 01:09 PM

3 track sliders might be an option, i would really like to open it right up as much as possible tho...

Any chance you remember the title of the previous thread or anything, i've tried finding it but no luck so far... bi fold doesn't do to well in the search results... was it in this particular sub forum?

Buggermedumplings

13th February 2008, 01:13 PM

We considered bifolds but went with a 6 panel stacking door for our house, 6900w x 2700h in aluminium. It's basicly a commercial door, cost $5k. In bifolds, would be $12k plus and although It would have given us a bigger opening, the stacking doors are a little cleaner look-wise as there's less material in each panel. I can post pic's if you like.

BigCal

13th February 2008, 01:24 PM

Yes please "Buggermedumplings" a pic would be great...

Found the other thread btw, searched for centor and that got it for me... readin it now...

BigCal

13th February 2008, 03:53 PM

If an external door with glass in it is being sold at bunnies for example then the glass must be safety glass? is that correct?

Buggermedumplings

13th February 2008, 04:16 PM

Stacking door closed and open.

BigCal

13th February 2008, 04:18 PM

Ok, im thinking out loude now... time for some other options...

On the route of Stacking / Multi track sliding, my width is roughly 4500 wide so could I divide that by 4 to get 1125 wide per panel, and then build the 4th panel as a fake wall so the other 3 pannels could all slide away and be hidden? (that way i would get a 75% opening...) I'm guessing to get pannels made to 1125 would be expensive so it might be a DIY'er to even make the panels? i was thinking with bi folds i could get away with standard door widths...

BigCal

13th February 2008, 04:30 PM

Cheers buggermedumplings, looks good... <SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_682350", true); </SCRIPT>

JDarvall

13th February 2008, 05:25 PM

I make them at work.

The quality ones we get have pretty elaborate looking tracks at the sills. For houses in Byron. Aluminium set into timber (kwila). The design is complicated for external bi-folds because the tracks gather water. So, this design has feed holes all throughout the alluminium mold parts, to direct it out the front of the sill, but with non of it trapping in the timber.

So, you probably have to give that some thought if your going to do it yourself.

BigCal

13th February 2008, 05:37 PM

I make them at work.

How many boxes of beer does it take for a few to be lost out the back door?... only kiddin of course...

If I go down the path of making them myself I will have to take everything into consideration, this will def be a 2009 project thats why im starting my research now, i like to feel knowledgeable before starting something... then i usually find once i start im not half as knowledgeable as i had hoped... :U

flynnsart

13th February 2008, 07:42 PM

Another supplier of tracks etc is http://www.cowdroy.com.au/ Bunnings and some mitre 10s stock some of their products and usually have their advertising material, so would more than likely order them for you. Make sure you get the ones for external doors though, I accidentally bought the internal ones for my windows. (needless to say i havent replaced them, as bunnings are quite some way from us)

Donna

Donna

Buggermedumplings

13th February 2008, 08:33 PM

Outbackrr

14th February 2008, 08:29 AM

Cal, we had a similar window/door situation to yours. After a couple of quotes for bi-folds for $6K to $7K, decided on another approach.

Doors from Bunnings, $900. Kwila frame by local joinery, $800. So with hardware, etc. it came out under $2K. Granted they're not bi-folds but the effect is similar, and we've got $4K + to put to other projects.

pawnhead

14th February 2008, 01:50 PM

I made my own bifolds. Six leaves with a total opening of 4.6 metres wide X 2.5 metres high plus two windows. I designed the track system myself as well, using a pair of old carriages that I had, and a piece of appropriate sized channel from Lysaughts. The track itself cost about $50, and the whole lot, doors, frame, glazing, seals, furniture,(handles, locks etc.) plus two windows cost around $1500. I'm sure that if I didn't already have the carriages that I could have made them myself out of some plate metal and bearings for less than about $50. Of course there'd be a bit of work involved.
Unlike your normal bifolds that only open up to 90 degrees, mine fold right back (180 degrees) flat against the outside wall.

You can buy glazed leaves from doors plus pretty cheap if you don't want to make your own doors ( I wanted 2.5 high doors, so a standard height wasn't a good option for me), and a track from Centaur ( I was surprised at how much they cost) if you don't want to stuff around making your own.

There's a thread of mine on it here;
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=37498&highlight=bifold
and lots of pictures illustrating it in this post from the thread;
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showpost.php?p=435423&postcount=26
and this post;
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showpost.php?p=435424&postcount=27

And I gave some advice on the subject to someone here;
http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=43764

BigCal

14th February 2008, 02:28 PM

Cheers Pawnhead, I actually stumbled accross your threads yesterday in my searches had a quick read and book marked them for future reference... From the pics your posted it looks like you did an excellent job!!

Our bunnies at the moment has glazed leaves for $129 so thats pretty cheap, it'd just be a matter of getting the hardware and the know how after that... plenty of time to work that out tho...

JDarvall

14th February 2008, 06:20 PM

How many boxes of beer does it take for a few to be lost out the back door?... only kiddin of course...

If I go down the path of making them myself I will have to take everything into consideration, this will def be a 2009 project thats why im starting my research now, i like to feel knowledgeable before starting something... then i usually find once i start im not half as knowledgeable as i had hoped... :U

If your interested I suppose I can take a photo of an offcut from work, and post here, to see how that particular design comes together.