Patio door extensions

Published Updated Terri Allen Double Glazing, home improvement, property extension
Bi Folding Patio Doors

Adding patio doors to your extension is the best way to enhance the feeling of extra space in your home. Luckily, if you’re quite fussy about what doors you plan on opting for, there are a number of options at your disposal.

There are three main types of patio doors, and each will have a stylistic influence on how your extension appears from both the inside and the outside.

Here is a cursory glance at what you can expect to pay for each type and what they will each bring to your home.

French patio doors

French Patio Doors

French patio doors are great if you want that feeling of opening out into the outdoors to make your home feel bigger. These are traditional swing-doors and are the kind you will often see on continental balconies.

These are classic and elegant and start at a very reasonable price. For doors that are sized 90cmx210cm, the starting price is usually around £800. Much larger ones that are around 120cmx210cm will see you spending a little more at up to £1,400.

These all take for granted that they are double-glazed, and the cheaper prices are likely to be made form uPVC.

Sliding Patio Doors

Sliding Patio Doors

As the name suggests, these are composed of two sliding doors on tracks. These create quite a wide-open expansive feel and are useful for people who want to occasionally get some circulation going through the home on balmier days.

A bit like with a Double glazed window, you don’t have to open them the full way to let in some air. They also set the scene nicely if you are opening up onto a dining room and want to add plenty of natural light.

They might even be an ideal way of joining the gap between your home and a conservatory, for example. The basic price for a uPVC sliding door starts as cheap as £700, depending on the dimensions.

Sliding doors aren’t always just comprised of two doors, however. As such, you could expect to double that price for a four-section version.

Bifold Patio Doors

Bi Folding Patio Doors

Despite how stylish and ‘on-trend’ bi-fold patio doors are, these are not too extortionate by comparison. They are a little more expensive than their French and sliding-door counterparts, but not by an outrageous amount.

This makes them perfect for adding style to your home and keeping it within budget. A basic, three-panel uPVC bi-fold door will come in at around £1,200, once again, depending on the dimensions.

You can expect to add one or two hundred more if you’re planning to increase the scale. If you want to customise the uPVC frame and add colour effects, then the price may increase to around the £1,700 region.

These prices are only a rough guide, and so the best way to find out exactly how much a new set of doors will cost is to contact an installer for a quote.

This way, you can start to plan out your project and budget accordingly, and perhaps make room for more customised, stylish versions for your home.

Bi-Fold door costs

Published Updated Terri Allen Double Glazing, home improvement
Right Angled Bi Folding Doors
Right Angled Bi Folding Doors

Bi-fold doors have become increasingly popular in recent years. Once upon a time, French doors were seen as the ultimate luxury when it came to opening up the back of your Double Glazed property to the great outdoors.

Now, bi-fold doors create a much clearer and expansive feel, especially if you have decking or a large garden to look out onto.

The uses of bi-fold doors

Bi-fold doors, in reality, carry out the same function as any patio door: they create a wider opening to the outdoor area behind a house.

However, their size and shape create more of a glass wall effect. This helps to create a blur between where the back of the home begins and ends.

The feel they often create is a luxurious one, as it creates the appearance of an open veranda, which is the perfect way to chill on those hotter days.

Costs

When it comes to the cost of your bi-fold doors, you have two options in terms of materials. You will have to pick from either aluminium or uPVC, with the former being more expensive for manufacturers.

The cost of your bi-fold doors will depend on their dimensions, and how many panels you are wanting to install. For example, a smaller-sized, three-panel door will start at around £1,650, whereas going up to five, with almost twice the height could see you paying £4,300.

These costs make the assumption that you are using uPVC and not aluminium. Opting for this more expensive material could see you adding an extra £700 or so to the total cost, but it has the benefit of lasting for a much longer time.

Why now?

It’s no secret that bi-fold doors are certainly in vogue. If you take a look at any architectural design programme, you will see them being added to extensions to add space and airflow.

Yet, despite the recent demand, they have become more affordable than ever. They’re even more affordable if you opt for uPVC versions, which means you will get a luxurious feel for a fraction of the price.

Because these are such a popular design feature, you will boost the kerb appeal of your home.

Anyone looking to renovate their garden should certainly consider these as a back door option as it will open up the home. Even if your home is a bit more traditional in design, you can find bi-fold doors to complement its general aesthetic.

Aluminium versions, in particular, would be an ideal way of harmonising your new bi-fold doors with your home’s original period features.

Brown Bi-Folding Doors

If you have been watching people install trendy bi-fold doors on home renovation programmes and think they’re far out of your budget, then think again.

Opting for plastic-based frames is just one way you can minimise the cost for the same appeal. On top of that, despite their popularity, they aren’t stratospherically expensive, which makes them uniquely accessible.

So, if you’re looking to extend or improve your home, then consider the benefits of adding bi-fold doors.

Front porch extension ideas

Published Updated Terri Allen conservatory, Double Glazing, Porch, property extension
Enclosed Front Porch

As we live in the United Kingdom, it’s safe to assume that most people will want a covered porch.

Open and screened porches are gorgeous additions in hotter regions of the United States and other countries; however, with so much rain, sleet, and fog in our winters, an open porch would be seldom used outside of summer.

Here are a few ideas for a covered, front porch in the UK, with a number of size and style considerations.

Deck chairs

While beach-style deck chairs might be a little bit kitsch for some people’s tastes, deck chairs refer literally to the act of adding some reclining chairs to your porch.

If you are lucky enough to have a large porch, which can wrap around the front of your property, then you have some room to play with.

Adding large, double-glazed windows to watch out of provides the perfect view to look out over. Wrap-around porches with deck chairs, and maybe even a coffee table for good measure, are perfect for country homes.

Useful storage

If you have minimal space for your porch, you will need to be clever about how you use your storage. Here are a few options to consider:

  • A table with multiple drawers: vertical-stacked drawers provide you with somewhere to hide keys, umbrellas and other front-door essentials.
  • Vertical shoe-racks are an ingenious way of saving space. If you have kids who are prone to chucking their shoes to the side when they get in, then get them into the habit of chucking them into a vertical shoe cabinet instead.
  • Coat pegs: better to opt for pegs rather than a rack when it comes to storing your items.

Add a glass roof

If your reason for adding an extension in the first place is to add a feeling of spaciousness to your home, then there are ways of adding to this using glass.

Opening up the roof of your porch extension by using glass will flood it with light and make it feel even roomier.

A burst of colour

While your porch extension may carry out a very practical purpose, it’s good to ensure that you still maintain at least a little bit of fun and playfulness with how it looks.

An all-white extension could feel Scandinavian and chic, or it could just feel a little too clean and dull.

Adding a coloured wall or pops of vibrancy through your storage features could help it to feel uniquely yours in terms of style.

Double doors

UK Porch with Double Doors

If you want a grand entrance to your home, then double doors could be an intriguing option to think about.

You will need planning permission for anything larger than three square foot of floor space, but if this is something that doesn’t phase you, then two clear double doors could add a bit of a wow-factor to the front of your home.

When it comes to adding a porch extension, have a think about how it will practically function for your home.

You will want to ensure that it can also partially function as a means of storing everyday belongings, as well as being easy on the eye and providing a break from your front door and the outdoors.