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.

Comparing Different Styles of Glazed Patio Doors

French Doors vs in-Line Sliding vs Bi Folding vs Slide-And-Turn Patio Doors

With the introduction of Slide and Turn Patio Doors in 2010, there are now four basic options to choose from when upgrading your home

French Doors.
For centuries, French Doors were the default wider access doors for access to private gardens, accommodating openings from approximately four feet to six feet wide. Originally constructed from wood with glass panes, they consist of a pair of hinged panels that meet in the centre of the opening. Now also available in a choice of pvc, aluminium or composite frames, French doors are still popular today, particularly for smaller new-build homes.

Sliding Doors.
In-line sliding doors became popular about fifty years ago. The main advantage was the additional width of the glass panels for viewing out and for allowing natural sunlight in. There is generally no additional access benefit as one panel slides behind the other on a two-door system; three glass panes on three tracks would afford greater access. Occasionally, sliding glass would be installed as 'pocket doors' that could slide inside the cavity walls. Over the decades, there have been numerous improvements, from single to double glazing and to the quality of the sliding track gear. It is now possible to install sliding doors with glazed panels of up to six metre widths.

Bi Folding Doors.
Around the turn of the century, home-owners became interested in bi folding doors, also known as sliding-folding, concertina or accordion doors, to describe the zig-zag folds. Primarily, patio bi folds comprise a set of double-glazed doors with timber, metal, plastic or composite frames onto which hinges are mounted to facilitate a folding action as the panels slide along the top and bottom guide rails. Bi folding doors have grown in popularity during the past ten years as more people have replaced old sliding patio doors or built new extensions with almost full walls of glass, as six or seven metres of bi folds can easily be incorporated.

Almost the whole width of the installed door-set can provide walk-through access as the bi folds are fully retractable. Panoramic views are better with slimmer aluminium frames than with clumsy-looking pvc as there is more glass and less frame. Aluminium frames are also available in more colours as they can be powder-coated in white, grey, black, silver, blue, green, sepia or over a hundred other options.

Slide-and-Turn Doors.
Most recently, a newer innovation in retractable doors was launched. At the time of writing, only two or three British companies manufacture and install slide-and-turn or slide-and-pivot doors, as others are still in development. Slide-and-Turn doors are a hybrid of sliding, pivot and bi folding doors.

All the doors in the set are able to pivot and will also slide along top and floor guides; like bi folds, they are fully retractable for maximum width access. One of the features of the slide-and-turn system is that there are no hinges necessary for folding the doors which means that the width and strength required of the side frames can be minimised. The benefits of less frame and more glass are: increased natural light and wider views between the slim frames.

Slide-and-turn doors do not necessarily need frames; there are frameless versions available but double glazed units have a thermal seal around the cavity, which can look 'ugly' and the frames will cover it. This style of door is installed with at least one conventional pivot door that may be opened inwards or outwards by ninety degrees (at right-angles to the closed position), leaving a space into which the adjacent door can slide so that the opening is further along the track. Alternatively, the second door can then be opened alongside the first door, leaving a two-door gap, and so on, until all the doors have been opened or spaced as required.

British door manufacturer, SunSeeker Doors, were one of the first companies to develop the double-glazed slide-and-turn door. In the four years since its launch, annual sales of UltraSlim patio doors have overtaken annual sales of their standard bi folding door, introduced over ten years ago. Product details and image galleries on www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bee_Primrose
http://EzineArticles.com/?French-Doors-Vs-in-Line-Sliding-Vs-Bi-Folding-Vs-Slide-And-Turn-Patio-Doors&id=8542829

Clear Glass Divider Doors for Offices

Retain a spacious, open-plan feel to contemporary office space by using Frameless Glass Door partitions to separate the conference room, visitor's lounge or kitchen area. SunSeeker Doors installed retractable clear glass room dividers, comprising two sets of 10mm single glazed door systems in South East London, as can be seen in these images.

SunSeeker Doors specialises in designing and manufacturing retractable glazed door systems in the UK. Slimline aluminium bi folding doors and UltraSlim retractable patio doors are also available.

Visit www.sunseekerdoors.co.uk for further information.

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.

SunSeeker UltraSlim Doors at Caffè Nero

2014, Lymington: the popular Caffè Nero had one drawback - customers always clamoured for seats by the large front windows because it was rather dark and gloomy near the back. No longer!

The rear of Caffè Nero in Lymington's High Street now has an expanse of fully openable patio doors with ultraslim frames, installed by SunSeeker Doors.



The doors are fully retractable for walking outside to the terrace or one door can be used normally if it's too cold to leave them all open all of the time.

There are other options, too. Any number of the doors may be opened and stacked at the side; any remaining doors can slide along the guides to be positioned wherever is most convenient.

There are more images of the Caffè Nero installation in our UltraSlim Doors gallery plus illustrations of the doors positioned along the opening, including a video demonstration of slide and turn 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:

Frameless Glass Room Divider Doors Installation

How the room looked prior to the installation of SunSeeker Frameless Glass Room Divider Doors:








Advantages of installing Frameless Glass Doors include:

• wider access between areas 
• removal of dark elements allows more natural light flow 
• rooms may be divided for separate heating or to enable separate conversations

---

The new room divider doors are of tempered "unbreakable" glass and do not have side frames, therefore affording a virtually uninterruptable view through them. The floor guide is recessed so that access is almost seemless between rooms.

Each of the doors is a standard pivot opening door which stacks to the side of the opening, taking up very little space. Open as many as required, as shown in these images:

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.

Slimline & UltraSlim Doors Sales and Installations

Owners of SunSeeker Bi Folding Doors benefit from our 10 years of development which has been carried through to our newer, innovative, retractable sliding doors products, UltraSlim and Frameless Glass Doors.

Despite the recession, our dedicated, hard-working team and many of our satisfied customers have helped to spread the word about our good quality, value-for-investment doors. Business has been steadily rising year-on-year and, so far, 2013 is no exception.

Thank you to everyone who is helping to make this possible.

A family run business based in Bedfordshire near the M1, SunSeeker Doors is a British manufacturer of aluminium framed bifolds and slide-pivot retractable doors.

UltraSlim Doors for 10% more than Bi Folds

Our Slimline Bi Folding Door frames, at around 71mm (2¾") and with narrow profiles, has always been a market leader of contemporary doors but UltraSlim Door frames are 19mm (about ¾") at each side of each double glazed door, available in over 100 colour choices: white, black, silver, green, blue, sepia, grey and more.


Shown here is an 8-door UltraSlim Doors installation in a new extension, which has a viewing width in excess of 6.2m (approx 20ft) of glass interrupted by less than 27cm (under 11") of vertical frame. When all the doors are opened, there will be in excess of 6m of continuous access space between the house and patio, just like bifolds.

Unlike Bi Folding doors, UltraSlim door frames do not have hinges fitted, enabling us to reduce the frame width. The door on the right of the image will open just like a regular pivot door. Other doors are then able to slide along the guides to be positioned as required. To open more than one door, slide the nearest door towards the first (open) door and it will then pivot open in the same way. Repeat for as many doors as you require to open. You can have a pivot door at each end, if preferred.

Launched a couple of years ago, UltraSlim has rapidly become our best selling door and now we are able to offer this innovative product, made to measure and fully installed, for only 10% more than the price of our bifolds (compare door prices here).

Extending the Use of your Swimming Pool

Choosing an open air pool in your garden over an indoor pool may have been through budget, planning permission, a preference for fresh air and sunshine - or maybe it was already installed when you moved into the property.

If you have an open air pool in your garden, there is often a limited number of weeks that it gets used, due to the British climate. SunSeeker Doors can offer an attractive, contemporary solution to extending the usability of your pool - an enclosure of retractable frameless glass doors.

With the doors fully open, you still have every benefit of an outdoor pool. With the doors closed, you have the benefits of an open air pool but without cold winds blowing across. The heat from the pool water is retained close to the pool and swimming - or just messing about and having fun - can begin in spring and last until well into October.

Link: Frameless Glass Enclosure quotation.
Alternatively, please call SunSeeker Doors on 01582 492730

Contemporary Chic UltraSlim Doors Now More Affordable

Following a successful year with installations of our innovative SunSeeker UltraSlim patio doors system, we are delighted to announce that our prices have been reduced in line with our costs. This means that you don't have to settle for our traditional bi fold doors for your ultra chic home because the latest innovation in patio door styling is now only 10% more than our Slimline bi folding doors.

What sets UltraSlim apart from the rest?

They combine the best of folding and sliding patio doors:

• The UltraSlim side frames are less than 2cm wide (bi folds are typically 4 or more times wider to allow for the fitted hinges that enable the folding action) which means that there is more glass to let in light and views
• Like bi folds but unlike traditional sliding patio doors, the master door is a standard pivot door opening that can be used to enter and exit
• However, once the main door is open, the adjacent door can slide into its place along the opening, creating the enter/exit opening further along the 'glass wall'
• If you require a wider opening, similar to that of French doors, the door that you have just moved into the vacated space can also be opened as a pivot door; this can be repeated for as many doors as you have so that the whole of the opening can be used, just like bi folding doors.

We call this system retractable sliding doors or slide and pivot doors. The system is made to measure and therefore is easily adaptable to windows too. And, you can choose integral blinds that look great and never ever need dusting!

A British innovation designed, manufactured and installed exclusively by SunSeeker Doors.

Visit our website now and request a quotation.

UltraSlim retractable patio doors.

Sliding Folding Doors - Uppingham

"Good Morning, You have previously supplied us personally with some doors which we were extremely pleased with, we are main contractors on the above job and have recommended your company to our client..."

Many Thanks
Kevin Bray
Custom Joinery Services
Tel - 01780 482050

Our thanks to this customer for the photograph as well as the testimonial and recommendation.

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.

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.

Extending your Living area with Glass Doors

The great British weather! It's rained for such a long time now that it's hard to remember a day when you'd want to install bi folding doors to "bring the outdoors indoors". There have been few occasions during April and May (so far) that doors to the garden or terrace have been opened for a short venture outside - we're guessing that anyone with folding-sliding doors hasn't fully retracted them lately!

But the optimists are looking forward to the summer - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Wimbledon, the Olympics and much more. If it turns out to be a brilliantly warm summer, you need to make the best of it. Install bi folding or slide-and-pivot retractable doors so that your indoor-outdoor activities are seamless.

Quotes available now for SunSeeker retractable doors.

New Image for Frameless Double Glazed Doors

This bright and spacious room has garden views to three sides through glass panels. Nothing new there ... except that all the glass panels are doors that can be fully opened to create a covered terrace.

Not only this but these are the latest, innovative, double glazed doors with thermal insulation values in excess of the standard required to comply with British building regulations.

Unlike bifolding doors, each frameless glass door can be moved individually by sliding along guides and remaining wherever you leave them; once at the end of the guides, each door will pivot to provide maximum access through the opening.

The icing on the cake is that these frameless glass doors have been developed in the UK and are manufactured in England to your specific size and glazing requirements. They are not 'cheap' but they are modestly priced to be affordable to many householders. A quotation is free and, unlike some other companies, SunSeeker Doors will not keep sending emails or pressure you with 'phone calls.

Elegant and slim, there is really no comparison with pvc-framed bifolds. Frameless is the future.