There are many different door designs available on the market, and most of them have a variety of situations they fit into extremely well. However, with such a high level of variety, you can also get overwhelmed trying to figure out what is right for you.
If bi-fold doors have caught your eye, but you’re a little on the fence about buying them for your home, here are 8 benefits to consider that will help you make your decision.
1. Visual Appeal
The easiest benefit to notice is that they tend to catch the eye of guests and your family alike.
While bi-fold doors are growing in popularity, they’re not found everywhere. This helps make them feel like something new and refreshing for a lot of people. You can’t underestimate the impact of something simply being different.
Of course, if you purchase high-quality doors that are well designed, they’re also beautiful regardless of how unique they are.
2. More Natural Lighting
Natural lighting is better for you mentally and physically, and when you use bi-fold doors designed for primary entryways, they tend to allow a lot more natural light in thanks to their expansive glass panes.
Those glass panes also help with benefits such as energy conservation and lower maintenance.
3. Open-Plan Friendly
Open floor plans are all the rage these days. They make your living space look and feel larger, and they create a cozier atmosphere for families with a sense of connectedness throughout the home.
Bi-fold doors allow you to create that feeling easily, but they also allow you to quickly close things off for privacy or whatever you may need. While they’re open, they’re out of the way and take up less space than when you leave a normal interior door open.
4. A Direct Connection to the Outdoors
For many people, having a sort of connection with nature can greatly enhance mental health, comfort, and overall enjoyment of any interior space. Especially a home where those things are supposed to be maximized.
Well, if you use bi-fold doors in an entryway leading to a more natural area such as the backyard, you get that.
The glass panes provide an excellent view that makes your home feel open to that outside world without all the drawbacks of having your doors open, and if you do open them, they tuck out of the way for a seamless connection.
This makes them great options if you have a wooded area in the back, a well-kept garden, or a similar outside view.
5. Customizable Designs
Bi-fold doors can be as simple or complex as you want. Not only are there plenty of options available on the market, but you can often have them customized to create the exact bi-fold door design you want to complete an interior or exterior design you’re working on.
Of course, customizing typically costs more than buying a stock option, but it’s often worth it due to the ability to get exactly what you want.
6. A Great Amount of Security
With main entryway doors, security is a major concern. Those are the main points thieves and other undesirable people will attempt to gain access to your home. It’s also the best deterrence, because the vast majority of mischievous people move on to the next property if they have a hard time with the most obvious entrance.
Well, bi-fold doors don’t sacrifice security for all the perks we’ve mentioned thus far. In some ways, they can even enhance security due to their less standardized opening mechanism being more of a challenge to deal with.
Like any door, the quality of craftsmanship and the materials used will also be important, but the bi-fold design still stands out on its own.
7. Added Property Value
Whether you’re looking to sell your home at some point, have heirs you want to maximize an inheritance for many years in the future, or you just like knowing that your biggest investment is worth as much as you can possibly get for it, this is a cost-effective way to make all those things happen.
New, luxurious, doors that stand out and add appeal to the home also increase its value. The value difference isn’t as dramatic as having a new foundation, roof, or an entirely new addition to the home, but it does increase it noticeably. This is similar to updating flooring, appliances, and other things in the home, and it’s a great way to squeeze in extra value.
8. Curb Appeal
Finally, if you install bi-fold doors on main entryways, it can greatly increase curb appeal. They look more luxurious than a standard hinged door even if they’re relatively the same in price, and that makes people think more highly of your home.
You also have to consider that your front door is the first experience people have with your home. Whether it’s a neighbor coming to introduce themselves, or it’s a new friend you’re inviting over for the first time, they look for the door as soon as they pull up, and it’s the first thing they interact with. When it’s a unique, luxurious-looking, bi-fold door, that makes a good first impression, even as a small detail.
Choosing the Best Bi-Fold Doors
Bi-fold doors definitely have some major advantages, and at this point, you might want to incorporate them into your home’s design theme.
Well, even though they’re great, you still need to consider a few factors to help you choose the right one.
Here’s a brief checklist to help out.
- Exterior Design: If the door will be at a main entryway, it needs to match the architectural design of the exterior of your home. You don’t want a contemporary home with a rustic door reminiscent of a barn. There are bi-fold doors to match any theme. So, this isn’t difficult.
- Interior Design: If the doors will be used inside, the same attention to design details is required, but they should match your decor theme.
- Quality: Bi-fold doors are a bit more mechanical than standard doors. So, you want to make sure you’re getting a quality product that is going to last.
If you have any more questions about doors or need help finding the right option for you, check out more of our Door Digest guides.