Alumina Foil and Wood Grain Bifold Doors

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Nick Dardalis

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What are your options for wood grain bifold doors? Woodgrain finishes are widely available on PVCu windows and bifold doors. For aluminium, the choices tend to be more limited.  One aluminium product offering wood grain bifold doors is the Alumina Bifolding Door from Liniar.

alumina-2

Alumina Wood Grain Bifold Doors.

As well as the full range of powder-coated colours, the Alumina suite of bifolding doors, entrance doors and French doors comes in woodgrain colours.  Alumina is the only aluminium bifold on the market offering a foiled woodgrain finish.

The woodgrain colours for Alumina aluminium doors give consumers wanting a timber-look bifolding door a quality alternative to real wood. Furthermore, Alumina wood grain bifold doors provide a match for existing woodgrain windows. It is, of course, suitable as a stand-alone bifold for those homeowners wanting aluminium doors with a wood effect appearance.

As well as woodgrain, Alumina also comes with flat plain colour foils.

wood grain bifold doors

The advantages of woodgrain on aluminium doors.

First of all, woodgrain on windows and doors first came about with PVCu windows and doors, providing a lower cost alternative to timber windows. With many properties built with wood windows, these original windows are very much a characteristic of traditional houses.

Woodgrain on PVCu windows provided a cheap alternative with timber windows with the benefit of low maintenance.  While quality PVCu windows remain affordable and desirable, for doors especially, aluminium has advantages.

Wood grain on aluminium doors, like PVCu, is a solution for homeowners wary about installing any window in their home that may not suit the house style. Timber alternative windows and doors and now wood grain bifolding doors provide all the benefits of modern double glazing. They also retain the original appearance of the original windows and doors.

Consequently, wood grain bifold doors provide several advantages.

  • Low maintenance and easy to clean.
  • None of the care associated with timber windows.
  • Substantially cheaper than timber windows.
  • Energy efficient, secure and weather resistant.
  • Virtually indistinguishable from real wood windows.
  • Matches existing woodgrain windows and doors in the home.

Aluminium bifolds with a permanently bonded foil.

wood effect profile on bifold
The choice of quality foils brings an authentic wood or plain colour to Alumina bifolding doors

The foiling of aluminium profiles is not new.  Monarch Aluminium with their highly successful Monaframe system also provided a foiled aluminium window in the late 1990’s up to 2007. Foiling brings a textured, smooth or wood effect finish to a door or window frame.F

Foils have been available for over thirty years. The latest generation of quality foils and films vastly improve the appearance of a PVCu profile. Aside from the decorative benefits foils provide functional features as well.

A foiled frame protects the PVCu profile from the elements; it resists all types of weathers and it is easy to maintain. Only mild cleaning is ever required. Foils are permanently bonded to the PVCu profile ensuring the longevity and durability of the whole product.

On woodgrain bifold doors and other products, a foil is a form of laminate finish with benefits over paint finishes.

  • Quality foils replicate the colour of wood.
  • Wood grain foils offer the texture of wood, therefore emulating the ‘grain’ of original wood windows.
  • Due to the texture, foils add a particular look to a bifold door.
  • The bonding process of the foil is incredibly hard to damage.

Furthermore, wood grain bifold doors provide a ‘warm to the touch’ not possible with standard powder coated aluminium doors.

alumina residential doors
The Alumina front door using the bifolding door profiles and a combination of both aluminium and PVCu

Alumina brings a consistent colour to residential properties.

The range of foils available with Alumina bifolding doors is not only designed to offer a unique tone and texture choice but also an integrated one. The one huge advantage these foiled options have over other RAL colours is colour consistency throughout.

It is of course, entirely possible to match RAL colours together across different products from a variety of systems. However, with the diversity of aluminium suppliers in windows, doors, conservatories, roofing products, soffits and cladding, pressings, trims and other building materials this can be complicated and costly.

When colour matching aluminium often the same RAL colour is not all that is needed. Speak to any professional powder coater and they will tell you that to ensure an exact colour match, the powder manufacturer has to be identified as well.

The one advantage of the foils in wood grain bifold doors is colour consistency throughout a complete suite of home improvement and building products. This consistency is achieved with only a simple colour check with foiled products from other suppliers.

Also, the other advantage to a foiled finish is a single source for warranties on the colour of the product.

Foil colours and options with Alumina Bifolding Doors.

The choice of woodgrain and flat foiled finishes from aluminium caters for most residential and commercial requirements.

alumina colours

Why aluminium wood grain bifolding doors are better.

Both powder coated colours and foils have advantages. However, there are also other reasons to consider wood-grain foils.

Durability.

As durable, as powder coated finishes are, foils are more durable. The bonding process is very precise. Consequently, it creates an exceptionally strong surface to the aluminium. Surface imperfections (often visible on powder-coated doors but within industry tolerances) are practically non-existent.

Quality of finish.

Powder coated colours are ideal for providing a virtually unlimited choice of shades.  However, for appearance, foils offer more. Therefore the texture, grains and warm feel is more intricate and arguably a better overall finish. Foils provide an almost perfect replica of real wood.

Aluminium to match PVCu windows and doors.

Finally, many traditional properties have windows not well-served by current aluminium products. A good example is houses with sliding sash windows.  For homeowners wanting the benefits of aluminium doors, the wood grain and smooth foils on products like Alumina doors offer a solution.  As a result, Alumina wood grain bifold doors match PVCu timber-look sash windows and casement windows.

Contact us for more information and where to buy Alumina wood grain bifold doors.

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Andrew DOBSONAndrew DOBSON
16:42 30 Oct 23
Nick responded incredibly quickly to my enquiry (on a Saturday too!), and was able to offer invaluable advice on both aluminum systems and manufacturer / suppliers. Thanks Nick!
chris steerchris steer
16:18 09 Oct 23
Had a meeting with Nick during the grand designs show. Was extremely helpful and professional would highly recommend
Chris WesthorpChris Westhorp
19:55 13 Sep 23
Extremely helpful with pointing us in the right direction to find the products we required and suggesting firms that could reliably fit them.Nick was quick to reply and very detailed in his advice.Highly recommend reaching out to them.
Cathy GreenwoodCathy Greenwood
07:03 11 Sep 23
Update - A second email to nick for help on bifolds resulted in a detailed informative reply even on a Sunday ! This guy is so knowledgable and helpful .I approached Nick for an independent view on sliding doors v bifold and the different brand options . His reply was extremely detailed and prompt and allowed me to navigate this often confusing world in a much more informed way . Thanks so much Nick
Anthony CraigAnthony Craig
12:45 05 Sep 23
This is a must site for anyone looking for advice. Great service and very quick answers to questions. Nick has been of great help quiding us through the maze of aluminium products. Thank you
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20:24 26 Jul 23
I contacted Nick @ ATS for guidance on what aluminium sliding door systems would be suitable for an opening in an extension that is going to be both wide and tall. He came back really quickly with very detailed and incredibly helpful advice. He is clearly extremely knowledgeable about the systems on the market and their respective features and capabilities. If you’re feeling a bit lost by the overwhelming range of choices out there, I’d definitely recommend contacting him.
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17:25 19 Jul 23
Nick's advice is great. He is always quick to respond and spends time on responses, which really help to make an informed decision.
Alan FosterAlan Foster
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Absolutely fantastic. Asked for advice about replacing Crittall (?) windows late last night and early this morning received 3 great suggestions and contact information for suppliers
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Fantastic website full of valuable and pragmatic advice about product selection and comparison: no other website gives information like this. Truly written for public interest. Don't hesistate to reach out to Nick via the mailing system. He responds very quickly, is friendly, and has very sound and high knowledgable advice. I have already shared this with my friend planning her own grand design.
guard Charlieguard Charlie
12:28 14 May 23
I emailed this company just on the off chance they could help me with new magnetic sliders for my patio door. They were not able to supply those but were so very helpful providing me with the name of a company who could. I am so very grateful at the great service. Dare say customers must be very happy. thank you so much.
Benjamin LewisBenjamin Lewis
10:06 04 May 23
Nick is very helpful indeed. Extremely knowledgeable on bifolds which was in relation to my query. Great website as well, some very useful articles. Particularly appreciated the article that lists all the major bifold options in order of their sightlines! Thank you!
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After a lot of research to find doors that would meet our unusual size requirements and feeling increasingly uncertain about the best way to spend our small budget, I stumbled on the ATS website, and I'm so glad I did! I contacted ATS to request advice and Nick promptly replied with a wealth of information, providing us with options and relevant contact details. I only wish I'd found them sooner!
Carol NortonCarol Norton
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I've been so confused about how to achieve the look I'm after, and going round in circles with various window/door companies, trying to get away from the huge chunks of plastic currently around my windows. I didn't expect an email to a company found through a Google search to really help - but I was desperate, so I tried. I'm SO glad I did. Finally I have clear explanations from ATS of where I've been going wrong, exactly what I'm looking for, and a list of local companies that might be able to provide it! The response has excelled my expectations and I feel as if I'm finally inching closer to a home with which I'll be happy and comfortable: thank you.
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It is rare that I write reviews, however after my very positive communication with Nick - enquiring about suitable slim sash aluminium windows for my project, I felt that a review was definitely warranted. I can reinforce the many positive reviews posted so far, Nick was very quick to respond, providing comprehensive detail, with excellent independent advice.In summary, great service, thank you Nick.
Chantal AuerbachChantal Auerbach
13:04 09 Mar 23
Nick from Aluminium Trade Supply was incredibly helpful informative and pleasant to deal with. He responded quickly to emails and was very knowledgeable. Highly recommend being in touch with Nick if you are considering new aluminium windows or doors.
Lee JonesLee Jones
20:21 22 Feb 23
I dropped Nick at Aluminium Trade Supply an email re high security slim sightline bi-folds and their alternatives and he responded that quickly (and so comprehensively) that I felt bad I’d not paid him for his time!Nick Sir your product knowledge is outstanding and you are providing a level of service that goes wayyyy above and beyond expectations. I’ll definitely make sure I mention Aluminium Trade Supply to anyone I encounter looking for a fenestration solution 🙏🏼
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15:13 13 Feb 23
We are looking to replace some old UPVC patios doors with aluminium ones. The ATS website is a great source of advice in an area where clear information is sorely lacking. Having used the website, I then followed this up with a number of specific questions relating to our search, and Nick came back very quickly with clear, detailed and very useful advice.I have been very impressed with both the website and with Nick's advice. My only regret is that I didn't come across ATS before replacing various windows in 2021 - I'm sure it would have saved me a lot of grief and money! Thanks again Nick.
Azza McCabeAzza McCabe
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So impressed with this company.Responded to my query quickly andgave valuable advice. Nick was extremely helpful and we were able to move forward with our project.
Adri LoloçiAdri Loloçi
11:21 08 Jan 23
Nick was super fast to respond and provided some great recommendations. I would recommend this website to anyone looking to find bifold or sliding aluminium doors.
Stephen HoustonStephen Houston
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Looking for aluminium crittall style internal door and external patio French doors. Noted good reviews and thought would ask for advice. Comprehensive reply with excellent independent advice and lists of fitters who could provide products and installation. Great service.
Inga GeachInga Geach
08:25 21 Dec 22
Nick from Aluminium Trade Supply has been extremely helpful with navigating the jungle that is aluminium glazing for our upcoming extension project. His advice was prompt, detailed and always impartial. Very grateful for your input, thanks Nick!
Amanda BurtonAmanda Burton
10:54 16 Dec 22
Brilliant website and an excellent service. Nick provided not only detailed advice and supplier contacts, but highlighted the considerations of various products so I could make an informed choice. Our Sunvista minimal sliders were fitted this week and I couldn't be happier, stunning. Thanks once again for your advice and recommendations, invaluable!
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Nick has been very helpful on signposting me to a number of partner organisations for steel/aluminium doors.
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My experience with this firm was exceptionally good and this is notalways the case as a female, dipping a toe into technical waters.I was spoken too with courtesy and at a level that helped me consolidate what was needed .On top of that I was given a list of companies and places where I could obtain the type of product I needed.I could not thank them enough and would certainly go there again and reccommend others do too.
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