Aluminium Bifold Doors | Derby, Nottingham & Leicester
We supply and fit aluminium bifold doors across Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and the wider East Midlands. Every set is made to measure, built to order in your choice of colour and configuration, and installed by us — no subcontractors. Prices start from £2,500 fully fitted including VAT.
We’re CERTASS registered, which means every bifold installation is signed off for building regulations compliance without you needing to involve building control separately. Combined with over 15 years in the door installation industry and a perfect 5-star Google rating, you can be confident your bifold doors will be fitted properly the first time.
What Are Aluminium Bifold Doors?
Aluminium bifold doors are multi-panel glass doors that fold back in a concertina action, stacking neatly to one or both sides of the opening. When fully open, they create a wide, unobstructed opening that connects your indoor living space directly to your garden, patio or terrace.
When closed, the slim aluminium frames and large glass panels let natural light flood into the room while keeping heat in and the weather out. They’re a popular choice for kitchen extensions, open-plan living areas and anywhere you want to blur the line between indoors and outdoors.
Bifold doors are available in configurations from two panels up to six or more, making them suitable for openings as narrow as 1,500mm or as wide as 7,000mm+. Most of the bifolds we fit across Derby, Nottingham and Leicester are three-pane sets in the 2,200mm to 2,400mm width range — the sweet spot for a typical rear extension or replacement for old patio doors.
If you’re replacing existing French doors or sliding patio doors, a bifold is a significant upgrade in terms of the opening size, the amount of light, and the overall feel of the room.
Why Aluminium?
Aluminium is the material of choice for bifold doors for several good reasons.
Strength with slim profiles. Aluminium is inherently strong, which means the frame profiles can be kept narrow without compromising structural integrity. Slimmer frames mean more glass, more light, and better views — even when the doors are closed. The sightlines on the systems we fit are among the slimmest available, keeping the visual focus on your garden rather than the door frame.
Durability. Aluminium doesn’t rot, warp, swell or crack. Unlike timber, it’s completely unaffected by moisture. Unlike uPVC, it holds its shape and colour over decades without yellowing or becoming brittle. A powder-coated aluminium bifold door will look the same in 20 years as it does the day it’s fitted, with nothing more than an occasional wipe down.
Powder-coated finish. The colour is baked on during manufacturing, not painted on afterwards. This means it won’t peel, flake or fade. The finish is also scratch-resistant, weather-resistant and requires no maintenance beyond cleaning with soapy water.
Thermal efficiency. Modern aluminium bifold doors use polyamide thermal breaks within the frame profiles. This creates a barrier between the inside and outside faces of the aluminium, preventing heat from transferring through the frame. Combined with double-glazed sealed units, aluminium bifolds achieve thermal performance that meets and exceeds current building regulations.
Low maintenance. There’s nothing to paint, stain, varnish or treat. Clean the frames with warm soapy water, lubricate the rollers and hinges occasionally, and that’s it. The powder-coated finish and stainless steel hardware are designed to perform for the lifetime of the door.
Configurations Explained
One of the best things about bifold doors is the flexibility in how they open. The number of panels, the direction they fold, and whether you include a traffic door all affect how you’ll use the doors day to day. Here’s how it works.
How Many Panels?
The number of panels depends on the width of your opening. As a general guide:
- 2 panels — openings around 1,500mm to 2,000mm wide. A compact option, ideal for replacing an existing single or French door.
- 3 panels — openings around 2,000mm to 3,600mm wide. The most popular configuration we fit. Works brilliantly for standard kitchen extensions and rear openings.
- 4 panels — openings around 3,000mm to 4,800mm wide. A great middle ground for larger extensions.
- 5 panels — openings around 4,000mm to 6,000mm wide. Creates a real wow factor when fully open.
- 6 panels — openings around 5,000mm to 7,000mm+. For large-scale openings where you want to completely open up a wall.
Each panel can be up to 1,200mm wide. Wider panels mean fewer frames and cleaner sightlines, but the ideal width depends on the overall opening size and the configuration you choose.
What Is a Traffic Door?
A traffic door (sometimes called an access door or lead door) is a single panel within the bifold set that opens independently — like a normal back door — without needing to fold back the entire set.
This is one of the most practical features of a bifold and something we always discuss with customers. Think about it: for most of the year, you’re not opening the full bifold set. You’re popping out to the garden, letting the dog out, bringing in the washing, or taking the bins round. A traffic door lets you do all of that without touching the other panels.
The odd number rule: An odd number of panels (3, 5, or 7) allows you to have all the doors fold to one side while keeping a traffic door at the opposite end. An even number of panels (2, 4, or 6) doesn’t allow this — the doors either all go one way with no traffic door, or split with some going each way.
This is why three-panel and five-panel configurations are so popular — you get the best of both worlds: a traffic door for everyday use, and the option to fold everything back when you want the full opening.
Which Way Should They Fold?
The panels can fold to the left, to the right, or split so some go each way. The best direction depends on your room layout and where furniture sits. We’ll advise on this during the survey — it’s one of those things that seems simple but makes a big difference to how you use the space.
Most of the bifolds we fit fold outwards (rather than inwards), which keeps the stacked panels out of the room and preserves your interior floor space.
What’s Included With Every Bifold Door
Every aluminium bifold door we supply and fit includes the following as standard:
Double-glazed sealed units with toughened safety glass, argon gas filled, with a warm-edge spacer bar for improved thermal performance. The glass meets current building regulation requirements for thermal efficiency and safety.
Polyamide thermal breaks within the aluminium profiles, creating a thermal barrier between the inside and outside faces of the frame. This prevents cold bridging and significantly improves the door’s insulating properties.
Multi-point locking system with hooks, deadbolts and shootbolts for robust security. The locking mechanism engages at multiple points around the frame when the door is locked, making it extremely resistant to forced entry.
3-star anti-snap cylinder as standard on the traffic door, providing advanced protection against lock snapping — the most common method of break-in on doors with a cylinder lock.
PAS24 security certification is available, meeting the enhanced security standard required for new builds and achieving police-backed Secured by Design levels of protection.
Smooth-glide roller system engineered for effortless operation. The panels glide on precision rollers that are cycle-tested to tens of thousands of opens, meaning they’ll operate as smoothly in year 15 as they do on day one.
Internally beaded glazing — the glass is secured from the inside of the door, meaning it cannot be removed from the exterior. This is an important security feature that is standard on all our bifolds.
Trickle vents can be incorporated into the system where required by building regulations (Approved Document F). Whether you need trickle vents depends on the ventilation in the room — we’ll confirm this during the survey.
10-year manufacturer’s guarantee covering the frames, hardware and sealed glass units. This gives you full peace of mind that your investment is protected.
Aluminium Bifold Door Prices
All prices include supply, installation, VAT and CERTASS building regulation sign-off. These are starting prices for standard colours (white, anthracite grey or black) with clear double glazing.
- 2-pane bifold — from £2,500 fitted
- 3-pane bifold — from £3,300 fitted
- 4-pane bifold — from £4,200 fitted
- 5-pane bifold — from £5,100 fitted
- 6-pane bifold — from £6,200 fitted
What affects the price? Bespoke RAL colours cost more than the three standard colours. Larger openings, non-standard heights, upgraded hardware, or additional security specifications (such as laminated glass for PAS24) will also affect the final price. Every bifold we supply is made to measure, so the quote we give you is specific to your exact opening and specification.
What’s NOT included in these prices: Any structural or building work required to create or widen the opening. This includes removing existing doors or windows, installing a steel lintel or RSJ, making good brickwork, plastering, and decorating. This work needs to be completed by your builder before we attend to fit the bifold.
For an accurate price tailored to your project, get in touch with photos of your opening and we’ll have a quote back to you within 24 hours.
For our composite door pricing, see our Rockdoor prices page.
Colours and Finishes
Our aluminium bifold doors are available in three standard colours that cover the vast majority of installations:
- White (RAL 9910 gloss)
- Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016 matt)
- Black (RAL 9005 matt)
Anthracite grey is by far our most popular colour for bifolds — it suits both modern and traditional properties and pairs well with grey composite doors, which are equally popular across Derby, Nottingham and Leicester.
Beyond the standard three, you can choose from any RAL colour. This means if you have existing aluminium windows in a specific shade, or you want your bifold to match a particular design scheme, we can accommodate that. Bespoke RAL colours carry an additional cost and may add to the lead time.
Dual colour options are also available — a different colour on the inside from the outside. For example, anthracite grey externally to match your property’s exterior, with white internally to match your kitchen décor. This is a popular option and well worth considering.
All colours are powder-coated during manufacturing. The finish is durable, weather-resistant, and won’t peel, fade or require repainting.
Handle Finishes
Handles and hardware are available in finishes to complement your chosen frame colour, including black, white, grey, polished chrome and brushed stainless steel. We’ll help you match these up during the design stage.
What You Need to Arrange Before We Arrive
This is important and something we’re always upfront about. We are bifold door installers, not builders. Our job is to fit your new aluminium bifold doors into a prepared, structurally sound opening. Any building work required to create that opening needs to be completed by your builder before we arrive.
Here’s what needs to be in place before installation day:
A structurally supported opening. If you’re widening an existing opening or creating a new one (for example, converting a window into a bifold opening as part of a kitchen extension), a steel lintel, RSJ or suitable structural support must be installed above the opening to carry the weight of the brickwork. This must be designed and installed by a qualified builder or structural engineer.
Brickwork complete and square. The opening must be the correct size, square, plumb and level. We’ll provide the exact opening dimensions your builder needs when you place the order.
Building control approval for the structural work. If you’re creating a new opening or altering the structure of your property, this will require building regulations approval. Your builder will typically handle this, or you may need a structural engineer to provide calculations. Our CERTASS registration covers the door installation itself, but not the structural alterations.
No plastering or decorating required from us. Once we’ve fitted the bifold, there will be a gap between the frame and the brickwork that needs finishing. Your plasterer or decorator will need to make good internally (typically with plaster or architrave) and externally if it’s being rendered. We’ll leave the installation clean, sealed and weathertight — but the cosmetic finishing is down to your trades.
If you’re replacing existing French doors or patio doors in the same size opening and no structural work is needed, the process is much simpler. We remove the old doors, fit the new bifold into the existing opening, and seal it up. We can finish internally too with small trims just like we would when installing a composite door so there is nothing for you to do.
We’re happy to advise on what preparation is needed for your specific project. Send us photos of your existing opening and we’ll let you know exactly what’s required.
What Happens on Installation Day
Once your builder has completed the structural work and the opening is ready, here’s what to expect from us:
Lead time: From placing your order, the bifold doors take approximately 3 to 4 weeks to manufacture and deliver. We’ll book your installation date as soon as the doors are confirmed for delivery.
Installation time: A typical bifold installation takes between 5 and 8 hours depending on the size and configuration. Most installations are completed in a single day.
On the day: We arrive, remove any existing doors if applicable, fit the new outerframe into the prepared opening, hang the bifold panels, fit all hardware and ensure the doors glide smoothly and lock precisely. We seal the frame to the brickwork externally with appropriate weatherproofing to ensure the installation is watertight from day one.
Before we leave: We’ll demonstrate how to operate the doors — opening, closing, locking, and using the traffic door. We’ll show you how the locking mechanism works, including the multi-point lock and the shootbolts on intermediate panels. We’ll also cover basic maintenance so you know how to keep everything running smoothly for years to come.
After installation: Your CERTASS building regulation certificate will be issued, confirming the installation meets current building regulations. You don’t need to contact building control separately — our registration covers this.
Threshold Options
The threshold is the bottom section of the bifold frame — the track that the doors run along. We offer standard threshold options that provide excellent weather performance while allowing smooth operation of the doors.
Standard threshold — This is our recommended option for external bifold doors. It provides a robust, weather-rated track that keeps rain and draughts out while allowing the panels to glide smoothly. There is a small step over the threshold, which is standard for external bifold doors and necessary for proper water drainage and weatherproofing.
A note on low thresholds: Low or flush threshold options do exist, but they are not weather-rated and the manufacturers do not guarantee them against water ingress. For this reason, we do not recommend or fit low thresholds on external bifold installations. If rainwater gets past a low threshold during heavy or wind-driven rain, it can cause damage to internal.
If accessibility is a priority (for example, wheelchair access), we’re happy to discuss options and advise on what’s achievable while maintaining weather protection. Get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
Building Regulations and CERTASS
Aluminium bifold doors are classified as a controlled building element, which means they must comply with building regulations when installed. The key regulations that apply are:
Approved Document L (thermal efficiency) — Bifold doors must achieve a maximum whole-door U-value of 1.4 W/m²K for replacement installations in existing homes. The aluminium bifold systems we fit meet this requirement with standard double glazing. For new-build properties, the requirements may be tighter and are assessed as part of the overall building calculation — your architect or SAP assessor will confirm what’s needed.
Approved Document Q (security) — For new dwellings (including conversions), easily accessible doors must resist physical attack. PAS24-certified bifold doors with laminated glass meet this requirement. If your project is a new build, we’ll specify accordingly.
Approved Document F (ventilation) — If installing bifold doors removes or replaces existing ventilation (such as a window with a trickle vent), equivalent ventilation must be provided. Trickle vents can be incorporated into the bifold system where required.
Our CERTASS registration means we can self-certify every bifold installation for building regulation compliance. Once the installation is complete, we submit the notification and you receive your compliance certificate — no need to involve your local authority building control department or pay for a separate inspection. This saves you time, hassle and money.
Why Choose Very Secure Doors
15 Years’ Experience
Over 2,000 doors fitted across Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and the East Midlands since 2010. We know what works and we know what doesn’t.
CERTASS Registered
Every bifold and composite door installation is CERTASS registered, meeting building regulations without you needing to arrange a separate building control inspection.
Family-Run, No Subcontractors
We’re Jim and Josh — father and son. The people you speak to on the phone are the same people who turn up to fit your doors. No salespeople, no subcontractors, no surprises.
Transparent Pricing
We quote by email within 24 hours — a real price for your exact specification, not a ballpark to get a foot in the door. No pressure, no follow-up sales calls.
Perfect 5-Star Google Rating
Our customers consistently mention the quality of workmanship, communication and respect for their homes. Read the reviews yourself — they speak for us better than we ever could.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are aluminium bifold doors?
Aluminium bifold doors are multi-panel doors made with slim aluminium frames and large glass panels. They fold back in a concertina action, stacking neatly to one or both sides to create a wide opening between your home and garden. They’re available in configurations from 2 to 6+ panels to suit openings of almost any width.
How much do aluminium bifold doors cost?
Our aluminium bifold doors start from £2,500 for a 2-pane set, fully fitted including VAT and CERTASS sign-off. A 3-pane set starts from £3,300. The final price depends on the size, configuration, colour and any additional specifications. Contact us for a precise quote tailored to your project.
How long does installation take?
A typical aluminium bifold installation takes between 5 and 8 hours, depending on the size and configuration. Most installations are completed in a single day. The lead time from order to installation is approximately 3 to 4 weeks.
Do I need a builder as well as a bifold installer?
If your project involves creating or widening an opening, yes. Any structural work — removing brickwork, installing a steel lintel, making good the opening — must be completed by your builder before we arrive. We install the bifold doors into a prepared, structurally sound opening. Plastering and decorating after installation is also the responsibility of your own trades.
If you’re replacing existing French doors or patio doors in the same opening, structural work may not be needed. Send us photos and we’ll confirm.
What colours are available?
Three standard colours — white, anthracite grey and black — are included in our standard pricing. Any RAL colour is available as a bespoke option at additional cost. Dual colour (different inside and outside) is also available.
Are aluminium bifold doors secure?
Yes. Our bifold doors feature multi-point locking systems with hooks, deadbolts and shootbolts, a 3-star anti-snap cylinder, and internally beaded glazing that cannot be removed from outside. PAS24 security certification is available for new-build compliance or for anyone wanting the highest level of protection.
Are aluminium bifold doors energy efficient?
Yes. The aluminium profiles incorporate polyamide thermal breaks that prevent cold transfer through the frame. Combined with argon-filled double-glazed sealed units and warm-edge spacer bars, our bifold doors meet current building regulation requirements for thermal efficiency (Approved Document L).
What is a traffic door?
A traffic door is a single panel within the bifold set that opens independently — like a normal back door — without needing to fold the other panels. It’s practical for everyday use: stepping out to the garden, letting pets in and out, or taking the bins round. Traffic doors are available on configurations with an odd number of panels (3, 5, or 7).
Do I need building regulations approval for bifold doors?
Yes — external bifold doors are a controlled building element and must comply with building regulations. Because we’re CERTASS registered, we handle this for you. We self-certify every installation and you receive your compliance certificate directly. No need to involve your local authority building control.
Do you fit aluminium sliding doors?
No. We specialise in aluminium bifold doors and composite doors. If you’re deciding between bifolds and sliding doors, we’re happy to discuss the differences and help you decide which suits your home better, but we only supply and fit bifold systems.
What maintenance do aluminium bifold doors need?
Very little. Clean the frames with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Lubricate the rollers and hinges with a light silicone spray once or twice a year. Keep the bottom track clear of dirt and debris. That’s it — the powder-coated aluminium finish requires no painting, staining or treatment.
What areas do you cover for bifold installations?
We supply and fit aluminium bifold doors across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Burton upon Trent, Warwick, Nuneaton & Hinckley and Crewe. If you’re unsure whether we cover your area, get in touch and we’ll let you know.
Can aluminium bifold doors be used internally?
Yes, bifold doors can be used as internal room dividers — for example, between a kitchen and living room. However, our focus is on external installations. For internal bifolds, the specification and pricing may differ. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Get A Quote
We supply and fit aluminium bifold doors across Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and the wider East Midlands. Send us photos of your existing opening (or your builder’s plans for a new opening) along with the approximate width and height, and we’ll have a quote back to you within 24 hours.
No sales visit required for the initial quote — we do everything by email first so you can make your decision without pressure.
0800 690 6870 — Monday to Friday 08:00–18:00, Saturday & Sunday 09:00–16:00.