External bifold doors are an appealing option to elevate the modern home. Not only do they flood an interior with natural light. They also effortlessly connect internal and external areas whilst generating the illusion of additional space. Surprisingly, installing bifold doors can be straightforward—provided you follow the right steps. Here’s a practical, step-by-step guide to help you fit external aluminium bifold doors with confidence.
Before You Start
Installation can take as little as an hour, but careful planning is essential to avoid delays or costly mistakes.
- Check for Planning Permission
Before starting, contact your local council to confirm whether planning permission is required for external bifold doors. - Inspect the Aperture
You can install bifold doors into an existing frame, but most won’t include the necessary tracking system. Unless you’re replacing old bifolds, it’s best to remove the entire structure and start fresh. - Measure with Precision
Accuracy is crucial. Measure in millimetres for best results. Standard bifold doors fit openings of 1800mm or wider, with a typical height of around 2095mm. - Determine Door Size
Take multiple measurements of the aperture and subtract approximately 10mm from the smallest dimension to allow for fitting tolerance. For non-standard openings, consider custom-made doors. Remember: the folding mechanism adds around 45mm to the door height to accommodate the track.
How to Install External Bifold Doors
Getting things right from the outset will save time and effort later. Keep a spirit level handy to ensure everything stays aligned.
- Use silicon or gap sealer to assemble the cill. After, drill pilot holes of approximately 2.5 x 2.5mm in the three fixing holes at around 100mm, 250mm and 400m from each end.
- Using your spirit level as a guide, assemble the frame with the gaskets and woodscrews provided. If there are misalignments, tighten or loosen the screws to amend and apply silicone sealant to the joins to prevent draughts. Finally, screw the tie plates to the underside of the frame using the previously-made pilot holes.
- Once assembled, guide the frame to the aperture and match up the fixing holes in the head track and drill through them. You will need to remove the top of the frame to drill into the lintel as you need around 40mm of depth for the screws.
- Afterwards, use some packing to temporarily hold the frame in place, certifying that everything is correctly aligned using your spirit level. Now, drill through the prepared holes (approximately 8mm) in the jambs to insert the fixing bolts and tighten them until your door frame is attached.
- Using a masonry plug and drill, fix the cill and head. Gradually tighten the elements until the lintel is about to reach the head of the frame.
- Finally, attach the hinges to the panels. This process will depend on the model of your door, so read the instructions carefully. Once attached, align the hinges to those on the frame and connect them using hinge pins. Now attach the pivots and carrier hinges to the tracks with enough room left to reach the adjustment screws once the doors are installed.
Summary
It’s important to note that guides on how to install external bifold doors will differ. The steps above are basic guidelines that should be supplemented with the door’s instruction manual. However, we hope our tips will make the installation of your aluminium bifold doors a stress-free process.
