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Bi-folding Doors Thermal Efficiency FAQs

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{"pageStyle":"","cssClass":"advice-article-2714","articleTitle":"Bi-folding Doors Thermal Efficiency FAQs","strapline":null,"straplineColour":"white","desktopBannerUrl":null,"desktopBannerWidth":0,"desktopBannerHeight":0,"tabletLandscapeBannerUrl":null,"tabletPortraitBannerUrl":null,"mobileBannerUrl":null,"carouselImageUrls":["/Media/Default/Images%20for%20Advice%20Centre%20Articles/Thermal%20Efficiency%20FAQ/thermal-efficiency-FAQs-banner.jpg"],"featureBullets":[],"articleBody":"<h2 style=\"font-size: 40px;\">Why is the U-Value of the doors important?</h2><p>The U-Value of a building material measures how effectively it insulates a building, in general, the higher the U-Value the poorer the insulation properties of that material. The U-Value is a major consideration when choosing doors as the U-Value of a door will have a direct impact on how much heat is lost from your home. When advertising the U-Values, companies often publish the centre pane U-Value because it can be lower than the overall U-Value, but the key figure is the overall value.</p><p>The current U-Value regulations are 1.4W/(m&sup2;K) when you are replacing existing doors and 1.6 W/(m&sup2;K) for new builds or extensions. Origin&rsquo;s aluminium doors with triple glazed units can achieve U-Values of 1.1 W/(m&sup2;K), well below the level of 1.4 set by the Government, helping to keep your home at the optimum temperature, no matter what the weather is like outside.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Product</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>U-Value (W/m&sup2;K)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OB-49 Bi-fold Doors, French Doors and Single Doors</p></td><td><p>1.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OB-72 Bi-fold Doors, Corner Bi-fold Doors, Bi-fold Windows, French Doors and Single Doors&nbsp;</p></td><td><p>1.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OS-20 Artisan Sliding Door</p></td><td><p>1.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OS-29 / OS-44 / OS-77 Patio Sliding Doors</p></td><td><p>1.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Origin Residential Door</p></td><td><p>1.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OW-70 Slimline Window</p></td><td><p>1.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OW-80 Premium Window</p></td><td><p>0.8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style=\"font-size: 40px;\">What is a thermal break and why is it important?</h2><p>Aluminium conducts heat easily which means that when the temperature outside is hot, this heat can be transferred into the home, and when it&rsquo;s cold outside, this can draw heat from the home. To solve this problem, Origin&rsquo;s aluminium doors are fitted with thermal break barriers, which resist thermal transfer from the outside face of the doors through to the living area inside.</p><p>As aluminium is a natural conductor, rather than insulator, it is important to have a polyamide thermal break which separates the aluminium frame into interior and exterior pieces, joining them together with a less conductive material. This break acts as a thermal barrier, reducing the flow of thermal energy through the aluminium.</p><h2 style=\"font-size: 40px;\">Is thermal glass available for bi-folding doors?</h2><p>Origin doors can be fitted with 24, 28 and 32mm glass sizes, so for specifics on the glass type, it is best speaking to the accredited agent as they will be best placed to advise you.</p><h2 style=\"font-size: 40px;\">Are bi-folding doors draughty?</h2><p>If installed correctly, bi-folding doors should not be draughty. A strip of polyamide runs between the two faces of the doors, offering a thermal break between the outside and inside. Polyamide is an extremely efficient insulator so prevents thermal transference and helps to reduce energy bills. Origin Bi-fold Doors have also completed extensive air permeability, water tightness, wind resistance and even hurricane testing for International markets. As mentioned above, poor installation could cause draughts which is why we always recommend homeowners use one of our trained and accredited retailers to install bi-fold doors</p><h2 style=\"font-size: 40px;\">Are bi-fold doors cold?</h2><p>No, bi-fold doors are not cold. Though as a very general rule windows lose more heat than walls, if you purchase insulating bi-fold doors the glass won&rsquo;t be cold and you won&rsquo;t lose heat.</p><p>You need to look at the U-Value of the doors you are purchasing to establish how insulating they are &ndash; low U-Values mean warmer doors.</p><p>For more information contact your <a href=\"https://origin-global.com/find-local-installer\">local installer</a> or find out more about&nbsp;<a href=\"https://origin-global.com/doors/aluminium-bifold-doors\" onclick=\"ga('send', 'event', 'Advice Centre', 'Link to bifold page', 'https://origin-global.com/advice-centre/bi-folding-doors-thermal-efficiency-faqs');\">bespoke bi-folding doors here</a>.</p>","youTubeVideoId":null,"audioUrl":"/Media/Default/advice%20centre/audio/bi-fold-thermal-efficiency-faqs.mp3","authorName":"David Ginger","authorThumbnail":"/Media/Default/Images%20for%20Advice%20Centre%20Articles/dummy-male.png","authorDescription":"Product Proving and Testing Manager, David Ginger has worked at Origin for over 9 years. Over this time, he has amassed a wealth of experience in aluminium architectural solutions. <br/>During his time at Origin, he has worked in several different roles and departments within the business, including installation, manufacturing and research and development, which has given him expertise in every technical aspect of Origin’s product portfolio.","currentCategoryId":5364,"currentCategory":"FAQs","currentCategoryUrl":"/advice-centre/category/bi-fold-doors/faqs","otherCategoryArticles":[],"relatedArticles":[{"title":"Bifold door maintenance tips | Keeping your bifold door in good condition","thumbnail":"/Media/Default/Images%20for%20Advice%20Centre%20Articles/Bi-fold%20Doors%20-%20Operating,%20Maintenance%20and%20Troubleshooting/maintenance-thumb.png","url":"/advice-centre/bi-fold-doors-operation-maintenance-and-troubleshooting-common-issues","id":2635,"hasVideo":false},{"title":"Bifold doors general FAQs | Bifold door maintenance, features, types & more","thumbnail":"/Media/Default/Images%20for%20Advice%20Centre%20Articles/faq-bifold-thumb.png","url":"/advice-centre/bi-folding-doors-general-faqs","id":2711,"hasVideo":false}],"level1CategoryId":5361,"level2CategoryId":5364,"customJavaScript":null,"googleChartId":null,"googleChartOptions":null,"googleChartData":null,"htmlTitle":"How Thermally Efficient are Origin's Bi-folding Doors?","metaDescription":"Origin's experts answer your frequently asked questions on the thermal efficiency of our bi-folding doors and windows.","url":"/advice-centre/bi-folding-doors-thermal-efficiency-faqs"}