Patio Door Buying Guide: Which Patio Door Is Best?

External Bifold Doors or Sliding Doors

If you want a door that will flood your home with natural light and give open views out across your garden then bi-fold and sliding doors are great options. These modern glazed doors have few restrictions on size and can be used to replace an entire wall if you want to really open up your home. Of course, they both have their own benefits that make them better suited to different homes, so read on to see how these external doors compare and help you decide which door is best for you.

What Is the Difference Between a Patio Door and a Sliding Glass Door?

The main difference between bifold patio doors and sliding doors is the way they open. Sliding doors consist of two or three large glass panels, each of which moves in a straight line along a fixed plane. These doors slide open with the moving door panel sliding behind the static one. Bifold doors are a type of folding door. They open by folding back on each other in a concertina fashion. This leaves almost the entire opening of the doorway free, and can be used to make an opening that is the length of a whole wall. Bifolding doors are able to collapse into a much smaller horizontal space than sliding doors. So it is possible to open up a set of folding doors much further than you could a set of sliding ones. With that said, sliding doors don't expand outwards as they open. This means you don't need to clear any space on either side of the door to use them. They are a fantastic space-saving option when it comes to keeping both your home and your garden clear of obstructions.

Find out more about bifold doors in our detailed guide. 

Where Can You Use Bi-fold and Sliding Doors?

As they both offer wide views, bi-fold and sliding doors are a great choice for homes with particularly beautiful gardens. If you want to completely remove the barrier between your home and garden though, a bifold door is definitely the best option. The static panel for sliding doors will leave a permanent block between your home and garden, even when the door is open. Bifold doors are also a better option for bigger doors in terms of cost and strength. Extremely large panes of glass can be difficult and expensive to manufacture, making these an expensive choice. However, a five-metre-wide folding door can be built from six or seven slimline panels that are smaller, stronger and thus cheaper. If you've got a big space to fill, bifold doors beat sliding ones.

Are Sliding Doors More Secure Than Bifold Doors?

When it comes to patio doors, security has to be a major concern. As long as you get a high-quality set, bi-folds and sliding doors should both offer a sufficient level of security to keep your home safe. Just make sure the doors you buy come with insurance-backed locks with a five-lever cylinder as standard. The cylinder of the lock is often the most vulnerable point of the door; it should be sturdy and resistant to attack from a chisel, hammer or power drill. A secondary security concern should be the dressing around your sliding or bifold doors. The large glass panels that are typical of patio doors will put your home on display and can make it more inviting for intruders. This can be avoided by using window coverings that can be shut when you leave your home. That said, the way both doors open make them a poor match for curtains. Invest in high-quality blinds and ensure that would-be intruders can't see into your property at night-time.

Do Sliding Doors or Bifold Doors Offer Better Thermal Efficiency?

When it comes to patio doors, the most important factor in their energy efficiency is the materials they are made of. It is important to make sure their glass panels feature either double or triple glazing and low e coating to make sure they are as energy efficient as possible. The make-up of the frames also matters. Aluminium conducts heat much easier than double glazing, so it is vital that patio doors with an aluminium frame have a thermal break. When they do, they are incredible insulators and thoroughly thermally efficient. When it comes to specific door types, it is worth remembering that folding doors require marginally chunkier frames than sliding ones, so you can expect them to offer slightly superior thermal efficiency. It's therefore worth looking into the precise U-values of each door you're considering before making a final decision. Sliding doors, by definition, must be able to slide back and forth. This prevents the weather-stripping from being squeezed against the door. Moreover, as the door is moved backwards and forwards over the years, the weatherstripping will wear down, allowing cold air to get in. To ensure the thermal efficiency of a sliding door in the long term, you'll need to replace the stripping periodically.

Which Is Better, Sliding Doors or Bifolds?

If you're looking to completely remove the barrier between your home and garden, bifold doors are a much better option than sliding ones. Bi-fold doors can be made much larger than sliding ones and when they're opened they take up much less space. Sliding doors will always have a static panel in the way, creating an unavoidable break between your indoor and outdoor space. Bifold doors have other benefits too. They tend to be more resistant to drafts as their weatherstripping creates a tight seal when the doors are closed. Bifold doors also look fantastic and are guaranteed to bring the wow factor to your home. The one area where sliding doors outdo bi-folds is cost. You can expect to pay a little bit more for bi-folds than you might sliding doors, and you can expect a similar life span from both types.

External Bifold Doors or French Doors

If your patio needs something simple, affordable and classic, then a set of French doors is certain to appeal. This historic style has been popular for centuries, and it's easy to see how it has lasted so long as the patio door of choice for many. Compared to French doors, bi-fold doors are a new innovation, although one that has proved every bit as popular as older styles. But how do the two styles match up?

What Is the Difference Between French Doors and Bifold Doors?

Much like sliding doors and folding doors, the main difference between bifold doors and French doors is the way they open. French doors are mounted on hinges and swing open, while bifold doors are mounted on a track and fold open. There are other fundamental differences between these two types of external doors too. Size being one of the main ones. French doors only ever come in pairs, which limits their size. While you can add sidelights to your French doors to create a bigger opening, these are static. They don't open. In comparison, bifold door size is more about how many panels you would like - they can be made big enough to replace an entire wall if you choose. The configuration options for a French door are also more limited than bifold doors. French doors can open inwards or open outwards but these doors will always meet in the middle. Bifold doors are made up of 3 or more large panels that can meet in the middle but also on either side - a 4-panel bifold door can be installed to open in a 4, 1+3, 2+2 or 3+1 configuration, depending on what works best for your space. Another difference is the look. French doors are an older design, dating back to 17th Century France, so they have a much more classic look than most bifold doors. Bifold doors are more modern, making them a great choice for contemporary style homes.

Are French Doors or Bifold Doors More Secure?

Bifold and French doors are pretty similar in terms of security. Both door types are secured to a surrounding frame, and the joins between the panels are the most vulnerable to attack. Both door types will benefit from a three-point locking mechanism and screws that are at least 3 inches to anchor them. Both French doors and bifold doors will also benefit from toughened or laminated glass, and dressings that can obscure the view into your home as with sliding doors.

Are Bi-fold or French Doors More Energy Efficient?

Being smaller, French doors will allow less heat to escape than larger folding ones. They also tend to come with less glass, which can often mean less heat escaping – glass is not as good at insulating as wooden or thermally broken aluminium even when it’s triple glazed. This does mean that your choice of material will tend to make a bigger difference to the door's heat-retaining abilities than the style of door itself though.

Which Is Best, Bifold or French Doors?

French doors are simpler in construction than bifold ones and are ideal for smaller rooms where a large bifold might be overwhelming. Moreover, French doors are unlikely to ever go out of style; they've been consistently popular for several centuries and show no sign of running out of steam! With that said, bifold doors make a better match for larger wall-spaces, and they're better at opening up your home onto your patio. What's more, they form a point of visual interest though the same can be said for French doors too.

Sliding Doors or French Doors

What Are Safer French Doors or Sliding Doors?

In general, the construction of French doors makes them more secure than sliding doors - as long as they are fitted with secure locks and heavyweight hinges. Pick an internally beaded French door set for maximum security though. Traditionally, sliding doors were thought of as less secure, as it was possible to lever them up and out of their track (unlike French doors that are tightly screwed to their hinges on the inside). However, modern sliding doors have been updated to stop this from happening. They are always a secure choice, but the construction of French doors does give them an edge.

Which Is Better: French or Sliding Doors?

If you're struggling with space, then sliding doors are always a better patio door option. They won't stick out, get in the way or cause an obstruction in either your indoor or outdoor space. However, if you want a more traditional look for your home, French doors are often the best choice. This is a style steeped in history, helping them fit in with more rustic or period homes. French doors were first introduced onto the balconies of French aristocrats, who wanted a means of looking out onto their gardens during winter. They're able to inject just the same sense of grandeur into a British patio, too