Bi-Fold Doors 101

Let’s Begin…

Folding doors are everywhere, from London Buses to ancient Roman Bathhouses and yes, on showers. But is a bi-fold door the right choice for your shower? What is a bi-fold shower door anyway? How would you install one? We are going to answer all these questions and many more, so get comfy and read on!

What Is A Bi-Fold Door?

A folding door is a door that collapses into segmented panels. A Bi-Fold Door is specifically a folding door that makes use of two panels. These doors work because their panels are hinged and have the capability to slide, allowing them to fill a door way or shrink themselves into a compact space by folding inwards like a concertina. They are often used in shower enclosures as they save a lot of space by not needing to swing open or slide along a wall. This makes them ideal for the bathroom without much space or with the shower system built into an alcove. If you are looking for a stylish and space saving shower door, you can’t go wrong with a bi-fold door.

A Bi-Fold Shower Door For A Wet Room

So, they’re good for small showers, but what about big showers? What about wet rooms? Yes, you can use bi-fold doors as enclosure doors, interior doors, or exterior doors. You can even use a Bi-Fold Shower Door for wet rooms. They were extremely popular in Roman Empire as general use doors, as single panel doors weren’t favoured. However, make sure you buy the right bi-fold door for the right purpose. You wouldn’t want to use a shower enclosure door as you front door and vice versa, imagine if you misplaced the key to your shower!

Do I Need A Shower Door?

Surprisingly, you don’t always need a shower door. Just as we discussed adding a door to a wet room earlier, you can instead opt to have no door and instead have a walk in shower. This is ideal for the person looking for the most luxury or accessibility possible. However, you may prefer to have a door if you are looking for more privacy and to decrease your likelihood of getting a breeze.

As well as this, if you are to have a walk in shower, you will need a lot of space for the enclosure and tray, so think hard about whether you have enough space to sacrifice the door, drawing up a floor plan in this situation is always useful, and remember if you need to save space, a Bi-Fold Door is an excellent option.

Bi-Fold Shower Door With Frosted Glass

One of the benefits of a bi-fold door is the amount of light it allows into the space. However, if you are a more private person, you can get a bi-fold shower door with frosted glass. This allows you to stay obscured and hidden when you need it most. Because the bi-fold shower enclosure door is made of glass panels, by having the panels use frosted glass, you completely ensure privacy and security. In fact, due to the distinct panelled nature of the Bi-Fold Door, it is uniquely suited to having some glass clear and some glass frosted. This means you can bask in the light of clear glass or move behind obfuscating frosted glass at your leisure.

Is A Bi-Fold Door Safe?

Yes, Durovin’s Bi-Fold Shower Doors are safe. This is because they use Safety Glass that is much stronger and more durable than regular glass. The Safety Glass used has passed numerous tests, including a 1.04kg steel ball free fall impact test, a 50kg double tire impact test, a 15kg sandbag impact test and an 80kg dummy impact test. This means that if the worst were to happen and you were to slip and fall, Safety Glass is more likely to support you and not break, ensuring your safety. When looking at fixtures, always check what tests they have passed and their safety guarantees, as your safety is the most important thing.

Is a Bi-Fold Door Accessible?

Yes, the Bi-Fold Door is mostly accessible, however it cannot be considered the most accessible option. Because it collapses in on itself as it closes, instead of swinging outward it can be seen as more accessible than the average hinged door. However, a more accessible option would be the removal of the door entirely in the form of a walk-in shower, but this doesn’t suit everyone’s needs. If you are looking for an accessible option for your shower but don’t want to opt for a doorless approach, we do recommend either a Bi-Fold Door or it’s sister, the Sliding Door due to their lack of a need to open outwards.

What Aesthetic Does A Bi-Fold Door Fit?

Bi-Fold Shower Doors have been fashionable for quite some time now. They’re modern and classy, adding that element of glamour to your bathroom, due to their resemblance of fancy dressing room screens from times gone. They let in a lot of light and they fold up without taking up much space, they are fixtures that really help a space feel bigger. As well as this, by going frameless you can make one fit a minimalist aesthetic, as it takes up much less space than a regular door and is easy to use. Whatever your theming, you can make it work, however we especially recommend this fixture for those chasing a modern or coastal look, as the extra light and space really helps you elevate the space around you.

The History Of Bi-Fold Doors

The Bi-Fold Door’s first known use was in the Roman Empire. Romans did not like having just one door in a door way and often opted for double doors or folding doors. This history ties in with the Bi-Fold Doors lavish connotations, as it was literally invented to make doors feel fancier. Throughout history, the Bi-Fold Door has evolved and gone on to be used in many different contexts. For example, as the primary door for airplane hangars, albeit with the ability to collapse vertically rather than horizontally. There is a serious pedigree surrounding Bi-Fold Doors that can enrich any home.

Bi Fold Shower Door Sizes

Durovin Bathrooms offers a terrific variety of bi fold shower door sizes, from a bi fold shower door 1000mm high, to a 700mm bi fold shower door. In fact, our Ravenna 26 Bi-Folding Shower Door comes in sixteen different size variations. Because of this, no matter how much room you have in your bathroom, you have room for a bi-folding shower enclosure.

How Much Does A Bifold Door Cost?

All of our different sizes of Bi-Fold Shower Doors are priced under £200, with some being as low as £136.50. This means you can bring luxury into your home for a low price. On top of this, as they are extremely popular, Bi-Fold Shower Doors can add to your home appreciation. So, if you are looking to spruce up your bathroom so you can sell, installing a Bi-Fold Shower Door may help you find your buyer sooner rather than later. As a point of reference, the average person is looking for a 900mm Bi-Fold Shower Door, but make sure you measure your own space independently, something we will touch on later.

Bi-Fold Shower Enclosures

As well as being able to buy a Bi-Fold Shower Door, you can also buy a full Bi-Fold Shower Enclosure. The benefit of buying a whole enclosure is that everything is premade to fit perfectly and you can choose a uniform design with special features, like the Double Bi-Fold Shower Doors. However, the benefit of buying just a door is that you can fit it to your pre-existing shower enclosure. Weigh up the pros and cons and make your decision after some deliberation. Maybe you want to kit out your personal enclosure or maybe you’d like a new stylish one. Whichever your preference, a Bi-Folding Shower Door is the perfect addition to any bathroom.

Other Kinds Of Shower Doors

As well as Bi-Fold Shower Doors, there are also Hinged Shower Doors and Sliding Shower Doors. These different doors have great benefits and suit specific designs, just like the Bi-Fold Shower Door. However, the reason we are focusing on the Bi-Fold Shower door is because it is uniquely suited to certain spaces, like the alcove. Hinged Doors rely on there being space to open into and Sliding Doors rely on there being space to slide to, while the Bi-Fold Shower Door only requires the space already in the door frame. This highlights how practical this door can be, especially for the savvy decorator looking to save space.

How To Measure And Adjust A Bi-Fold Shower Door

Bi-fold doors come in many sizes, but how do you find the right size for you? You may be wondering how to measure your Bi-Fold Shower Door, but you actually need to measure the space you wish to fit your shower door into. Here’s how!

Step 1 - Measuring

Do this using a tape measure. Once you have your dimensions, choose a bi-fold door size (including the aluminium profiles) that fits it. Durovin provides a wide range of sizes to fit whatever space you need.

Step 2 – Sliding In The Glass

The reason the measurements provided, as seen in the image above, are between two possibilities is because shower doors are adjustable. This is thanks to adjustable aluminium profiles that allow you that much needed wiggle room to get the perfect fit. So, by simply sliding your glass into the profile and stopping at the point you need, you can ensure it fits within this measurement window. Again, this is why it is extremely important to buy a door for a measured space and not the other way around.

How To Install A Bi-Fold Shower Door

Let’s look into how to install a Bi-Fold Shower Door, step by step.

Step 1 – The First Profile

First of all, you need to mark up where you wish to install your aluminium profile. Use a spirit level to ensure that the wall is level, then place the profile against the wall and mark it with a pencil. Drill into the wall markings and put in wall plugs. You can now screw your profile into the wall. Once again, use a spirit level to check it is level.

Step 2 – Assembling The Door

This is where you will need a second person, as handling a lot of glass is a job best shared. Gently pick up the hinged side of Door 1 and slide it into the aluminium profile. Now, using the hinges as connectors, screw the two door panels together and then screw in the door knob.

Step 3 – The Second Profile

You may now mark up and install the second aluminium profile on the opposing wall, as this will act as the door catch. This is the same process as Step 1. Add the top caps to the aluminium profiles and ensure everything is screwed in.

Step 4 - Sealing

Now, use a silicon gun to seal the edges of the aluminium profiles and wait 24 hours for it to set. This ensures the profiles are water tight. You don’t want any leaks or build up!

Once it has set over 24 hours, you have successfully installed your Bi-Fold Shower Door!

How To Clean Bi-Fold Shower Doors

When it comes down to how to clean a Bi-Fold Shower Door, like any shower door, the bi-fold shower door needs warm water, soap and a nonabrasive cloth. This allows you to get rid of any dirt or build up that might get on the glass amidst showering.

If your doors have a frame, you will also need to clean those. However, Durovin bathroom doors are frameless so you can cut down on cleaning and maintenance.

You want to clean your shower enclosure as a whole, including your Bi-Fold Shower Door, at least once a week. This will stop build of grime and germs and allow your cleaning station to remain clean itself.

How To Replace Bi-Fold Shower Doors

Maybe you’re swapping out the glass or installing a new door entirely, at some point you may need to know how to replace your Bi-Fold Shower Door. Is it easy? Yes! Yes, it is.

Firstly, you will need to unscrew the hinges and take Door 2 out and put it somewhere safe. Then unscrew Door 1 and slide it out, put it somewhere safe too. You can then use a knife to cut the seal around the aluminium profiles and unscrew the profiles from the wall.

And it’s as easy as that! Now you can replace the glass in the door or the door itself in a quick and efficient manner.

Want To Learn More About Showers?

Durovin have been running a series exploring everything you need to know about showers, from Shower Enclosures, to Shower Trays, to Materials. If you want to do your research before buying, there is no better place to start than right here.

To Conclude…

As illustrated, there is a great many boons to be had by installing Bi-Fold Shower Doors. You get a modern, luxurious look while being ergonomic by saving on space and allowing for a lot of light flow. They can fit in odd spaces, such as alcoves, making them ideal for the smaller or strangely shaped space and they are easy to install to boot. Whether you’re looking for a door or an enclosure, investing in a Bi-Fold Shower Door is the way to increase your quality of life ten-fold.