If you are lucky enough to have some beautiful patio doors at home that lead out onto the garden, you will surely enjoy throwing them open during the summer months. This connects the inside of your property with the outside, lets you enjoy tonnes of natural sunlight, and provides much needed ventilation. Patio doors seamlessly extend the living space available to a household when they need it the most.
However, many people do not realise that patio doors (even the bi-folding variety) can be dressed with interior shutters, allowing you to reap the many associated benefits. Bi-folding shutters are a great option if you want to cover a large opening, such as patio bi-folding doors.
Bi-fold shutter doors are part of a shutter system that hinges together multiple shutter panels so they can fold in a concertina-like manner. Here’s our explanation of how bi-fold shutter doors work:
- Hinged shutter panels: The bi-fold shutter system consists of individual shutter panels that are hinged together. Each panel typically consists of a frame and adjustable louvres or solid panels (or a mix of both). The number of panels used depends on the width of the opening and the desired configuration.
- Top track: In most cases, bi-fold shutter doors hang from aluminium tracks placed at the top of the door recess instead of being hinged on each side. This allows the shutters to remain carefully supported as well as letting them open correctly, smoothly, and with ease. The shutters are fitted with small wheels which run along the inside of the track to move from side to side. The shutters can be designed to fold to the left or right, or they can be split centrally for folding to each side.
- Folding motion: The shutter panels are designed to fold in a concertina-like manner. The panels are connected by hinges, allowing them to pivot and fold as they move along the top track. This folding motion enables the panels to stack neatly against each other when fully opened.
- Opening and closing: To open the bi-fold shutter doors, you can simply slide the first panel away from the stack, which triggers the subsequent panels to fold and follow. As you continue to slide, each panel folds in succession until the entire system is fully open. To close bi-folding shutters, you slide the panels back in the opposite direction, and they unfold and stack together.
- Control and adjustment: Bi-fold shutter doors typically have a handle that allows you to easily slide the panels along the track. Some doors may also have a locking mechanism to secure the panels when needed.
- Light and privacy control: Like other shutters, bi-fold shutters provide control over light and privacy. By adjusting the louvres or solid panels, you can regulate the amount of light entering the space and control the view from outside.
In short, bi-fold shutter doors offer a practical and space-efficient solution for large openings. They provide easy access to the outdoors, allow for flexible control of light and privacy, and can add a visually appealing element to the overall design of your space. So, what are you waiting for? Enquire with our friendly team today.
