AluK Systems are based in Newport, Gwent and serve the UK domestic and commercial door and window market through their network of fabricators. They have introduced the BSF70 HD aluminium bifolding door.
What is the AluK BSF70 HD Bifolding Door?
The new AluK BSF70 HD door is marketed as a heavier duty bifolding door able to accept larger and heavier panes of glass with no loss of performance.
This is achieved by using heavier duty hardware resulting in a larger possible panel weight. AluK say that their fabricator/installer base can now offer heavier glass such as triple glazing. Other options can of course include laminated glass panels, acoustic glass or other glass of choice.
How does this new hardware benefit the AluK bifolding door?
In order to allow for heavier sliding folding door panels, the AluK BSF70 HD has a built-in alignment pin within the hinge assembly to provide accurate and permanent panel positioning.
This added feature aids installation, makes the panels stronger at the roller position. Furthermore it benefits from better design at the bottom hinge via stainless steel rollers incorporating new needle bearings. This helps the door work better as well.
AluK say that this heavier duty roller and top guide enables bifolding door panels that can accept a 130kg glass load.
Whilst there appears to be no change in the design of their existing bifolding door (already an excellent seller in the marketplace) AluK say this new aluminium bifolding door offers greater opportunity for fabricators and installers of AluK bifolding doors.
Other features of the AluK BSF70 HD bifolding door.
In line with virtually every other bifolding door on the market doors can open in or out, stack left to right or left and right. Access leaves are also available, therefore there is no instant benefit here.
The door has been tested in accordance with BS EN 1527 with AluK saying doors have been endurance tested to 25,000 cycles.
Also typical of most quality bifolding doors on the market, AluK offer the product in single or dual colour polyester powder coated finishes as well as anodised.
This new bifolding door offers the same features as the existing
BSF 70 Door including:
- Internal glazing beads with square or softline profile.
- The well known flush pop out intermediate handle that allows for better stacking when doors are open.
- Low threshold options.
- Will accept sealed units of 28mm – 40mm
Does the new AluK bifolding door offer benefits to homeowners and the commercial market?
The AluK bifolding door is widely available in the marketplace and the first versions of this door have already established themselves in the marketplace as a reasonably priced, well made, attractive and reliable.
AluK have for quite a while marketed the existing BSF70 (non HD) door as accepting glass units up to 44mm in thickness, this would suggest that the existing AluK bifold could already accept heavier glass panels and indeed has already been installed with these or triple glazing.  Therefore is there a confusing message here with the HD version?
The increased awareness about triple glazing over the last  few years may have resulted in improvements to the existing product having to be made by AluK, with heavier duty hardware that can take more weight per panel.
Homeowners buying bifolding doors are not generally specifying triple glazing or other specialist glass that is normally heavier than standard toughened or laminated units.  Even integral glass blinds that are highly recommended with bifolding doors do not add substantial weight to a typical double glazed unit.
Commercially, there are advantages evident with the new AluK heavier duty door.  As doors and windows installed in commercial premises are subjected to far more use than any domestic setting, there is a good case here that this door should be used and specified commercially even with standard double glazed units.  This will ensure even more reliability in a heavy duty environment such as a restaurant, shop, cafe or other use.  Having said that the first version of the AluK bifolding doors as well as many other quality bifolding door systems have already been used commercially with standard rollers and hardware.
Regardless of the reasons, any well made and designed bifolding door such as the AluK and many other systems relies on quality and durable hardware. Â Aluminium bifolding doors generally will not suffer the operational and expansion issues typical of some PVCu folding doors.
Therefore any improvement to the all important hardware in a bifolding door is to be welcomed. Â And of course professional window companies even those that specialise in PVCu windows and doors prefer to install bifolding doors in aluminium as they are acknowledged as being far superior.
If you would like more information on this product or wish to be put in touch with a fabricator or installer please contact us.
