BLINDS For Bifold doors
How to choose the perfect blinds for bifold doors
When it comes to blinds for bifold doors, what are the options and what do you need to think about to achieve the right result? This article will explore the different options and explain why there is one type of bi fold door blinds that really does tick all the boxes.
One of the main reasons why bifold doors have become so popular is because they allow you to maximise external views and daylight transmission. No longer the preserve of ‘Grand Designs’ style luxury homes, bifolds are now installed by owners and developers of many different types of property from small Victorian terraced houses to the largest of conservatories and exclusive detached homes.
Maybe you’ve got your bi-fold doors planned in your mind and your attention has now turned to shading and privacy. Or perhaps you already have bi-fold doors and are looking at finding a better way to keep your home private, secure and shaded. Whatever your situation, how do you find the right solution for your bi-folds?
Which type of blinds could you use, are curtains suitable, and whatever route you take would you want them to be manually operated or electric / motorised?
Innovation comes built-in
Uni-Blinds control system for blinds for bifold doors
Roller blinds
There are many reasons why roller blinds are so popular. They are low cost, easy to install and operate and are available in numerous different colours and patterns. But the bulkiness of the roller at the top of the window and its supporting brackets means this type of blind is not suitable for mounting onto a bifold door. You could attach to the wall above, but visually and practically a roller blind is never going to work well.
Wooden, faux-wood (PVC) and aluminium Venetian blinds
With a huge variety of standard sizes and made to measure Venetian blinds available, homeowners have an amazing range of options open to them for this type of blind. They are usually mounted within a window recess or above a window fixed into the wall, and there is no shortage of availability online as well as in many household and DIY stores.
Whist they have the benefit of being extremely cost-effective, as with roller blinds, their design does not lend itself to bi fold doors. Slats on Venetian blinds typically have a width of 16mm, 25mm, 35mm or 50mm so the headrail will need to project out from the window or door by more than that depth. Hence, they will always get in the way of the folding of a bi-fold door.
Vertical blinds
The obvious difference between vertical blinds and most other types of blinds is that they open and close from side to side rather than up and down. Available in a variety of materials, including pleated fabrics and real wood, vertical blinds are created by fastening each of the louvres or ‘vanes’ into a headrail. The vertical blind is then operated using a pulley system attached to a track – pulling the chain or cord will move the vertical blinds left or right.
For a bifold door, the vertical blinds would need to be mounted on the wall above or within the recess. This would impact on the visual appeal of the bifolds, adding clutter at the sides and above which would reduce the clear view. And from a practicality perspective, remember that vertical blinds will probably have to be drawn back fully in order to access the door – not the most convenient!
Roman blinds
Can you use roman blinds for bifold doors? Yes, you could, but it wouldn’t be without its compromises. The roman blind would again need to be mounted inside the reveal or on the wall above the door, so you will need to ask yourself if that is going to achieve the look you are seeking.
The very nature of a roman blind’s design means that the blind fabric will always need to gather when it is lifted into the open position. This can look bulky and detract from the overall appearance of the bi-fold doors. You will also need to raise the blind fully to access the doors.
Curtains
Whilst curtains can be a useful window dressing, they are not ideal for bifold doors either for similar reasons to roman blinds. They can look bulky and dominate the appearance of bifold doors when often the whole idea is to get clean, uncluttered sight lines.
The answer… is on the inside!
Integrated blinds represent by far the best option for blinds for bifold doors. Practically and aesthetically, these blinds that sit between the glass within a double glazed unit make perfect sense because they overcome the issues faced with all the alternative window and door shading methods.
In practical terms, integrated bi fold door blinds allow you to get the most out of your bifold doors. Consider the way that bifold doors are designed to fold and then stack neatly at one end of the opening. Any window blinds mounted on the face of the frame are simply unsuitable as they would prevent the doors from folding when opened which means the bi fold doors won’t be able to operate as they should.
With an integrated blind – or integral blind – the only thing you see on the face of the glass or frame is the device needed to operate the blind. With Uni-Blinds®, which are manufactured using the world’s leading integrated blinds systems ScreenLine®, there are five control systems available, all of which are so slim that they can be used on a bifold door without any problems.
From the manually operated corded blind and patented magnetic slider devices to solar powered and motorised electric blinds for bifold doors, the control system you choose will ultimately come down to personal taste and budget.
Why you should choose integral blinds for bifold doors
Find the perfect blinds for your bifold doors
Explore the Uni-Blinds range and see why integrated blinds are the all-round best shading and privacy solution for bifold doors. These are all made to order in the UK which means you can tailor the design, control system and colour exactly to your needs.
Add a splash of colour to your Uni-Blinds
Available in a wide range of colours, you will have no trouble finding a Uni-Blind® that fits your room style and décor.
FAQs
Blinds fitted into folding or bi-folding double glazed glass doors are known as bifold blinds. One can control the blinds manually or electronically.
The best blinds for bifold or folding doors are -
1. Integral Blinds
2. Roller Blinds
3. Venetian Blinds
4. Vertical Blinds
5. Pleated Blinds
Yes, you can have blinds with bifold doors called bi-fold blinds. Bifold doors have become very popular over the past few years, and more people are choosing blinds over curtains to cover their bi-fold doors.
Yes, blinds can be fitted into aluminium bifold doors providing there is a rubber seal between the double-glazed glass and the frame.
Yes, you can put curtains up with bifold doors, but only if there is a space at the top of the curtain pole or at the sides of the curtains to tie them. Furthermore, one can not use a regular curtain with bifold doors as they will spoil the look and can hinder the movement of the bifold doors. Therefore, for bifold doors, you will need custom-made curtains with sharp creases so you can fold them very efficiently.
No, bifold doors are not going out of style as they are easy to use, visually appealing and allow natural light and air to enter the room. Moreover, bifold doors are very aesthetically pleasing and low maintenance, and they are the best option in this modern time.
A few tips for measuring folding doors for bifold blinds are -
1. Check that the doors have at least 20mm or more space between the double-glazed glasses.
2. Check the space between two folding doors as it should be a minimum of 52mm between them for optimum use of blinds.
3. Measure the size of the door rubber seal of the double glazed glass panel from top to bottom and from left to right.
News & Blog
