Aluminium-Clad Timber Bi-Fold Doors near York

Every homeowner we work with has unique requirements for their new glass doors, and with our bespoke range of Solarlux glazing systems we can deliver the perfect solution.

For this dining room extension project near York, it was the Combiline composite bi-folding doors that ticked all our customer's boxes.

Triple-glazed and with an aluminium-clad timber frame, these bi-folds were custom made to provide an exact match with the property's existing doors and windows.

This project was all about the detail, and included a few design challenges as well. So it was ideal for our team of glazing specialists, who are not only highly experienced in delivering bespoke glass systems, but are perfectionists as well!

The Solution

For this project, the customer chose a five-pane outward opening Solarlux Combiline bi-folding door, with all panels stacking to the right when viewed from the inside. The far left hand door is the master leaf / traffic door.

A rare find on the market, the Solarlux Combiline's credentials are impressive. This custom made bi-folding door marries the warmth of natural wood for your home's interior with the durability and strength of aluminium on the exterior. And its bespoke design allows the freedom to specify your doors exactly as you would like them, from the dimensions and door opening configurations to the glazing, timber, colours and finishes.

German-engineered by the inventors of the original bi-folding door system, the Combiline is smooth to operate and allows for easy opening even with daily use. It is extremely safe and secure, and its glass panels can reach up to 2.8 metres high and 1 metre wide with sightlines of 147 mm. And with fantastic thermal performance, it has the ability to reach low overall U-values of under 1.1 W/m²K.

The aluminium frame of the Combiline is timber clad on the indoor-facing side, so all the running gear and what it's locking into is aluminium, while the door sashes are alu-clad timber all the way around. Added to this is a durable stainless steel carriage for enhanced movement. This means you've got the aluminium where you want it for durability and weather resistance, and the timber where you want it for a softer appearance and natural insulation.

One of the great things about all Solarlux bi-fold doors is their huge choice of door opening configurations. With more than 26 different options, you can decide between inside or outside opening, with or without a swing panel, left or right folding, or even the unique left AND right folding.

And, as with all Solarlux products, the quality shines through in the Combiline. All timber elements of the frame are made from FSC®- and PEFC-certified woods. As well as standard spruce and pine, the doors are also available in any other wood of your choice, including oak and meranti. A selection of varnish coatings, hand-oiled surfaces or opaque coats come in a range of RAL colours including 30 different standard shades, with examples shown here:

Design and Challenges

For this project, the customer's main focus was the look and feel of the product. The Combiline was the only aluminium and oak bi-folding door he could find that offered him the versatility of design he needed. As the MD of a group of construction, electrical and mechanical contractors, our customer recognised the Solarlux quality and was willing to double his budget to ensure his doors were perfect!

One of the challenges was finding both an exterior aluminium frame colour and interior wood finish that was an exact match with the home's existing doors and windows, examples of which are shown below. However, the huge range of wood varieties, colours and finishes offered by Solarlux meant it was just a matter of time until we found the right ones! A visit to our Leeds showroom was very helpful for our customer, allowing him and his partner to view the range of bi-fold wood and aluminium paint samples we have available.

The key issue on this project that needed to be addressed was a downpipe on the outer wall. This was located right at the point where the bi-folding doors were supposed to stack when open, and it was not possible to move it.

As can be seen in the images below, this downpipe protruded by around 125mm. It caused a lot of additional work on our part to accommodate the downpipe into the design.

The solution was to add a 78mm side extension made from a piece of alu-clad wood, which provided the clearance needed from the downpipe.

A further design challenge was the addition of trickle ventilation within the bi-folding door frame.

Trickle vents are one way of creating the correct ventilation required to maintain indoor air quality, as stipulated in Approved Document F of the Building Regulations.

The homeowner wanted to incorporate trickle ventilation into his new bi-folding doors, so we had to run a 64mm high head extension at the top of the doors. Like the side extension, it was something we wouldn't normally need to do but as doors and windows specialists, are able to deliver if required.

Solarlux glass doors don't come with trickle ventilation options, so our team asked Solarlux to provide a piece of alu-clad wood for the head extension. We then routed holes through the wood and fitted the trickle vents ourselves, having purchased them separately from Titon in the UK.

The final challenge on this project was the height of the threshold. This required an additional survey by our team to get it right, as well as modifications to the homeowner's original plans for a low level threshold.

The solution was to take out some brickwork from the extension and install a rebated threshold comprising a sub cill with an upstand.

Manufacture, Delivery and Installation

Solarlux manufactures every single element of its glazing systems at its single-site factory complex in Melle, Germany, before shipping the finished product to the UK for installation.

For most of our projects, the glazing system is delivered directly to site, but for this one they came to our own Reveal Aluminium factory in Leeds, where we thoroughly checked them before transporting them to site for installation.

Solarlux glass systems are designed and manufactured to the highest quality using premium materials and a wealth of German engineering expertise. The final step in the process of delivering a flawless result is the installation, which must be carried out by specialists such as oursleves who have been approved by Solarlux.

For all our projects, we assign a dedicated in-house installation team to work solely on the job until it's completed. This ensures consistency, efficiency and the least amount of disruption for the homeowners and their families.

Aluminium and Oak Composite / Alu-Clad Bi-Fold Doors: The Details

• 5-pane Solarlux Combiline bi-folding doors
• Made from aluminium-clad multi-laminated timber profiles with ventilated aluminium shells on the outside and a thermally-insulated aluminium frame with wood cladding on the inside
• Timber type - Oak
• Complies with British Building Regulations
• Comprehensive 10-year manufacturer's warranty covering the whole system (terms & conditions apply)

Dimensions

• Total structural opening 4868mm wide x 2195mm high
• Door width: 4856mm with 78mm side extension
• Door height: 2185mm with 64mm head extension and 25mm sub-cill
• 78mm full height side extension and 55mm side frame at the right hand side (viewed from inside) provide clearance for the 130mm downpipe, plus installation tolerance
• 64mm head extension for trickle vents

Configurations

• Five panes, all opening to the right, when viewed from the inside
• Master door on left hand side must open first (when viewed from inside)

Glass Specification

• 36mm triple glazed, comprising 4mm toughened clear – 90% argon filled – 4mm toughened clear – 90% argon filled – 4mm Low E toughened clear
• Centre pane Ug-value (measuring the thermal efficiency of the glass itself) 0.7 W/m²K
• Overall Uw-value 1.3 W/m²K (DIN EN ISO 10177-2; 2018-01)
• Black warm edge spacer
• All glass is clear, although its appearance can vary in each position due to the glass specification required for compliance with various Building Regulations
• Square beading

Wood

• Natural oak
• Wood top layer with finger-jointed squared timber
• The grain is unique to each piece of wood, so colour and structure may differ, even within a single profile

Thresholds

• Fully weather rated rebated threshold (pictured below left)
• Threshold colour - As external frame colour
• Cill - 150mm sub-cill (see below right)
• Cill colour - As external frame colour
• Cill length - To run under door/threshold width and side extension piece

Locking

• Multipoint locking
• High-security RC2-certified lever handle on the master door inside and outside combined with the Solarlux convenience lock with full cylinder (55/50mm)
• Flat handle inside on panes 3 and 5

Colours and Finishes

• Internal colour: Colourless lacquer in matt on the wood
• External colour- Reed Green (Nearest RAL colour 6013)
• Paint finish - Matt (Fully finished at the factory)

Ironmongery

• Master leaf - Full cylinder with lever handles on inside and outside c/w multipoint locking
• Slave leaves - Shoot bolts top and bottom with handle on inside only without a cylinder
• Ironmongery / hardware colour: Black Anodised
• Hinges colour inside and outside - Satin silver anodised
• Solarlux stainless steel handles inside and outside
• Handle height - 1050mm
• 3S protection to floor track included – Silver Anodised (No other finish available)
• Black perimeter infill – Included – Black Plastic (No other finish available)

Drainage

• Draining caps were placed at the bottom of the frame
• Face drained for all items, including with cill
• Cill end caps - Black plastic (No other finish / colour matching available)
• Drainage caps - Black plastic (No other finish / colour matching available)
• Image below left

Trickle Ventilation

• Trickle vents were added separately by our team to a head extension at the top of the frame
• Two 4000mm EA providing 8000mm EA - Using the 64mm high head extension across the top of the door as section shown below
• Trickle vent position - Centre above panes 2 and 4 (see image below)
• Trickle vent colour - Titon Black
• Image below right

Sealant

• Colour matched silicone

Foam in door frame

• Soudafoam Window and Door SWS, a one component, self-expanding and contracting, ready to use polyurethane foam. This offers a high level of airtightness and thermal and acoustic insulation that lasts for many years

The Finished Result

The oak wood and aluminium green colour of these bespoke Combiline bi-folding doors ensures they blend seamlessly with the existing doors and windows of this home near York.

The opening direction that our customer wanted was fulfilled through the expertise of our team of designers and engineers, and the doors were custom manufactured and installed to millimetre perfection. A job well done and another happy customer!

Approach and Aftercare

As a specialist glazing company, we offer a full service that ensures we deliver the long term, quality engineered product expected from Solarlux's premium glazing systems. All our bi-folding doors and their installation meet all British Building Regulations, standards and practices.

This project highlights many aspects of our approach and expertise that we are well regarded for. When unforeseen challenges arose, we had specialists in our team to deal with it. We took time to get everything right and find solutions that would deliver the result the homeowner was after. The project also highlighted how much attention we give to the detail throughout the whole process so that the customer ends up with exactly what they had envisaged.

Our customer praised us for the level of communication we had both with him and between our team. This is a key focus for us because it ensures we are all reading off the same hymn sheet, working towards the same vision expertly and efficiently.

Our award-winning seven step approach to delivering a successful project, shown below, ensures an outstanding end result and delighted customers every time.

A Solution to Match Your Vision

We help homeowners and architects achieve their vision with high quality, impeccably installed glazing solutions. Whatever your unique aesthetic and practical requirements are, we have the expertise and the bespoke glazing system to fulfil the brief.

For some homeowners, it's all about minimal sightlines to make the most of their views. Others are looking for a flush threshold for full accessibility and a seamless transition between their indoor and outside living space. Then there are those who want to go as big as possible for maximum light and effect. Many have a specific colour or finish in mind, or simply want a premium, highly-engineered product with outstanding thermal efficiency.

From the dimensions to the colour, the type of glazing to the handles, your glass system will be custom designed, manufactured and installed by our specialists to meet your vision perfectly.

Please get in touch with our industry specialists to tell us more about what you are hoping to achieve. We would also welcome the opportunity to show you around our display in Leeds. Contact us by clicking the button below.