Industry News

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What is 'Document L'?

Or to use it's official name, Approved Document 'L' of the building regulations. This is essentially a new set of rules, which in six weeks time will be published, and by October this year, the fenestration industry will need to comply with. 

There will be a new target 'U' value, which will need to be 11% lower than the existing (2010) regulations for windows and doors being built into extensions. This is equivalent to the thermal efficiency of the doors and windows as a whole (including glass). 

Still with me? Good. The 'U' value proposed in the new regulations will also be 22% lower for doors and windows that are replacing existing items - for example if you were having a set of french doors replaced with a set of bifold doors. 

These standards are already being adhered to in Scotland and if they are enforced in England, we (and all other specialists) will need to be ready to fit to these specifications come October 1st 2013.

We've got it covered...

Our team at Bristol Bifold have been working towards meeting these targets for months already (as we do like to stay ahead of the game!) and we can already meet both of these new targets - for newly built extensions as well as replacement sets. 

Replacing your old french doors (or other products) will undoubtedly now require triple glazing in they're replacements - which brings me to our very exciting news of our brand new range of bifold doors which we will be selling, the Scenic TG aluminium bifold door. Keep your eyes peeled for more details on this as more information will be released within the next few weeks. 

Replacement will undoubtedly require triple glazing so we are introducing our new range of bifolds the 'SCENIC TG'. Details will follow in coming weeks.

Triple glazed bifold doors are, of course, not just reserved for replacements! Anyone can have triple glazing installed to benefit their home! The lower 'U' values reduce energy costs, as your doors are more thermally efficient - another reason why they are becoming more and more popular and a very sensible investment. 

If you do fancy reading up on the subject further, please drop us a line and we will explain all the ins and outs of the new regulations. In the mean time - get ready for Spring and start improving your home. 

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Onwards and upwards...

As a company, we're constantly improving ourselves – mainly because in this industry if you just sit there and wallow in the business you've already created without striving for new products, new systems and new ideas you will find you're once prosperous market has gone stale.

Happy Birthday BB!

2012 was a great year for Bristol Bifold.... In June, we celebrated our 3rd birthday – with a party! There was cake, party packs and a good time was certainly had by all.

However, it wasn't just the party we were excited about. 3 years of hard work, with our figures and customer satisfaction growing substantially year upon year. Which is generally great news for you guys, and fantastic news for us.

So far so good!

2013 is already looking up for us. We've recently taken on a new employee – Andrew – who will be our new sales advisor.

We are always looking for ways to make Bristol Bifold more efficient as a company, which also benefit our customers. Having Andrew as our dedicated Advisor, means that the rest of the team (whilst always being happy to help!) can concentrate on their specific roles within the company.

This year we are also introducing a new range of doors to our product range – I know I've mentioned this before but it's all very exciting and I will be able to disclose more information soon – I promise!

We've had a a great start to the year, with this January being record breaking for us! It's all go, and that's exactly the way we like it!

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The saturated South-West!

Weather does play a big part in our installations.

Fortunately, we’ve been lucky so far this year and only have had to postpone one fit because of theflooding.

Which to be honest is surprising, seeing as all of our fits are located in the South West, and often South Wales – both areas severely hit by the ferocious floods of the last few weeks and the gale force winds.

I think anyone with a build project happening at the moment will tell you that the weather is a hugely important factor when making changes to your property, and constant downpours and hurricane style winds are definitely not appreciated.

Most of the sites we’ve visited recently have been mud-baths according to our fitters, especially sites where there is lots of building work going on.

Of course, this is something that can’t be helped, but it certainly hinders our installation process – as there are certain things that cannot (and shouldn’t!) happen during a fitting in such poor conditions.

Rain rain go away...

When fitting on a bustling building site, with dust, mud and paint still being flung around, then it is especially important that your doors are protected with either dust sheets or damp course sheeting.

 The terrible weather we’ve been having recently does tend to add to the chaos of an already building site – making small problems like this more and more common.

However – any problems we have experienced in the last few weeks have been very small, in comparison to the widespread devastation the weather has caused.

Our vans have managed to brave the deep floods surrounding us and power through to their installations as scheduled.

Canoes & Jet-skis to the rescue! 

As you can see above – we are prepared to go to great lengths to get to our customers! 

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A focus on fenestration...

The 100th episode was a perfect example of this emphasis on fenestration. It was also a great example of how homes serve a totally different purpose now to say, 100 years ago.

Homes now are much less about the practicality (although obviously still important) and much, much more about the aesthetics, and, lets face it – showmanship.

People want their houses to be things of beauty and architectural wonder. Property shows and home renovation programmes constantly remind us that the "wow factor" is what people are after these days.

Something that will make their home stand out as a cut above the rest.

The 'wow' factor!

Luckily, bifold doors have the advantage of not only providing a "wow factor" but being practical as well – but that's another blog post! The property featured in this episode was an old Victorian water tower in London, which had stood for over 150 years untouched. A landmark or a blotch on the landscape, depending on your view.

The couple that were doing it up were primarily interested in restoring it to its former glory whilst incorporating a very modern feel – using only the best materials, technology and craftsmanship.

They had 5.3m sliding doors installed to a section of the property – the four storey living space attachment they built separately to the water tower.The scale of the doors was fantastic, spanning two floors and covering one side of the building entirely.

Kevin McCloud has long since been a spokesperson for innovative and forward-thinking construction and architecture, and it is very evident (certainly in the last couple of years) that homeowners who admire his way of thinking are able to incorporate this into their own projects.

Bifold doors (as you can see above!) are a key element of this re-focus of the fenestration trade from doors and windows which simply 'did the job' to products which not only provide security and shelter but that become a real feature of the home.

Aluminium bifold doors, and their sister products such as aluminium windows and gable end pieces are all part of a construction movement that places equal importance on aesthetic value, without forgetting important elements such as security and economical gain.

(Quotes from Sunday Times – read full article here. http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/My_Place/article1140835.ece)

(Picture by http://www.fusionglazing.co.uk/2012/10/water-tower-on-grand-designs-17th-of.html)

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2012 has been a year of beating the odds...so far at least.

The window and door industry were expected to do fairly poorly, given the poor economical state of the country and the construction trade doing equally poorly.

So far however, this has not been the case – and as I, and many other observers have pointed out previously, this is not because are economy 'isn't that bad' it's because people are spending their limited funds on improving what they already own instead of purchasing anew.

I think this is the beginning of what will be an important factor in the modernisation of the fenestration industry. It will become less of a case of replacing windows with windows and doors with doors, and more about the gadgets and innovative design systems that accompany the new doors and windows.

That's not to say people won't still have a need for what the industry has traditionally sold...we will always need windows and doors – denying that is ridiculous!

We'll always need doors and windows....but..

But what I do think is that the market will be much more focused on the high-tech pieces of equipment, such as integral blinds, intelligent glass, electric window systems and energy saving structures, instead of simply the doors and windows themselves.

We are seeing a huge increase in customers that don't want your bog-standard door fitting anymore; they want bifolding or sliding, performance, energy-saving, economically engineered doors with integral blinds and electric window openers.

And, in the future, this list of 'high-tech' extras will become the norm, and the new list of extras will be the futuristic looking equipment that is still currently inaccessible for UK installers.

For example, intelligent window systems using products such as Smart Glass which promotes the idea that the possibilities of glass technology are endless.

With transparent glass monitors, and electronic touchscreen displays within the glass, it really is a product of science fiction!

But fairly soon (hopefully!), products like these will be a reality for the window and door salesmen of the UK and the industry will continue to modernise, evolve and sell products which people not only need, but want.

Want a piece of the action? Take a look at our bifold guide below, and enjoy the benefits of technology in your own home. 

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External condensation is commonly confused with internal condensation...

...which is a legitimate problem where droplets form between the double glazing.

The issue lies with trying to explain this clearly when making a sale – the VAST difference between internal and external condensation – as saying there is a chance of condensation in cold spells is often confusing and worrying to a potential customer.

As @glazingblogger points out, previous customers often call us around this time of year (or anytime of year where there is a noticeable change of temperature) saing that their units have failed as there is condensation clinging to the external part of their glass (ie. The bit that faces the elements).

What we then have to do is try and clarify that this is not a sign of glass failure, but actually a great sign that the glass is doing exactly what it's meant to.

Droplets on the OUTSIDE = glass performing well

The colder the weather outside (or the bigger the difference between the air inside, and the air outside) the harder the glass has to work to keep the heat inside.

This often results in the appearance of condensation, however, the fact that the condensation in this instance is forming on the outside of the glass (as opposed to the inside, between the glazing) is a sign that the glass is performing correctly and retaining it's heat.

Meaning that the only opportunity water beads are given form is located on the outside of both the glass, and the property.

Loft insulation analogy...

I've also read a great analogy written by the guys over at Lister Trade Frames  , comparing the situation to loft insulation...

On a snowy day, the customer of a loft insulation company may ring them querying why the snow has settled on their roof, when it's melted off all of their neighbour's roofs.

Simple answer – the reason it's melted from the neighbour's roofs is because all of the heat escaping through the loft from the central heating of the house has melted the snow – clearing the roof.

The only reason the snow has not cleared from this particular customer's house is because their loft is so well insulated that very little heat has escaped through the roof, meaning that the roof isn't warm enough to melt the snow.

This is the same reason condensation forms on the external part of a double glazed unit – the glass is doing it's job so well that the heat from inside isn't escaping at all.

Meaning that the only place condensation can form is the outside.

Stay warm this Winter!

So this Autumn, feel safe in the knowledge that those tiny droplets forming on the outside of your glass means that its WORKING!

And you can keep all of your heat where it should be, inside! 

I think this explains the situation pretty well - but of course, if you have any further questions about double glazing or any of our other glass options.. (Ie. Celsius performance glass) please call us on 01454419310 and we'll be happy to talk to you about this issue or any other bifold door queries. 

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Decision making...

Making any kind of dramatic change to your home requires some well thought-out decision making regarding the product you're purchasing or having built – be it bifolds, decking or a complete new extension, and also the way you want the item installed or built (as I mentioned in my 'Do's and Don'ts' post last week).

But what I think is often overlooked by the customer, is who is actually building/fitting/constructing this exciting project that you've spent so much time and money on!

Especially in this economic climate, business is business and many companies are expanding their capabilities so they are able to complete as many jobs as possible.

And while this may be benefitting them in the short term financially, it would certainly make me wonder (as a customer) if they truly had in depth knowledge and experience of every single product they were selling/installing.

For example...

If I were to buy a watch – I would much prefer to buy a watch from a company that specialised in watches and were dedicated to that particular product, rather than a company whom I could also buy my week's shopping, some new clothes and a TV from.

What I'm getting at is I would rather by my watch – or bifold doors – from a company who were experts in their field, and knew everything there was to know about their watches.

Rather than a company who knew a tiny bit about a lot of products.

Know your installer!

So really, all I'm saying is – get to know your installer! Make sure they know bifold doors inside out, and can answer all of your questions.

For example, our fitters and staff are constantly re-trained by Origin Origin, the manufacturer of our Bifold doors.

This means that our standard of bifold fitting is consistently at the highest level. They also fit bifold doors every day of the week. No exceptions.

This is why we are happy to call ourselves bifold door specialists because it is WHAT WE DO.

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We want your project to run as smoothly as possible...

...and whether you choose to purchase your doors through us or not – we've come up with a general list of do's and don'ts when buying bifold doors that we would DEFINITELY recommend having a browse through before committing to anything.

The full list is featured on our website (here) but I've pulled out a few of (what I think are) the most important points to remember and gone into just a little more detail on why we think these precautions are so important.

So lets start with a few 'Do's' – things you really, really, really should consider (we think) before making any decisions regarding your doors.

View the actual door you intend to buy.

• Sounds pretty obvious right? But the last thing you want is something turning up on the day of installation that is completely different to what you envisioned. A good company should have a showroom, where they will be able to give you a working demonstration of the doors and talk you through all of the moving parts. (Fancy coming to see our showroom? Give us a call and book an appointment as we tend to get quite busy..).

Get an insurance backed guarantee.

• I cannot stress this enough. It doesn't matter how reputable a company is, if they don't have insurance backed guarantee's covering their installations then you are putting your finances in danger should anything happen to the doors or worse - the company. It won't cost you any extra, and it should come as standard with your contract for a door set. We're backed by DGCOS, BM TRADA and also use IPWFI insurance backed guarantees to ensure complete peace of mind for our customers.

 These are just two of a fairly long list of things to check before using an installer (see the full list HERE) but they are crucial to choosing bifold fitters.

 Okay, now for the negative stuff...here's what not to do...

Avoid bifold doors with an external track.

• Don't know what this means? Let me explain...an external track is one that is bolted on to the bottom frame of the door – instead of being an integral part of the frame. When the track has been bolted on to the front of the frame (or on top of the frame) it's unlikely that the doors are purpose made, bifold doors. All of our running gear (the bits that make the bifold move) is enclosed within the frame and bottom track, making the doors much more secure - especially as an external track could possibly be levered from the frame.

You get what you pay for - don't base your decision on price!

• An age old saying but especially relevant to the bifold door industry. There are plenty of cheap systems and plenty of expensive systems, but to ensure you receive the best quality doors – do not base your decision purely on price.

Avoid 'floating mullions'.

• Basically, a floating mullion is an extra piece of material that is fitted between each door leaf. Pointless, unattractive and will make no difference to the operation of your doors – it may even hinder them as these extra pieces can cause the doors to drop.

Don't pay the balance until you're installation is complete.

• ...and you are satisfied with your doors. A lot of companies (including Bristol Bifold) don't ask for the final balance until the doors have been installed – I think this is common practice for any installation company that is sure of their fitters and confident in their product. If you have paid full balance in advance (which some installers do also ask for) then you have less chance of a fast and efficient solution to any remedial work that needs doing after the doors have been fitted – ie. Any adjustment to the doors.

Again – please read our list in full as there are several equally important issues that I haven't been able to cover in this post and would hate for you not to see these do's and don'ts before you go ahead with a purchase!

If you are thinking of getting some bifold doors installed at your property – whether it's with us or not – you should have a look at our buyers guide (the download is in the link below this post..) which will answer any questions you have before you buy. If there's anything we've missed – give us a call at the office on 0117 992 3101and we'll be happy to talk to you.

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The couple in this episode were creating an eco-friendly (aren't they all?) 'Green' house made mainly out of natural materials, but the focus of this blog will be glazing. The glass this couple used for their sustainable new build was a thermally efficient, heat radiating glass.

Each glass pane also acts as a radiator..

This excludes any draft, and increases the energy efficiency of the build and removes any need for free standing radiators.

This new level of thermal efficiency is what I found intriguing. We provide a range of 'Celsius' glass, which effectively keeps your warm air indoors, and the cold air out – and also adapts to do the opposite in hot weather.

However the glazing used on Grand Designs wasn't only to maintain and optimise the temperature of a property regardless of the weather.

It was being used in some cases as a replacement of traditional central heating and was stated as being even more efficient than under-floor heating.

Personally, I think this is a great example of how the glazing industry – once thought of as fairly traditional and quite closed to modern technology and maybe even environmentally friendly products – is changing with the times not just in it's sales technique (as discussed here...) but in the product it's selling.

Luxury item?

Having said that, I can't imagine many customers who would find this glazing option necessary or even have the financial means to justify it. It is a luxury item, something which the industry is slowly moving towards.

I guess it could also be argued that bifold doors are also somewhat of a luxury item – albeit a much less financially demanding and much more practical solution to modernising your home.

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To start with, I'll need to introduce Mike...

It's Mike that is most likely to be the person that you would have first contact with in attaining a quote, or simply talking over your project. Initially he will take you through the very first steps of your door purchase: prices, components, configurations, styles and lead times.

He'll also offer any guidance that you may need when making these decisions – in terms of previous customer choices and selecting the best type of doors for your situation – be it a south facing sun-trap that would benefit from performance glass or a sea-front facing property that needs more weather proofing than standard.

After quotation (or several if necessary) Mike will then arrange your site survey with our surveyor and finalise the details of your order, which he will then pass on to me (Chloe...) to order and schedule the installation or delivery.

I'd like to point out...

...something that may differ slightly from how other companies operate – is that Mike is not just selling our product, but he is a point of information for our clients. He is also available to talk to about other areas of the project, to recommend local builders or to discuss different options – and he will always try and accommodate the needs and price range of the customer, often going out of his way to give a price that fits in with their budget.

There is a lot of debate (in the blogosphere) regarding the 'hard-sell' – having personally never witnessed a 'hard-sell' I'm not completely familiar with how it works. But I imagine that it's something along the lines of a 'One day only, £1000 drop in price' etc.

For one, I think its pretty patronising to the customer, and two doesn't it completely degrade the quality of the product, if you're willing to sell it at such a loss?

Of course, everyone tries to keep the price as low as possible for the sake of the sale, but at the same time dropping the price so (in my opinion) ludicrously low you are more likely to put off a prospective customer than entice them to buy as you are so clearly employing fast-sale and frankly unprofessional tactics.

By dropping your price so far or using these methods you are essentially telling the customer that you don't think your doors are worth paying full price for, which I think is ridiculous.

We want to sell our product because the product is good!

And we believe the price reflects that. We also think our price reflects our service and the benefits from buying with our company (which I've talked about here, and will go on to talk about even more! ). Meaning that it doesn't matter if a customer takes 3 days or 3 months to come to a decision and sign up the order.

So I guess I completely agree with DGB on this issue, that 'hard-sales' are a thing of the past, and that the industry (along with the rest of the world) has modernised and updated it's sales techniques.

Instead of pressuring a customer to buy just for the sake of making a sale, the emphasis in this economic climate needs to be on the customer being completely happy with what they're buying – so that they are getting precisely what they want, the best value for money and the best service possible.

Yes, this does mean that it's impossible to sell unbelievably cheaply, but - to coin a phrase – you get what you pay for, and I think in this industry it really does ring true.

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DGCOS explained...

Next thing you may not know about Bristol Bifold is that we are a member of the Double Glazing & Conservatory Quality Assurance Ombudsman Scheme (yes it's a bit of a mouthful...). DGCOS is solely there for the protection of the consumer – essentially an independently backed guarantee for your doors and windows. There are a lot of unclear and confusing associations and logos in the home improvement sector – but very few offer the peace of mind that comes with DGCOS.

DGCOS membership is not given out to just any installer!

There are strict regulations to comply with, and all installers are screened before they are given the accreditation. Basically meaning that if you choose an installer that has been accredited by DGCOS, you can be sure that they are respectable and not just recommended by customers but by an integral part of the industry itself.

Now for a few technical facts, we like to make ourselves stand out. We don't just want to offer the customer the standard service that a million other installers also offer. I think personally, this is another thing you as a potential customer should be looking for in an installer. I think offering 'free extras' as a special deal seems a little disappointing, when really, I would want to be offered that 'free extra' as standard. This is exactly how we operate. We provide a free anti-snap, anti-bump lock cylinder (that you can read more about here)  as standard, and we are continually improving our service and looking for new ways to upgrade our doors - giving the customer as much as we possibly can – as standard.

Last things to mention...

We're local. We know Bristol, we know the areas around Bristol – in fact, we travel to install up to 50 miles outside of Bristol. We also offer free online guides for all things Bifold related – actually you can download the buyers guide under this post. And finally, all importantly – we want to give your home the wow factor, we want to get as excited about your home improvement as you are! So if you are in the process of choosing an installer – or even if I haven't answered all your questions with this post – either drop me an email (it's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or ring the office on 0117 992 3101– we'll all be happy to talk to you. If you want to find out more about DGCOS you can call us of course, or you can visit http://www.dgcos.org.uk/

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Although only highlighted by the BBC in February 2012...

Lock snapping has been possible in standard locks for a while – hence the introduction of the uprated cylinder lock which many companies are now offering instead of the original locks – however which are only being supplied as standard with a few door fabrication companies.

In the interest of public safety and general home security the UAP+ Anti Snap Cylinder is the first choice for many customers looking to replace the original locking system within their doors. The uprated lock protects against the most commonly recognised methods of burglary – lock snapping or lock bumping.

Another comfort for customers is that the lock is approved by British standards – and is Kitemarked to assure customers of this recognised quality specification.

We chose to start buying in our own UAP locks to replace the standard locks in our doors and adding this to every order free of charge. It is surprising what a difference something so small can make such a positive difference to our customers' peace of mind. They provide added home security, whilst allowing customers to enjoy the convenience and aesthetic benefits of their new bifold doors.