French and bifold doors have become one of the most requested additions to London extensions and garden-facing rooms — they open a kitchen or living space onto a garden or courtyard in a way a single patio door can’t match. But timber French and bifold doors are a different product from the sash and casement windows most people know us for, and they come with their own set of practical decisions. Here’s what to consider.
French Doors vs Bifold Doors: Which Suits Your Space?
Timber French doors — a pair of doors opening from the centre — suit openings up to around 1.8-2.4m wide and work well where you want a classic look that references period joinery, particularly on Victorian and Edwardian rear extensions. They give a clean, uninterrupted view when closed and a straightforward, cost-effective way to open a room onto a garden.
Timber bifold doors — multiple panels that fold and stack to one or both sides — suit wider openings, from around 3m up to 6m or more, and are the better choice when the goal is to remove the wall almost entirely and blend indoor and outdoor space. The trade-off is a slightly heavier sightline when panels are stacked, and a higher price per metre than an equivalent French door opening.
Why Choose Timber Over Aluminium or uPVC for Bifolds
Aluminium dominates the bifold door market because of its slim sightlines, but timber remains the right choice on period and characterful properties where a slim aluminium frame looks out of place against original brickwork or a conservation-area streetscape. Modern engineered timber bifold systems, properly specified, achieve comparable thermal performance to aluminium and can be finished in any colour to match existing joinery — including matching new doors to your property’s existing timber windows for a consistent look across the whole elevation.
Practical Considerations Before You Order
- Threshold detail. A low-profile or flush threshold gives the best step-free transition to a garden, but needs to be specified and detailed with your builder before the opening is finished — it’s a poor fit to retrofit later.
- Opening configuration. Decide early whether panels stack to one side, split to both sides, or include a separate traffic door for everyday use without opening the full run — this affects both cost and how the space works day to day.
- Structural opening size. Wide openings for bifold doors usually need a structural beam calculated by an engineer — this needs to be agreed before the opening is formed, not after.
- Glazing spec. As with our timber sash windows, double or triple glazing, solar control coatings and acoustic glass are all worth considering depending on orientation and street noise.
How They Compare on Cost
As a rough guide, a bespoke timber French door pair typically costs less per metre of opening than an equivalent bifold system, since bifold doors require more hardware, more panels and more precise engineering per running metre. For a straightforward garden-facing opening where you don’t need the full width to disappear, French doors are often the more cost-effective choice without sacrificing much in practical terms. For a full room-to-garden opening, bifolds are worth the premium.
Matching Doors to Your Existing Windows
One detail worth getting right: new French or bifold doors should match the timber species, paint colour and glazing bar style of your existing windows and front door wherever possible. A mismatched finish is one of the most common reasons an otherwise well-built extension looks disjointed from the rest of the house.
Ordering Timber French and Bifold Doors from International Windows Group
We manufacture bespoke timber French and bifold doors to match your property, alongside our full range of timber windows and timber doors. Get in touch with your opening size and we’ll advise on the right configuration and a realistic quote.