Folding and bi-fold doors for Dallas homes

What is a folding door?

A folding door is a row of hinged glass panels that fold together and stack to one or both sides. The result is a nearly full-wall opening. Folding and bi-fold name the same idea in this trade.

Jada says folding windows and doors “offer the unique ability to open an entire wall for indoor/outdoor living.” Honey Rock works with three makers that each publish a folding system: Jada in steel, Bertrand in aluminum and Sun Windows in clad wood. Learn the term at bifold door.

Which folding doors does Honey Rock offer?

Honey Rock works with Jada, Bertrand and Sun, and each has a folding line. The right pick depends on material, exposure, panel count and the look of the house.

Maker	System	What the maker publishes
Jada	Outswing folding doors and windows	Narrow Secco OS2 thermally broken steel profiles; hung from an overhead track and guided in the sill
Bertrand	Concept Folding 77	Aluminum; 2 to 8 vents; opens inward or outward; four threshold options; vent height 23 5/8 to 118 1/8 inch
Bertrand	MB-86 Fold Line	Aluminum; sash heights up to 3000 mm, widths 700 to 1200 mm; up to 8 sashes
Sun Windows	Clad wood bi-fold doors and windows	Wood inside, aluminum clad outside; Centor hardware; up to 8 panels wide

Read about the makers at Jada, Bertrand and Sun Windows.

How do Jada’s steel folding doors work?

Jada’s folding doors hang from an overhead track and guide in the sill. They swing out and stack. They match Jada’s outswing doors and use the same narrow steel profiles. Jada says they keep “a more traditional steel door appearance than a sliding system.”

The Jada products page adds: “Folding doors stack to one or both sides of an opening and swing out from the interior.” Jada also says these systems “offer the ability to create large openings in conditions that restrict the use of pocketing sliding doors.”

Jada explains two layouts:

• Door with exterior access. Use an odd number of sash. The last sash hinges from the track side and works like a normal swing door.
• Pass-through window. Use an even number of sash. The last sash does not swing off the track.

Jada calls “3 + 3” its most optimum system. The center two doors work as a swing pair for daily use. When another lock point opens, the three-door group on each side folds and slides to the side. Jada’s public page lists only outswing folding. The menu shows an inswing folding item but gives no details, so ask Honey Rock if you need inswing.

Jada folding doors come with multi-point locking, and the first stile from the jamb is a “pivot locking” door with shoot bolts at the head and sill. Jada says the attachment method is standard and “cannot easily be altered.”

What are Bertrand’s folding systems?

Bertrand offers Concept Folding 77 and MB-86 Fold Line, both aluminum. Both open inward or outward. Concept Folding 77 links “from 2 to 8 vents.” MB-86 Fold Line allows up to 8 sashes in corner and panoramic layouts.

Concept Folding 77. Bertrand lists four threshold options: high, intermediate, low and flat. Its first leaf “can function independently as an entrance.” Published values are Uw 0.34 (double glazing) and 0.27 (triple glazing) Btu/hr.ft2°F, RC2 burglar resistance, a minimum vent height of 23 5/8 inch, a maximum vent height of 118 1/8 inch, and a maximum vent weight of 264 lbs.

MB-86 Fold Line. Bertrand says it has three-chamber aluminum profiles, with thermal breaks of 24 mm in frames and 34 mm in door leaves. Hardware supports sashes up to 120 kg. Sash heights go up to 3000 mm and widths run from 700 to 1200 mm. Threshold options include low and flush types.

Bertrand’s FAQ says “Aluminum constructions are made in 7-8 weeks,” and that it has no US subsidiaries. Ask Honey Rock about lead time and installation for your job.

What does Sun offer in bi-fold doors and windows?

Sun makes bi-fold doors and bi-fold windows in clad wood. The door pairs clad-wood panels with folding hardware from Centor Architectural. Panels are full-view glass. The window uses narrow sash panels.

Sun says its doors “open and accordion into a condensed stack to the exterior of the room.” Configurations run up to 8 panels wide. The hinges, drop bolts and handles come in stainless steel, dark bronze or polished brass.

Centor’s E3 hardware “is a hanging track system that requires engineered structural support.” Sun says the wall must accommodate a 6-9/16 inch jamb depth. Bi-fold doors and windows ship as kits to assemble and install on site.

Sun bi-fold windows use 2-1/4 inch rails and stiles. Sun says they are “often used to separate an interior/exterior bar or counter space,” and come in even panel counts of 2, 4, 6 or 8. See clad wood windows for matching windows.

Should a folding door swing in or out?

Outswing is the usual weather choice, and inswing keeps panels off the porch. Jada says outswing doors are the strongest choice for weather tightness, and its folding doors swing out. Bertrand lists both directions.

Question	Outswing folding	Inswing folding
Wind-driven rain	Jada says the higher the wind blows, the tighter outswing doors seal against their weatherstrip	Ask the maker for water test data on the inswing build
Stack location	Panels stack outside the wall	Panels stack inside the room
Furniture	Room stays clear	Needs clear floor and wall space inside
Porch	Needs clear porch or patio space	Porch stays clear
Makers	Jada; Bertrand; Sun stacks to the exterior	Bertrand lists inward and outward

Jada also says an outswing folding door with a draining track is “significantly water and air tight.” But when a pass-through window uses a flat sill, “the exposure needs to be limited as it will not be as water tight.”

For a Texas porch, check the overhang depth. Wind can drive rain under a short roof. A deep covered patio protects the track and the stack.

How do Texas rain and wind affect folding doors?

Folding doors have more joints than a single door, so water and wind testing matters. Choose a sill style for your exposure and ask for drawings that show water drainage. Sun’s guidance is useful for any maker.

Sun says its standard sill sits above the floor, like other exterior doors, and gives the strongest weather protection for exposed units. Its floor channel gives the smoothest transition, but “requires additional weather protection for the exterior space.” The ADA sill serves accessibility needs.

Ask each maker the same questions:

1. What is the sill height, and where does water drain?
2. Which side faces the weather when the door is closed?
3. How are the panel seals protected where the stack parks?
4. What overhang or canopy do you require?
5. Is there test data for air, water and wind on my size?

Read air leakage rating and windborne debris rating for the terms. Honey Rock does not state an impact or hurricane rating for any folding product.

What does the house need to carry a folding door?

A folding door hangs its panels from a track, so the header must carry that weight. Jada names “the hanging load requirements” as a challenge. Sun says its Centor E3 hardware “requires engineered structural support.” Bring your engineer in before framing.

Check these items with your builder:

• Header. Size it for the full hanging load of all panels, not only the glass.
• Jamb depth. Sun’s bi-fold products need a 6-9/16 inch jamb, so the wall must be deep enough.
• Stack space. Panels need room to park, inside or outside, with no rail, shrub or furniture in the way.
• Floor. The sill or floor channel must drain and meet the finished floor.
• Attachment. Jada says its folding door attachment follows the track system and cannot easily be altered. Get the rough opening from the shop drawing, not from a rule of thumb.

Glass adds to the load. Jada says oversize glass “can dramatically affect the overall cost and the warranty of the fenestration on a project.” Share the glass spec with every quote request. See rough opening, IGU and glass options.

When is a sliding door better than a folding door?

A slider is better when you want screens, a flat track or lighter hardware loads. A folding door is better when you want the widest clear opening or cannot use a pocket. Jada names the trade-offs itself.

Question	Folding door	Sliding or multi-slide door
Clear opening	Widest; panels stack to the side	Panels overlap, or tuck into pockets
Screens	Limited, per Jada	Matching screens are a standard option on Jada sliders
Structure	Hangs from an overhead track; engineered support needed	Bottom roll sets weight on the floor track
Energy	Jada: swing products tend to rate better than folding	Same note applies to sliding
Pass-through	A leaf can work as a door	Lead panel slides
Pocket needed	No	Only for the pocketing type

Jada’s public sample ratings (clear glass, no grid) are folding door U-factor 0.34 and SHGC 0.32, and sliding door U-factor 0.37 and SHGC 0.32. These are samples. Ask for the NFRC rating that matches your size and glass.

For a full comparison, see sliding and lift-and-slide doors, lift-and-slide vs sliding doors and multi-slide and pocket doors.

How do folding windows differ from folding doors?

A folding window uses window sash instead of door panels, so it opens a counter or bar to the outside. Jada makes both folding doors and folding windows from the same profiles. Sun makes a separate bi-fold window with narrow 2-1/4 inch rails and stiles.

For a pass-through window, Jada says to use an even number of sash. It also says a flat sill is possible for a pass-through window, but exposure “needs to be limited.” A raised sill sheds water better, so match the sill to the roof above the outdoor bar. Sun’s bi-fold windows come in even counts of 2, 4, 6 or 8 panels.

Use folding windows for a pool house bar, a kitchen pass-through or an outdoor serving counter. Use folding doors when people need to walk through.

How much do folding doors cost?

Honey Rock publishes no prices, and Jada, Bertrand and Sun publish none on their folding pages. Folding is a custom system, so price follows the job. The biggest drivers are panel count, height, material, glass and the threshold.

Other drivers include finish, hardware, the header or beam that carries the hanging load, and any extra weather protection. To get a number, send the opening width and height, the number of panels you want, the swing direction and the exposure. Use contact us or call (214) 484-9982.

Are folding doors energy efficient?

They can be efficient, but a folding wall has many joints. Jada says swing products tend to rate better than folding ones. Bertrand lists Concept Folding 77 at Uw 0.34 (double) and 0.27 (triple). Always compare full-unit NFRC ratings.

See how to read an NFRC label, SHGC and U-factor for Texas and the terms SHGC and U-factor. Texas homes get strong sun on south and west walls, so glass selection matters as much as the frame.

What should you ask before ordering a folding door?

Ask about the header, the stack, the sill and the service plan. Folding systems hang their load on a track, so structure comes first.

1. What is the total weight per panel with my glass?
2. What does the header or beam need to carry?
3. Where do the panels stack, and what clear space do they need?
4. Which sill type fits my exposure?
5. Do I need a swing leaf for daily passage?
6. What screen options exist, if any?
7. Who installs and adjusts the hardware?

For a wider plan, read planning a window and door project and visit the builders and architects page.

Next step

Choose your type, then contact us with the opening size and the wall above it. Honey Rock can compare the folding lines with you. Start on the Jada, Bertrand or Sun Windows pages.