The Folding Door - Unfolding Expectations

Not to be Confused with Closet Bifolds

When one thinks about a folding door, the image of old closet doors likely comes to mind. Before homes were built with massively vaulted ceilings and sprawling rooms, space was a premium. The folding door is ideally suited to the space conscious mind. A folding door opens by folding along seams in the door and compacting down to a smaller space that is significantly less than that occupied by a standard door.

For example, a 36-inch wide folding door can fold down to occupy a space of 12 inches by 6 inches. Imagine how much space a folding door returns to the room and the owner versus that of a standard door that will occupy the same amount of space in the interior when it is opened as it takes to fill in the doorway.

Enhance Your View

The psychological effect of the folding door on space is profound. Combine the folding door with a patio area and there is a stronger link forged between the interior of the home and the exterior. A folding door can also be more aesthetically pleasing than a standard door. Again, let's talk about the old-style closet door or the folding accordion doors that can separate one room from another.

Louvered accordion doors were popular and added dimension to the flat space. Much like this, Lanai folding doors can be opened up and pushed back snugly against the wall or opening. This feature is designed to maximize the available space, which means that the doors will not impede travel, furniture placement or use of the interior or exterior space surrounding the door opening.

Even Configurations are Odd

When configured with even panels, folding door systems do not swing. They do not crash into walls and they do not require doorstops. They can be tracked from above or below and free up interior floor space. The folding door installed with glass can even be double paned and take up significantly less space while reducing energy costs for the home.

Space comes at a premium, the folding door begs the question: why waste the available space? Rooms can be made larger, the outside more accessible, and the view better when a Lanai folding door system is used. Imagine the simple pleasure of opening a folding door to let in the morning air and being able to stand barefoot at the entrance without risking your toes. Sometimes, the old-fashioned is the best fashion. In the case of the folding door, this is definitely true.