Skip to main content Request a Brochure › Discover just how affordable Milgard Windows & Doors can be. Request a Quote › Customer Reviews for Bi-Fold Glass Walls in Aluminum Request a brochure Request a quote Help Me Choose Find a Dealer Energy Calculator Installation & Finishing Case Studies Photo GalleriesLight is one of the most desirable features in a new home, because it creates the illusion of space and makes a house feel more livable. Traditional windows and patio doors bring in some light, but pivoting, or bifold, patio doors do this and so much more. Pivoting patio door systems look like regular doors when closed, but they fold away to create large, uninterrupted exterior openings with panels measuring up to 4 feet wide and 13 feet tall. Extremely popular in Europe and Australia, the doors are hot in high-end housing here. “The biggest demand has been from homeowners and architects,” says Jon Sawatzky, an architectural consultant with Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada–based Loewen.

“Architects were always limited to a pair of doors for their exterior openings, but these doors can go over 50 feet. It's the way people want to live these days.”best material for outdoor clothesline But is such a product appropriate in production move-up housing? where to buy magnetic door stopper in singapore“Bifold systems have a valued place in production housing, albeit somewhat limited,” Sawatzky says. lowes garage door closer“To increase their popularity, a small revolution in thought and lifestyle must occur. garage door springs edmontonArchitects, homeowners, and builders need to realize that bifold systems have a relatively high cost, but in exchange, they provide an unrivaled lifestyle that is currently unavailable in production housing.

The ability to intertwine interiors and exteriors is really lacking in today's housing.” “We are getting bifolds specified in three developments in Southern California and Arizona,” says Shane Meisel, assistant products manager of Klamath Falls, Ore.–based Jeld-Wen's door division. “Once builders saw that it was available, they loved it.” Ebrahim Nana, president of Nana Wall Systems in Mill Valley, Calif., says he is definitely seeing his products used in high-end production housing. “The doors are also being installed in the model homes, so it is offered as an upgrade,” he adds. “It is a high-priced product, but with the wow factor it creates, they are desirable.” Bifold systems are ideal in a warm climate, but you don't have to live in places such as California to enjoy the benefits. Because these systems can be engineered with high-performance glazing, they can be used in both hot and cold climates as well as in coastal areas that are prone to strong winds.

Nana says his company offers two impact-tested systems that can accept 1 ½-inch-thick glass. Once upon a time, these doors were available only from custom fabricators and a limited number of manufacturers, but traditional fenestration companies now offer them too. Jeld-Wen's product combines the style of a French door with the benefits of a sliding door. Loewen's system can be ordered for a 52-foot-wide opening; it can also operate like a traditional swing door. Dubuque, Iowa–based Eagle Window and Door partnered recently with Vista Pointe Architectural Systems to introduce multi-slide and bifold doors. Using Eagle panels and Vista Pointe hardware, the doors create an opening up to 24 feet wide and 10 feet high. So how much will these doors set you back? Jeff Shaffer, founder of Tucson, Ariz.–based A& J Installation, which builds and installs the doors, says systems cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 per panel. Meisel says builders can usually keep costs down by sticking with standard installations and avoiding curved applications.

Sawatzky recommends that builders “use standard sizes, hardware, and glazing, and eliminate or limit the simulated divided lite pattern. Select a manufacturer that has a lot of desirable standard features and sizes.” Sawatzky continues: “It's usually more cost-effective to use larger panels than to increase the number of panels.” Used in the right application, folding doors can make a big difference in a house. Says Sawatzky, “They emit an aura of luxury and sophistication that other types of windows and doors can't.”See all features and options Provide more flexibility and convenience so you can enjoy outdoor living at its finest. Panels can travel to one side or open in the middle. Tracks can be straight, meet at a 90-degree corner, or curve, adding design flexibility. Mahogany, Alder, Douglas Fir or Pine interiors $100 off qualifying windows1 $300 off qualifying doors1 0% APR for 36 months2 Enter your ZIP code Please enter a valid zip code.

Get a FREE Quote at Home Get a FREE Quote Over Video Chat See it at a store near you Bifold Patio Doors Sizes Because the Bifold doors can be customized to numerous configurations and combinations, standard door sizes are not available. Need help figuring out the size you need? The cost of each window or door can vary significantly based on many factors, such as your choice of size, frame material, glass type, finish options, etc. LEARN ABOUT COSTS » Talk to an expert about your project needs Pella products are backed by some of the best warranties in the business. Pella EnduraClad Wood Window and Patio Door Warranty (pdf) » From the publishers of Environmental Building News and Fine Homebuilding Home » Community » Green products and materials I've been looking at a configuration for a 12' wide opening that we'd like to make into a glass wall. Nana is the brand everyone is familiar with but preliminary pricing is running $1300 a linear foor PLUS a substantial installation charge (they will actually discount the doors by 10% to 'help' with installation cost (!)