Leaves that drag and bind
Out-of-level frames put uneven load on the running gear. The doors start catching, then the rollers wear, then the whole set needs stripping down.
Bi-fold doors · Lichfield · Tamworth · Sutton Coldfield
Smarts Aluminium Bi-FoldsFitted Across Staffordshire,Running True From Day One
Open the back of the house right up with slim aluminium sightlines, doors that glide on their track instead of dragging, and a fixed price quoted back to you the next working day.
Rated 5.0 on Google · Smarts aluminium systems · 10-year insurance-backed guarantee through IWA
Fitting since
January 2015
Team of 8, each with
20–25+ years
Insurance-backed guarantee
10 years, IWA
Public liability cover
£10,000,000
The service
Bi-folds are a structural job, not just a door swap
A bi-fold sits in a wide opening and carries several leaves on one track. Everything about how it feels to use (whether it glides or drags, whether the leaves stack neatly, whether it still locks properly in three years) comes down to whether the opening was right and the frame was set dead level before the doors went on.
That is why we fit Smarts aluminium. Aluminium is strong enough to carry large glass panes on slim frames, so you get more glass and less frame across the opening, and the running gear is built for the weight it has to move.
We survey the opening, check the head detail and the level of the threshold, and set the frame properly before hanging anything. Our own team does the work, a team of eight with 20 to 25+ years each, in sign-written vans and full uniform.
Kitchen-diners onto the garden
The most common bi-fold job we do: a wide rear opening that turns two separate spaces into one in summer.
New extensions
Bi-folds and a warm roof together are what stop a rear extension feeling like a corridor with a window at the end.
Replacing tired patio or sliding doors
Old aluminium sliders and early patio doors are heavy, draughty and usually single glazed or worse.
Commercial frontages
We take on commercial glazing and door installations where a wide opening needs to fold back fully.
What it costs to leave it
A badly fitted bi-fold is a daily annoyance you cannot ignore
Unlike a window, you interact with a bi-fold constantly. If the frame is out of level by a few millimetres over a wide opening, you feel it every single time you open it, and the wear that causes only makes it worse.
Water at the threshold
A wide, low threshold is the hardest place on a house to keep watertight. Get the detail wrong and rain tracks straight into the floor build-up.
Cold, draughty rear rooms
A large opening badly sealed loses heat fast. It undoes the point of opening up the back of the house in the first place.
The mistakes we get called out to fix
- Ordering a bi-fold to a rough opening size instead of a surveyed measurement
- Fitting a wide door set onto a threshold that has not been levelled properly
- Choosing UPVC for a very wide opening where aluminium's strength is needed
- Ignoring the head detail and the load above the opening
- Assuming any glazier can set the running gear, it is a specific skill
- Taking a quote that changes once the fitters see the opening
Our process
Five steps, the same on every job we take on
Step 1
Inspection
We look at the opening, the threshold, what is above it and how you actually want to use the space. Free verbal quote.
Step 2
Measured survey
Precise widths, heights and levels taken, leaf configuration and stacking direction agreed. Written quote £25, deducted from the invoice.
Step 3
Fixed-price order
Smarts aluminium made to your survey dimensions. Fixed price at order, minimum 10 weeks lead time, told to you honestly.
Step 4
Installation
Frame set level and square, threshold detailed and sealed, leaves hung and the running gear set and tested across the full travel.
Step 5
Testing and guarantee
We open and close every leaf, check the locking and the stack, then register the job for the 10-year IWA insurance-backed guarantee.
What you get
The difference a properly fitted job makes
More glass, less frame
Aluminium's strength allows slim sightlines, so the view out and the daylight in are noticeably better than a UPVC equivalent.
Opens the whole wall
The leaves fold and stack to one side, giving you clear width instead of a fixed pane you can never move.
Smooth, repeatable operation
Set level on a properly prepared threshold, the doors glide rather than drag, and they stay that way.
Secure when closed
Multi-point locking on a rigid aluminium frame, set and tested before we leave site.
Fixed price, next-day quote
Free verbal quote, £25 written quote deducted from your invoice, and a price that never gets added to.
Backed for ten years
IWA insurance-backed guarantee, Assured registration and £10,000,000 public liability insurance behind the work.
In detail
Configurations, thresholds and specification detail
Bi-folds look simple from the outside. The decisions that determine whether you enjoy them are made at survey stage, before anything is ordered.
Leaf configuration and stacking
The number of leaves is set by the opening width, and the stacking direction is set by how you use the space. If your table sits to the left, you do not want the doors stacking over it.
A traffic door, one leaf that operates independently as a normal door, is worth specifying if the opening is your everyday route to the garden, so you are not folding the whole set back to let the dog out.
Thresholds
There is a genuine trade-off between a low, flush threshold that looks seamless and a weathered threshold that sheds water more aggressively. On an exposed rear elevation, the more weathered detail is usually the right call.
Whichever is chosen, the levelling and sealing of the threshold is the single most important part of the installation, and it is where we spend the time.
Smarts aluminium systems
We fit Smarts aluminium across windows, bi-folds and commercial work, which means a rear elevation can be specified as one coherent set rather than mismatched products.
Aluminium takes a durable powder-coated finish, does not rot, does not need painting and holds its shape under the load of large glazed panels.
Glazing and comfort
All units are double glazed. On a large south-facing opening, solar gain and glare are worth discussing at survey, a lot of rear extensions end up too hot in July because nobody raised it at quote stage.
Toughened glass is used where building regulations require it, which on floor-to-ceiling door glazing is standard.
Bi-folds as part of a bigger job
Bi-folds are often the last piece of a larger project. We build full extensions start to finish (groundworks, brickwork, roof, glazing, plastering, painting and flooring) so the opening, the lintel and the doors can be handled by one team who are accountable for all of it.
The same applies with an insulated conservatory roof replacement or a tiled warm roof: get the roof and the doors done together and the room works all year rather than in May and September.
Residential versus commercial
Domestic bi-folds are about daily comfort and how the room feels. We work around your household and never leave an opening unsecured overnight.
Commercial installations are about traffic, access and downtime. We phase the work to keep premises usable and quote it on the same fixed-price basis.
Rated 5.0 on Google
“We couldn't be happier with the service from Gary and his entire team. From start to finish, everything was handled professionally.”
“Really pleased with our new conservatory roof. The whole process from start to finish was very smooth. Pricing was clear and concise and the installation team were diligent, tidy and courteous at all times.”
“The biggest test of a trader is how they respond when a job throws up challenges. Gary absolutely went the extra mile.”
Questions we get asked
Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors: straight answers
- How much do aluminium bi-fold doors cost in Staffordshire?
- Price is driven by the width of the opening, the number of leaves, the glazing specification and the threshold detail. A verbal quote is free; a written quote is £25 and is deducted from your final invoice if you go ahead.
- How long does installation take?
- A bi-fold set is usually one to two days on site depending on the opening and what preparation is needed. Manufacturing lead time is a minimum of 10 weeks from order.
- How wide can a bi-fold opening be?
- That is decided at survey, based on the structural opening, the support above it and the leaf configuration. Aluminium handles wider openings and larger panes than UPVC, which is exactly why we specify it here.
- Are bi-folds secure?
- Yes, when specified and fitted properly: multi-point locking on a rigid aluminium frame, set and tested on the day of installation.
- Will they be draughty in winter?
- Not if the frame is set level and the threshold and perimeter are sealed correctly. Double glazed units and full-perimeter seals are standard on everything we fit.
- What guarantee comes with bi-fold doors?
- A 10-year insurance-backed guarantee through IWA covering workmanship and frames. We are Assured registered and carry £10,000,000 public liability insurance.
- How long will the running gear last?
- Running gear wears out when it is loaded unevenly by a frame that is out of level. Set correctly on a level threshold, it is a long-term item, and the installation is guaranteed for ten years.
- Can you fit bi-folds into an existing opening?
- Often yes, provided the opening is structurally sound and the right size. If it needs altering we can handle that too, we build extensions start to finish, so structural work is not sub-contracted out.
- Do you cover Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield?
- Yes. Lichfield, Burntwood, Rugeley, Fradley, Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield, Shenstone, Little Aston, Armitage and the surrounding Staffordshire villages.
- How do I pay?
- Cash or bank transfer. We do not accept credit cards and we do not offer finance. Deposits vary depending on the size and type of job.
Related services
Where we work
- Lichfield
- Burntwood
- Rugeley
- Fradley
- Tamworth
- Sutton Coldfield
- Shenstone
- Little Aston
- Armitage
Based in Tamworth, Staffordshire. See the full area map or get in touch.
Open up the back of the house properly
We will survey the opening, tell you what configuration actually suits how you live in the room, and give you one fixed price that does not move.
07597 12559010-year insurance-backed guarantee through IWA · Assured registered · £10,000,000 public liability insurance
Fixed price, never added to · Free verbal quote · £25 written quote deducted from your invoice