Blinds for Bi-Fold Doors What Are The Options?

We take a look at the blinds options available for bi-fold doors and why we recommend Intu Micro Blinds.

Blinds for bi-fold doors, what are the options?  We take a look at the market.

With the development of the home extension, bi-fold doors have become an integral part of home improvement living, creating an atmosphere where natural light floods into the house and bringing the inside/outside feel to the house.

Bi-fold doors are a great addition to the glazing choices available but once installed mean that at night-time and during the dark winter months one can feel the darkness encroaching into the living area where blinds are required to be drawn to provide privacy and insulation. During the summer months you may require the blinds to be drawn to provide shading from the summer heat and glare. Bi-fold door blinds also allow for enhanced security when away from the house.

There are a number of options open to you in considering blinds for bi-fold doors and this has traditionally involved fixing blinds above the door area onto the wall or soffit above the door, thus covering the door and not allowing for flexibility of opening or shutting the door. Currently this is the only option available if you want electric blinds for bi-fold doors as the headrail for electric blinds is too large to fit to the bead of the door. Alternatively, electric blinds can be hung from the door frame, which again, would mean the bi-fold would be unable to open to its’ full extent.

Blinds For Bi-Fold Doors What Are The Options?

Integrated Venetians Blinds

Glazing companies now sell integrated venetian blinds within the glazing for bi-fold doors which means you can slide the doors fully back so the blinds are not obstructing the operation of the door. The manual operation is either cord operated or magnetic slider. The mechanisms are fairly clunky and detract from the clean lines of the bi-fold doors. The electric options are a great alternative as the blinds are integrated into the door frame but are hugely expensive.

Pleated Blinds

Pleated blinds are the best blinds fitted to bi-fold doors as the slim headrail and choice of fabrics allow you to fix the blinds to the bead of the door itself and the vast array of fabric and colours give you choice over your design statements. Other blind offerings such as rollers or venetians would not be viable for a bi-fold door as unless they are fitted to the frame of the door, the bulky headrails, if fitted to the bead of the door would again mean you would be unable to open the door to its’ full extent.

What About The Manufacturers Warranty On Bi-Folding Doors?

Another consideration with bi-fold doors are the manufacturers warranties.

Glazing companies usually state that by drilling into the bead or frame of the bi-fold door the manufacturers guarantee is voided. This is a glazing industry ‘ploy’ and they cannot state that by drilling into the bead or frame negates the guarantee as blinds are fitted to windows and conservatories everyday and therefore the glazing industry are effectively saying their product ‘is not fit for purpose’ and thereby contravenes the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

The blinds industry have kept abreast of the demands of the glazing industry and new blind developments have evolved to ensure that a blind solution can be sought when considering shading for bi-fold doors: ‘clip-in’ systems are that solution.

As with everything there is now a huge choice of systems available to the market today depending on whether you are prepared to take a risk with quality and ‘do-it-yourself’ with measure and fitting the blinds with the e:commerce providers. You save money with e:commerce but they are cheap for a reason! Or spend a bit more with a reputable blind company who will provide a well researched product that will be ‘fit for purpose’ and will be expertly measured and fitted with extended guarantees.

Click and Fit Blinds

The e:commerce companies offer a cheap and easy to fit Click and Fit system. This is sold as “Made to Measure” which is misleading as You Measure and Fit the Blinds and the e:commerce companies manufacture to your specifications. If you get the measurements wrong you are responsible. This system is fairly flimsy and has had most of its’ componentry stripped out to make it the right price to undercut and sell to the mass market. The blind will ‘knock’ against the window frame when there is any movement from the door as there are no guide frames keeping the cords secure; there is only one colour choice of hardware and components, which is white and the is no choice of muti-zone functionality. If it is value you are after and you are willing to take the risk on measuring and fitting yourself, e:commerce is a quick and cheap solution.

Perfect Fit Blinds

Another Solution is Perfect Fit. This is a framed system which is not made specifically for bi-fold doors but UPVC Windows. The slimmer bead of a bi-fold door means that the bulky frame sits within the window and can be seen to be quite obtrusive to the eye plus you won’t be able to open the bi-fold doors to there full extent as the frame juts out from the door and so rather than pushing the doors back to its’ full extent you will have to have them concertinaed.

TruFit Blinds

TruFit Blinds are a ‘stick-on’ solution. The glue can degrade over time, especially in high traffic areas or where there is degrading of the adhesive from the sun. This system involves sticking a rail either side of the window with an adhesive which has an integrated clip on which to attach the blinds. TruFit blinds operates with a floating rail, meaning the blind can be pulled both down from the top and up from the bottom; giving total control over the shading.

The Oakhurst Solution – SlimFit Intu Micro Blinds (Slim fit, with no drilling into frames)

The Oakhurst solution for bi-fold doors is to fit the blinds to the bead of the window frame, allowing complete freedom and flexibility on operating your doors.

The recently launched SlimFit Intu Micro Blind System is unique, and specifically designed for bi-fold doors. The16mm headrail and micro-pleated fabric fits on a unobtrusive guided frame that is locked into the bead of the window. Guided end caps restrain the bottom bar and prevent unwanted movement. The 16mm micro fabric is offered in a wide range of pleated or cellular fabric alternatives.

SlimFit Micro Blinds can be mounted so that they can either be pulled down from the top, or up from the bottom, allowing maximum privacy and height control.

Benefits of the SlimFit Intu Micro Blind System

• 16mm slim headrail specifically designed for bi-fold doors.

• Headrail colours available in white, brown or anthracite, with co-ordinating components.

• 16mm Micro Pleated and Cellular fabric ranges specifically designed for bi-fold doors.

• Guided frame fitted to the door, rather than stuck on with adhesive. This fixes the blinds in place and prevents them moving or clattering against the window.

• SlimFit Intu Blind System can be fitted to UPVC or aluminium frames.

• Neat and simple control options, eliminating unnecessary and unsightly cord loops and giving you peace of mind and safety for your family.

• Multi-zone blinds, which offer maximum flexibility as they can be positioned at varying heights for privacy and shading as and when required.