Video Demos of SunSeeker Doors

SunSeeker Doors are based on the slide and pivot system - like bi folding doors without hinges or their wider, hinge-bearing frames. Our most popular doors are UltraSlim and we also manufacture frameless glass doors. All our doors slide and turn until fully retractable, neatly stacked to the side to provide the widest access space available.

As indiviual doors, they may be left spaced across the opening at intervals. Cills may be virtually flush with the floor. SunSeeker Doors are designed and built in England. All doors are made to measure within 4-6 weeks of order.

Glass and Aluminium are our preferred materials. Our door frames are made from thermally broken aluminium with British Standard Kite-marked double glazed units. Aluminium is strong yet lightweight, ideal for our products.

Below is an animated product demonstation video which can also be found on our website. Our double glazed doors can be ordered with encapsulated slatted blinds - being inside the sealed glass unit, they will never require dusting! Glass may be tinted and the Aluminium frames can be coated in any RAL colour, from black through to white, silver or gold appearance, red, blue, green, purple, brown, dark grey, light grey, cream, etc.

For further information and a quotation for your bespoke system, visit our website, sunseekerdoors.co.uk.

Slide-Pivot Doors:





Video animation by The BPc, Herts.

Originally written 30/10/2018
Updated 14/05/2019

Most Popular Frame Colour Now Supplied As Standard

Since SunSeeker Doors launched UltraSlim and SuperSlim bi folding door systems with frame widths of less than 2cm, the most popular frame colour to be specified by clients - by a huge margin - is Anthracite Grey.

Reacting to demand, we have instated Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016) as the Standard colour on all SunSeeker Doors' frames at no extra charge.

Other popular colours are various tones of grey - Slate grey, Graphite grey, Stone grey, "Silver" - plus black or white.

We can supply your frames in any of around 200 RAL colours; we are sometimes asked for less usual colours and have supplied frames in dark blue, moss green, sepia and "gold". Here is a link to more information about our aluminium door frame colour options.

Colours are powder-coated onto the aluminium frames and require virtually no maintenance, usually an occasional wipe with a damp cloth. In our many years of business, we have never known powder-coated aluminium colours to fade, discolour or easily chip.

Stonger and more appealing that upvc, aluminium door frames are very popular with home owners and commercial property owners. Visit our website and view some of our slimline, superslim and ultraslim patio door installations!

SuperSlim Bi Folding Doors: Frame Colours and Glass options

A quick guide to choosing bi folding doors for your home.

As you may know, SunSeeker Doors is the only British manufacturer of bi folding patio doors with super-slimline side frames on the folding-sliding doors. Due to our uniquely designed innovative hinge and locking systems, we are able to produce doors with a frame-width of under 2cm (less than 1") compared with most other systems, which start in excess of 6cm (2.5" upwards).

Two frames together have a sightline of around 4cm. What frame colour would look best in your sightline? The most popular colour is a traditional white, easy to match with existing frames, painted, powder-coated or pvc. There are a number of other neutral tones that have become increasingly popular in recent times. These are: slate grey, graphite grey, anthracite grey, black, silver and cream. Sepia and some shades of greens and blues have also been specified from our full range of around 200 industry standard RAL colours. You can read more about the colour options and link through to the RAL chart from the aluminium frame colours page of the website.

The double-glazing between the frames is generally supplied as K-glass™ British Kite-marked and adhering to the required CE standard. However, for an additional cost, there are options of: laminated, Argon-filled, antisun, tinted, obscured, leaded-light and Georgian bar. We also offer integral horizontal blinds, the most popular being narrow slatted Venetian style in neutral colours, managed by a magnetised pull-rope. The technology has been tried and tested for almost ten years, is reliable and has the added advantage of no dusting or cleaning - ever!

So... before place your order, submit an obligation-free comparative patio door quotation request.

Choosing Between Aluminium UltraSlim or SuperSlim Bi Folding Doors

Aluminium Frames - Features & Benefits

SunSeeker Doors has long heralded Slimline Bi Folding Doors based upon the strength of the aluminium door frames. When compared with plastic or timber frames, aluminium frames retain their strength and durability even though they are considerably slimmer, both in profile and sightline.

Other benefits of aluminium frames include the finish. Powder-coating the frames in any of 200-ish colours offers a wider choice over alternative materials. The coating is extremely resiliant and, unless abused, will never require maintenance. No painting, ever. Just an occasional wipe with a damp cloth if, for example, muddy paws or handprints are in evidence.

Aluminium has come a long way in the decades since Crittal window frames were installed! Window and door frames have been developed to comply to EU and British standard thermal ratings. Thermally-broken aluminium frames mean that heat and cold cannot easily pass through from inside to outside or vice versa.

Retractable Doors - Features and Benefits

SunSeeker Doors manufactures a range of retractable patio doors. These are doors that fully open up for maximum walk-through width. The most popular style of retractable door that is widely available is the bi folding door. Bi-folds are also known as concertina, accordian, zig-zag or sliding-folding doors.

SunSeeker Slimline Bifolds have been installed throughout England for a number of years. Made to measure, often within 2-4 weeks, they are often specified by architects whose clients have provided good feedback. Subject to the support above the bi folding doors installation, retractable doors can be used for widths of up to 7metres. They are easy to slide open and closed in seconds. 

With the doors closed, there is a feeling of spaciousness and an abundance of natural light through the expanse of glass. With the doors fully open, the home and garden are seemless living areas.

The newer style of retractable glass door looks similar to bi folding but each door is independent as there are no hinges joining them together. These are slide and turn or slide-pivot doors and the double-glazed versions are fairly unique to SunSeeker Doors. At the time of publication, no other manufacturer is believed to have aluminium-frame slide-pivot retractable doors.

As with Bi folding doors, slide-pivot doors have a standard master door that will pivot open normally. Unlike bifolds, the other doors will slide along the guides towards the open door and each can also pivot open, as many as required.

SunSeeker Doors' slide-pivot systems include Frameless Glass Doors (single glazed doors are not for use as patio doors but ideal retractable room dividers) and UltraSlim, with a 0.19cm side frame per door.

New Super Slimline Bi Folding Doors

The newly launched SuperSlim bi folding door also has a 0.19cm side frame. SunSeeker has invested more than a year of research into developing new locking and hinge systems to reduce the frame width associated with standard bi folding door frames. No other manufacturer is currently able to offer a similar bi fold with only 0.38cm sightline between two closed doors.

Why Choose SunSeeker Slimline Doors for your Property?

There is a wide choice of retractable patio doors with kite-marked double glazing that adhere to EC and British Standards. Some, including SunSeeker Doors, are manufactured in the UK and installed by the company's own team. Once you narrow down the available options of aluminium frames, possibly glass options and integral blinds, there are still a few companies in the mix.

If you want to maximise the glass area by selecting retractable doors with the slimmest sightlines, you need to choose between UltraSlim and SuperSlim.

Which Slimline Doors are Best for You - UltraSlim or SuperSlim?

UltraSlim's individual doors may not be your favourite choice if you have six or more doors to open and close. Other than that, the main decider is where you want the main door to open and which side you want the doors to stack.

The difference is illustrated in the image below:

These are 3-door systems with the main door on the left as you face the doors from inside the room. With bi folding doors, you them slide all doors from the left to stack on the right. With individual slide-pivot doors, each door slides towards the left for turning and stacking on the left.

Although, another nice touch with slide and turn doors is that you can open the first door and slide the next door across to keep a single width central opening or slide both doors to the left, without turning them, to have the walk-through space on the right.

Visit SunSeekerDoors.co.uk for a video demonstration of the versatility of UltraSlim slide-pivot doors.

Don't Dismiss Bi Folding / Patio Doors for Your Period Home

Some people might dismiss the practical benefits of aluminium bi folding patio doors because they feel that the modern styling is not in keeping with existing windows and doors to their home. Instead, they feel that traditional French Doors with timber frames might provide the only answer. Sometimes, there are other alternatives...

The Versatility of Aluminium Frames

Aluminium frames are available in a number of colours and finishes therefore if you need to replace 50s crittal windows or blend in with pvc frames, there is a solution. If your white-washed cottage has black painted window frames (or other colours) then black powder-coated frames may be the ideal choice - with the added benefit that, unlike painting timber frames, the aluminium will require only an occasional wipe with a damp cloth to keep it looking good.

Glass Options for Bi Folding / Patio Doors

The double-glazing in bi folding patio doors can have diamond-shaped leaded-light panes to blend with windows in an old picturesque cottage, square leaded glass for a Georgian house or bars for an Art Deco style home.

If the period of your home happens to be more contemporary, glass options include tinted and obscured glass; frames can be green, blue, copper, graphite or virtually any colour - there is a choice of almost 200 RAL colours available.

Bi Folding Doors or Ultra Slim?

Depending on the property and the lifestyle of its owners, there is another alternative: UltraSlim frame patio door. The same glass options are available, including integral slatted blinds, and the 19mm side frames facilitate a wider viewing area through the glass.

More information about bi folding doors, UltraSlim and frameless glass doors can be found on the SunSeeker Doors website.

Fabulous views enhanced by our UltraSlim Doors

We were delighted to install a range of our UltraSlim sliding retractable doors and fixed panels at such a stunning location. The project included doors on an out-building as well as the impressive stone, timber and glass extension.

Across the end wall of the extension, a set of six fully retractable, slide-and-turn patio doors was installed, plus fixed glazed panels between timber uprights in the side walls, from the SunSeeker UltraSlim doors range. The double glazing is set in slim side frames, available in almost 200 colours. Each of the UltraSlim doors can slide along the guide rails and pivot in or outwards to suit, for maximum access between indoors and outside.

Photographs of this and other UltraSlim door installations are also shown on our website, where you will also find a video demonstation of slide-and-turn doors and details of all SunSeeker Doors.

Aluminium Bi Fold Doors: Competitive Pricing

We are genuinely delighted to announce that 2013 was OUR THIRD SUCCESSIVE RECORD YEAR at SunSeeker Doors. We have installed more Slimline bi folding doors and UltraSlim patio doors than ever before.

UltraSlim is a different kind of door. It is a set of sliding patio doors that pivot and stack to the side of the opening, enabling maximum access through when fully open - like bi folds but without the hinges. The advantage of UltraSlim is the slimmer side frames for fewer interruptions across your viewing expanse.

Our Slimline bi folds prices have remained competitive despite a rise in the cost of metal, as we negotiated our pricing well in advance. This has been a considerable factor in managing our costs and maintaining our prices during 2012/2013. We are pleased to announce that this will continue for most of this year, too.

At SunSeekerDoors, we use innovative technology to design our own doors and manufacture them here in Britain. We use our own installation teams to ensure that each customer has the same standard of expertise, rather than risk your project and our reputation with unknown contractors. We only sell direct to our clients - you won't find SunSeeker Doors in dealers' showrooms. This means that we don't have to inflate our prices to pay the middle-man. A win-win situation for ourselves and our customers.

What are you waiting for? Visit our website and submit a quote request for Slimline bifolds and UltraSlim retractable sliding doors, then decide which one is best for your home.

Our Made-in-England SunSeeker Doors range

We have been making and supply bi-folding doors since 2003. We are proud of our innovative door products, all of which are fully retractable. We developed them ourselves, manufacture them at our workshop off the M1 motorway and have our own team of fast and efficient trained installers who fit the doors, keeping a tidy site.

The doors (unless frame-less) have powder-coated aluminium frames which we also do in-house. All double-glazed units are kite-marked (EU & British standard) and single glazed Frameless Glass Doors are thick, toughened glass.

There is more information on our website:

• Slimline Bi Folding Doors
• UltraSlim patio doors
• Frameless double-glazed doors
• Frameless glass room dividers

Here is a slideshow of a small selection of installations at customer sites:

Unusual Bifolding Doors & Windows Installation in Hertfordshire

Barn doors on an outbuilding in the Hertfordshire countryside reveal a surprise when opened ... bifolding doors and windows from Luton-based manufacturer/installer, SunSeeker Doors.

Made to order to fit your exact requirements, our bi-folding doors have sturdy aluminum frames, BSI Kite-marked double glazing and a ten-year track record.

Slimline Bifolding doors and our UltraSlim slide-and-turn patio doors are both fully retractable. Their aluminium frames are available in a range of colours.

For interiors, we manufacture a frameless tempered glass door.

Visit our website for full information of available door styles from an established UK door company.

Video: easy to use bi folding doors. See it. Believe it.

There is a good reason that bi folding doors have become popular. Compared with French doors, they offer a more panoramic view and when compared with sliding doors, they offer greater access. You could say that they combined the best of both yet it has taken around ten years for bi folding doors to 'take off'.

This is largely due to the cost and timing of any home improvement project but also partly down to the less pioneering home-owner who wants to ensure that bi folding door systems actually work properly and will last a good number of years. The video is taken at a customer's home and shows a set of SunSeeker bi folding doors that were installed in 2007.

Mindful of the longevity issue, SunSeeker Doors developed the sliding-folding doors system using good quality aluminium frames and have been installing their concertina-style doors since 2003. British innovation and quality is slightly more expensive than cheap imported copies (but not in the long run). SunSeeker bi-folds are manufactured at their Bedfordshire site and installed by their own experienced teams.

Sturdier than pvc and with far lower maintenance that timber, aluminium frames are 'thermally broken' so that extreme temperatures from outside are not transferred inside the home.

Notes. A strong magnet keeps the main door from swinging in the wind when open. The integral blinds controller can be removable or fixed; it works with magnets inside the glazing cavity to open/close the slats and to raise/lower the blinds.

Please visit www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk for a free quotation for your bi folding doors or to see our range of retractable patio doors, room dividers and enclosures.

We offer more than DIY BiFolds

If price is the only issue - rather than quality, reliability, longevity, ease of use, low maintenance and installation time - then choosing DIY bi folding doors might not be the worse decision you'll ever make!

DIY bifolds are usually made from pvc or wood, SunSeeker bi folding doors have sturdy, slimline aluminium frames, available in over 100 colours. Cheap bifolds are usually available in a limited number of sizes so that the size and shape of the space it is destined to fill may have to be altered whereas the price of SunSeeker Doors, purchased direct from the manufacturer, includes a measuring service, bi folding doors made to measure and an installation service. Delivery and installation can be two weeks from order (for standard white frames) and most installations are completed in half a day with very little disturbance or redecoration.

Here are just some of the benefits of investing in good quality British made bi folding doors:

• Aluminium frames are virtually maintenance free - wipe occasionally with a damp cloth - and offer the slimmest sight-lines and profiles
• SunSeeker doors have K-Glass BSI kite-marked double glazing as standard, there is also a range of glass options (tinted, anti-sun, argon-filled, etc.)
• As an optional extra, slatted Venetian blinds can be incorporated into the double glazing cavity.

During the recent heat-wave, one of our clients remarked that the integral blinds option was invaluable for keeping one room reasonably cool and compared it with another room that has similar, separate blinds at the windows. To keep cool, the blind was down to fend off the sun rays and the window was open to encourage the breeze. When the breeze became a little gusty, the slatted blind was in danger of getting mangled so had to be raised. We were subsequently asked if we can install bi-folding windows with integral blinds. (Yes, we can.)

Choose your Bi Folding Glass Doors by recommendation

If you have landed on this article during your research, you may already have considered that aluminium framed or frameless glass doors are suited to your property; aluminium frames complement any white, coloured or metal framed existing windows and frameless can be used with any other style, modern or traditional, whether mullioned, leaded-light or stained glass.

Aluminium Bi Folding Doors.

At SunSeeker Doors, we fully believe that aluminium is the best material for bi folding door frames. PVC isn't strong enough unless reinforced (usually with aluminium) especially where hinges are set - and even then, the frame width is significantly more than aluminium. Timber frames look good but at an equivalent price to aluminium, the quality will not be the highest; prone to weather-related swelling and shrinkage, the wood will need to be treated and protected every year.

The raw aluminium has a powder-coated finish, offering a plethora of colours. The aluminium frames are thermally broken, meaning that the temperature affecting the exposed external aluminium is insulated from the frame on the inside of the property. SunSeeker Doors use a good quality aluminium; beware of cheap imported bifolds which may not be fit for purpose. Buying from a British manufacturer will avoid any shipping delays and help boost the economy!

Frameless Glass Doors.

With no hinges to dictate the strength required for side frames, Frameless Glass Doors provides a more versatile option for some home owners. An innovative new concept of a fully retractable door set, the glass doors are not joined together but each door operates separately, moving independently with a slide and pivot action.

To our knowledge, SunSeeker Doors is the only British manufacturer currently offering a kite-marked double glazed fully retractable frameless glass door system. 

SunSeeker Doors UltraSlim(tm).

Sitting between our Slimline aluminium framed bifolds and Frameless Glass Doors, SunSeeker Doors UltraSlim is a slide and pivot door-set with 19mm aluminium side frames. To help you decide between bi folding doors, UltaSlim or frameless slide and pivot doors, we are happy to provide you with a no-obligation comparative quotation which includes a measuring service and full installation by our own team of experienced fitters.

Finally, choose your bi folding doors by recommendation ...

SunSeeker Bi folding Doors are also available to Trade customers

Architects and Builders - sourcing reasonably priced, quality aluminium-framed bifolding patio doors for self-installation is now easy. SunSeeker Doors' fully retractable sliding-folding bifolds with kite-marked double glazing and thermally-broken aluminium frames are made to your exact specifications in our Luton, Bedfordshire premises, just off the M1 motorway.

SunSeeker Bi folding Doors for Trade customers.

Of course, if you would prefer us to install the doors for you, that's OK too - compare our range of bifolds and retractable frameless glass doors on our innovative glazed doors website.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot? Throw Open Those Bifolds!

The long awaited warm weather has finally arrived and those of us lucky enough to already have bi folding doors installed took about 9* seconds to push them wide open. Bliss!

Well, 9 seconds for a standard set of 3 doors; more doors might go over 10 seconds. In fact, other makes of doors could take longer to open but SunSeeker bi folding doors are definitely of the easy glide variety, as long as the floor guide is kept free of grit and debris.

SunSeeker bi folding doors have aluminium frames, thermally broken for good insulation and powder coated to look great in whatever RAL colour you choose. SunSeeker bifolding doors are well balanced so that opening and closing requires minimal strength and no unnecessary force is placed on the hinges. Our installation teams are experienced in measuring and installing our bifolds therefore they will fit perfectly and operate smoothly from day one.

Manufactured by us, in England, to fit your exact requirements. Our prices are competitive and our quality is excellent. Why go for cheaper and why pay more? Submit your no-obligation quotation request today - your doors could be installed before mid-summer!

*accurately timed prior to writing the blog

Frameless vs Frameless Double Glazed Conservatory Doors

Conservatories and extensions are subject to different planning regulations. Although they may look almost identical, an extension will need to conform to domestic dwelling insulation standards whereas a conservatory is considered to be an attached 'outbuilding' and should not form part of the living accommodation.

Doors between the original house and its extension are internal doors and our tempered glass frameless slide and pivot retractable doors are the perfect room divider for this situation.

Doors to a conservatory must comply with building regulations for patio doors and in this case, you would need to select double glazed retractable slide and pivot doors, as illustrated in the photograph.

Double glazing has better insulation and noise reduction qualities than single glazed partition doors. Of course, if you want to install double glazed doors in preference to tempered glass doors between rooms, there are no laws against it! In fact, you have the choice of double-glazed Frameless doors or UltraSlim aluminium frame slide and pivot doors. You can find details and request a comparable quotation from www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk

Most Popular Frame Colours for Slimline Bi Folding Doors and UltraSlim Patio Doors

Advantages of patio doors with aluminium frames rather than pvc or wooden are:

• aluminium frames can be ultra-slim, therefore less obtrusive for viewing through closed doors 
• aluminium frames have narrower profiles for wider access space when doors are open 
• the UltraSlim patio door frames are not heavy, so it's easy to manouevre retractable doors 
• aluminium frames are available in a vast range of low maintenance colour finishes 

White is the most popular colour as it matches existing pvc windows, therefore we base our quotes using RAL 9010 "Pure White" although the frames are available in almost 200 bespoke 'RAL' colours for an additional payment. The most popular of these other colours for frames are:  cream, silver, various shades of greys and black:

RAL colours: slate grey, graphite grey, silver, cream, anthracite grey & black

So, unless you are opting for our Frameless Glass Doors, take a look at the choice of frame colours we offer. Our UltraSlim patio doors gallery shows installations with grey frames and one with green frames.  Our bi folding door installations, although mostly white, show some installations with grey and black frames.

Why not compare the cost of retractable glass doors from SunSeeker Doors? It's fast - and totally free.

Guide to Patio Door Types - part 2: Frames

from  ezine articles / Bee Primrose

Traditional or modern? Classic or contemporary? We continue the article describing types of patio doors, to provide an informative guide.

part 2: Frame Styles - timber, metal, pvc, composite, frameless, profiles and sight lines. 

Patio doors comprise an outer frame plus individual door frames. These can be made from wood (soft- and/or hard-wood), metal or alloys (usually aluminium), pvc (polyvinyl chloride, a thermo-plastic polymer - the 'u' stands for unplasticised) or a composite material, which may comprise any of the foregoing materials plus grp (glass reinforced polymer). There is also a style known as frameless, where the vertical sides of each door have no frames.

Generally, timber frames are considered more traditional and can look beautiful! Hard wood such as oak is, as the name suggests, far more hard-wearing than a soft wood such as pine. Weather, especially strong sun, can take its toll on timber frames which could need to be varnished or painted annually. Wooden frames can swell and shrink with humidity, therefore opening and closing doors can require force and gaps can allow draughts in colder temperatures.

Metal frames, usually aluminium, provide strength in compact form. As notoriously good conductors (which is a bad attribute for insulation), frames made from aluminium are thermally-broken, which is a good attribute. It means that the metals on the inside and outside of the door frames are not joined, preventing the temperatures from being transferred between them. A bare metal frame would look completely unattractive so it is powder-coated in a choice of over 100 standard colours, including a white that resembles pvc.

As with timber, the quality of pvc frames available can vary - and generally, you get what you pay for. The better ones will usually be reinforced with metal, internally, for greater strength but the cheaper options can be a nightmare to live with - sticking, twisting, splitting, discolouring, warping - often within a very short time. Most usually supplied as white, some manufacturers offer limited colour options or wood effect finishes.

Generally stronger than pvc, composite patio door frames vary with each manufacturer, offering a variety of finishes.

Whilst frameless doors have no side frames, the top and bottom of each door requires a mechanism, typically presented in aluminium, to allow it to slide within the top and bottom guides. Frameless glass doors have the best sight lines.

Sight lines is the term used to describe the interruptions in the view through the doors; in other words, the width of the vertical opaque areas between the glass when the doors are closed. On hinged doors, such as French doors and bi folding doors, timber and pvc frames generally have broad sight lines because, unlike aluminium, narrower frames would not be strong enough to be fit for purpose. As a guide to the width of two frames together, cheaper pvc door frames can exceed 200mm, aluminium frames are typically between 135mm and 160mm and frameless patio doors sight lines are under 40mm. Depending on the width of each door and number of doors to be installed, the difference in glass to frame ratio could be significant.

Door profiles - the width of the visible door edges when open - may be a consideration. Additionally, some door profiles are ugly, showing mullions or working parts that would be better hidden from view.

SunSeeker Doors is the only UK company to manufacture and install a choice of slide and pivot doors (including frameless glass doors), bi folding doors and French doors.

Article Source: Guide to Patio Door Types