Capable of transforming rooms of all shapes and sizes, bi-fold doors have become popular installations for kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and even for providing a unique way to partition off a home interior.

In terms of engineering and manufacturing innovation, bi-fold doors are simply incredible and never fail to amaze as they’re gracefully swept open or closed by owners.

But what about the more mundane stuff? What about when your bi-fold doors need cleaning?

It’s easier than you might think! Here’s the super-simple way to clean your bi-fold doors.

Start with a dust

Over time, your bi-fold doors will accumulate a fair amount of dust, which is why, before you do any form of proper cleaning, it’s best to remove any surface dust that’s present.

A feather duster or soft cloth will do. Start from right at the top of the frame and work your way down – remembering to wipe around the sides, too.

Wipe clean

With all the dust gone, you can grab a damp cloth or rag. Use a mixture of water and multi-purpose cleaner to achieve the best result.

Don’t use too much water, but if you find stubborn stains, an old toothbrush should do the tick.

Once you’ve wiped, you can remove any excess cleaning fluid and then give everything a good buff with a dry, soft cloth.

Grab a sponge

Now it’s time to really get cleaning! With a nice wet sponge, wipe firmly across the doors (both glass and the surrounds) to remove any really stubborn stains.

Ring out the sponge regularly – you’ll be amazed by how much dirt and grime can accumulate quickly over a short period of time.

Again, don’t use too much fluid or worry too much about drying; the doors will dry naturally as you clean.

The glass

Bi-fold doors are obviously made primarily of glass panels, therefore it makes sense to spend as much time cleaning them as possible.

With warm soapy water, and a drop of washing up liquid (or pretty much any window cleaning solution), clean one panel at a time, taking your time to first wipe with the water and then use a squeegee to remove any excess.

Start at the top and work your way down and repeat the same process for each panel of glass.

Don’t forget the handles and locks

With the door panels and glass thoroughly cleaned, it’s time to move onto the smaller bits and pieces that make up your bi-fold doors.

The handles and locks are easily missed during a cleaning session, but if you spend some time giving them the once over, the doors will pretty much return to as-new condition!

Water will generally work fine, but if you have brass handles, they might benefit from brass cleaning solution.

Wrapping up

That’s it! Repeat this cleaning process as often as you want to; you can’t over-clean bi-fold doors.

You’ll know when they need cleaning, and the more you do this, the longer you’ll extend their life and the more beautiful an addition they’ll be for your home!

Many people are choosing to install bi-fold doors into their homes as an alternative to conservatories to make long lasting home improvements.

The versatile nature of bi-fold doors mean that you can add them to any room, but they’re most commonly installed in living rooms, dining areas and kitchens to connect indoor and outdoor space.

Here are five of the top reasons why your home needs bi-fold doors.

1. They open up living space

Your home will feel far more spacious and open with an installation of bi-fold doors.

In addition to the illusion of extra space, allowing more natural light into your chosen room is guaranteed to boost your mood and allow you to appreciate once dark spaces in your home.

2. They bring the outside in

Without even stepping outside, you’ll also be able to take advantage of panoramic garden views all year round.

Not only will this make you feel more connected to the outdoors (even in the colder months) but allow you to enjoy the sights and sounds of your garden from the comfort of your sofa, dining room or kitchen.

Your outside space will certainly feel like another part of your home with bi-fold doors!

3. Accessibility

While, of course, you will enjoy effortless freedom of movement between the outside and your chosen room, children and pets will also enjoy easier access into the garden with bi-fold doors.

This freedom of movement can be extended to accommodate those in your life with any physical disabilities, allowing them greater access and connectivity to the outdoors.

4. They’re stylish and modern

A more modest and modern choice for some than a conservatory, your home will be instantly transformed with the installation of bi-fold doors in an existing room.

Your guests will be equally as impressed with the difference they can make to the look and feel of your indoor space.

5. They’re energy efficient

It’s not just the aesthetics that attract people to bi-fold doors. Contrary to popular opinion, they’re a great addition for making your home just that little bit more energy efficient.

With a choice of double or triple glazing, quality seals between the folding doors and modern uPVC or aluminium manufacturing standards, there’s no reason to be concerned about heat loss.

Whether you’re looking to modernise your entire home or just give it that touch of luxury, bi-fold doors are an excellent addition to any room, providing a multitude of benefits to your living space and lifestyle.

Conservatories are put through a fair amount of stick each year. With every passing season, they’re battered with rain, wind, hot sun and extreme temperatures at both ends of the spectrum.

Looking after your conservatory will ensure it lasts for many years and requires the least amount of professional cleaning and servicing.

All it needs is one deep clean a year, and providing you don’t suffer from any unfortunate glazing emergencies, your conservatory will be the perfect place for lazy days and nights, and parties with friends.

Remove all debris from the gutters

You’ll probably find lots of twigs, leaves and moss in the gutters of your conservatory. It builds up throughout the year, and can cause havoc with the drainage system.

Use a step ladder or ladder (with someone at the bottom to support it), and get up there for a look. A good pair of heavy duty gloves in case of sharp objects, dustpan and brush and some bin bags should do it.

Once you’ve removed all of the debris, you can us a hosepipe to flush it out clean with water.

Cleaning the roof

Cleaning the roof of your conservatory is actually a lot easier than you might think. It’s safe, too, providing you have a decent ladder, someone to assist and avoid the temptation to stand on the roof itself.

Avoid straining too far, as well. If your ladder isn’t quite tall enough, find someone who’s taller than you to reach the more tricky places.

All you need is a decent soft-headed brush with an extendable handle and a sponge. Clean, soapy water will do, and it can be rinsed off with a light sprinkling from your hose.

Easy stuff!

We’d recommend against using a pressure washer, because it can damage the seals of your conservatory. Over time, that may introduce leaks which get progressively worse; something you really don’t want in a conservatory!

The small bits and pieces

Conservatories are made up of lots of individual parts, and it’s easy to forget about the locks and hinges while you’re conducting your deep clean.

In order to keep all doors and windows operating smoothly and avoid seizures, the hinges and locks should be oiled every year (once should do it).

To do this, you can simply use WD40 or any other oil-based lubricant. Apply it to all moving parts and mechanisms you can find, and you’ll be good to go!

Cleaning the inside

The inside of your conservatory will almost certainly be cleaned more regularly than the outside, but it will also benefit from a deeper spring clean once in a while.

Remove all of your furniture and clean every nook and cranny, floor to ceiling. Look for any signs of leaking in the roof and mould, which might suggest the glazing needs looking at (or ventilation might be an issue).

That’s it!

See? We told you it was easy to clean your conservatory by yourself!

Do this each year, and it’ll continue to be the perfect space in which to enjoy family time and view the wonders of your garden!

It’s every business owner’s worst nightmare.

You approach your premises one morning only to notice that one of the windows has been smashed. As you enter the building, you realise the problem is actually much worse; someone has got in and ransacked the place.

Business robberies can be just as devastating, costly and frightening as home burglaries. Knowing what to do if it happens to your business isn’t easy, which is why we’ve put together this super-simple guide.

Step one: make sure employees are ok

If there were people in the building at the time of the robbery, they should be your first priority.

Check that any members of staff who are on site are ok, uninjured and, if appropriate, send them home to be with their families.

Providing everyone is safe, ok and unharmed, it’s time to move onto step two.

Step two: call the police

Before assessing the damage and thefts yourself, it’s important to contact the police as soon as possible. By leaving the crime scene undisturbed, you’ll make their job much easier and facilitate what will hopefully be a successful conviction.

The police should be able to arrive quickly and will give you a crime reference number. Keep that safe, because it’ll be useful for insurance claims.

Step three: get some emergency boarding installed

Clearly, you don’t want a repeat visit from the criminals, but if you leave your premises poorly contained after the robbery, they might be tempted to do so.

This is why emergency boarding is so important. By calling in the experts, you’ll ensure that the premises are properly and securely shut off to anyone thinking of attempting another break in.

Emergency boarding is more affordable than you might think, and when installed by professionals, will last for as long as you need it to; in some ways, its’ even better than having a window there when it comes to preventing robberies!

Step four: check what has been stolen

You can do this before or after the police have left, but if you choose the former, remember to be careful not to disturb the crime scene.

Take a look around and make notes about what has been stolen. Look for the obvious stuff (computers and other valuable devices) and the things that you might not think about until a later date (the keys to your pool cars, for instance).

This will give you the perfect opportunity to call the insurance providers with details of what has been taken.

When noting computer equipment, keep in mind what data might have gone with it, too. Some devices offer ‘remote wipe’ features that delete all data when not in your possession, but it’s also essential that you change all passwords and credit cards as soon as possible.

Step five: fix what’s broken

Once everything has been cleared and the police have done their work, it’s time to repair what has been broken.

Start with the windows. Get the same company to remove the emergency boarding and, if possible, fix the glazing (you’ll be surprised by how often this can be done instead of having to buy new frames).

The same goes internally; make sure you bring everything back to a safe standard for employees to work in.

Final step: review your security

Something clearly went wrong if thieves were able to enter your premises. It may have been the alarm, or poor window fittings, for instance.

Whatever it was, this is the time to learn from it and make improvements. Invest in a better alarm system and ensure your glazing is of high quality. The more you do now, the less chance you have of this happening again.

A great option for this is bi-fold doors, which can transform an ordinary living space into something quite different by opening up an entire wall to the glorious world outside.

But what about the autumn and winter months? Do bi-fold doors become less useful during that time?

You might be surprised to hear that the opposite is true. Bi-fold doors are a solid investment all year round, and you’ll get just as much benefit from them during the autumn and winter as you will when the temperature rises.

Here’s three simple reasons bi-fold doors will serve you very well indeed during the colder months:

1. They’re brilliantly energy efficient

If you think that only walls can provide the best energy efficiency, think again!

Modern bi-fold door design takes energy efficiency fully into account and results in creations that are nothing like the French patio doors of old that would be rather too adept at letting in a draught.

Aluminium and uPVC bi-fold doors feature high levels of insulation to ensure heat can’t escape, and once the doors are closed, high quality weathertight seals ensure there’s no draughtiness to worry about.

Double or triple glazed glass completes an addition to your home that will ensure the heat always stays inside, where it belongs.

2. They’re flexible

You don’t have to open bi-fold doors entirely every time you reach for the handle!

Bi-fold doors are designed to be as flexible as possible and can be opened to pretty much any width you want if you need some fresh air but not so much that it allows the wintery weather to make its way into your house.

‘Traffic’ bi-fold doors are a popular option for this reason, because they enable the owner to open them just as you would a normal door and without exposing too much of your home to the elements.

With bi-fold doors, you have complete control over how wide they’re opened, and that makes them far more flexible than traditional French doors.

3. The view will never get old

One thing that never changes with a set of bi-fold doors is the view they provide.

Imagine swapping the wall of your kitchen for a seemingly endless piece of glass, providing you with a never-ending view into your garden. Better still, imagine waking up and looking out through an ultra wide opening that provides a beautiful vista of the world outside your house.

No matter the season, bi-fold doors will always provide a view that no other window or set of French doors can. And that never, ever gets old. In winter, for example, you can marvel at falling snow or early mist and fog from the comfort of your home and without even having to put your hat, scarf and gloves on!

Final thought

Bi-fold doors aren’t a flash-in-the-pan purchase. As we’ve hopefully proved today, they’re a brilliant investment that will benefit your home all year round.

We understand that accreditation from the UK’s most trustworthy trade bodies is a great way to prove just how reputable a company is. It is reassurance that a customer knows is verifiable, only achieved over time and under scrutiny to detail. This is why we sought out and achieved the following certifications and endorsements:

CHAS Assessment
By applying, and ultimately receiving CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Scheme) accreditation, we have proven that we comply with health and safety regulations on every role.

SafeContractor Approved
We are also SafeContractor approved, another leading health and safety accreditation offering further proof that we take health and safety very seriously with every role. SafeContractor ensures that every one of its members meets strict conditions in place to ensure every job is as safe as it possibly can be.

Buy With Confidence Scheme
While we belong to the Northamptonshire registration of the scheme, The Buy with Confidence scheme is promoted by many UK County Councils. It brings together a hosts of domestic business’s within a local area, such as glaziers, plumbers and builders who are only accepted onto the register if they pass stringent tests by Trading Standards and are fully compliant with consumer protection laws.

Construction Online
This UK Government certification service was put in place to ensure that all the companies that were accepted had access to accredited suppliers. This means we only purchase our products from the very best companies. When you use Homesecure UK then you can be sure that our glazing materials are of the best quality.

With a reputation and expertise built up over years for boarding up, glazing, conservatory repairs, cat flap installation and window repairs in the Northampton, Milton Keynes and Kettering area, our accreditation’s prove a further endorsement that we are a glazing specialist and reputable company. And add the benefit that we offer no call out charge regardless of the time of day, 24-hour coverage and guaranteed work and it’s no surprise why Homescure UK is one of the leading local glaziers.

We understand just how devastating it can be to discover damaged or smashed windows upon returning home, especially if this has been caused deliberately. Whilst there are many measures you can implement to deter criminals such as burglar alarm systems, it is important to be prepared for any damage that could occur by familiarising yourself with a trusted company such as ourselves.

Our emergency call out service is available to all in the area for 365 days a year so you needn’t worry if damage to your glazing is discovered during the festive season, as we will be on hand with an efficient response no matter what.

Choosing a company that can respond to your call right away is incredibly important as a damaged window often means significantly reduced security levels at your property, especially when the damaged glazing is on the ground floor. For this reason, call us as soon as you spot the problem to avoid more serious issues arising due to lack of protection.

In addition to repairing your glazing, we are also on hand with our locksmith services, so if you find yourself unable to get into your premises, get in touch with us to get you safely back inside.

To find out more about the services our professional glaziers Milton Keynes are able to carry out, simply browse our website today or contact us directly on 0845 601 3220.

Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Homesecure UK. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Homesecure UK, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so if you need the services of a reliable glazier in an emergency, we are the company to call. What’s more, our 30 to 90 minute emergency response time means we can be with you quickly, implementing the required action in the shortest available time frame to put your mind at ease.

Whether you simply need repair work to be undertaken or wish to have the windows of your property boarded up, we will complete whatever project is put before us to the very highest of standards. Working closely with you throughout, our team of glaziers always listen to the customer’s requirements before setting to work on finishing the project within the prearranged time scale.

From ground floor windows through to skylights installed in your property’s roofing Milton Keynes, we will have the required tools and materials to work on your particular problem with relative ease. Our technicians are fully trained in all of the services we are able to provide, so no matter what the size of the problem, big or small, we can be relied on to go about our services professionally and effectively on every occasion.

If you have been scouring the market for established glaziers Milton Keynes, you need look no further than the team here at Homesecure UK. We provide all manner of services so feel free to get in touch to discuss your issue either by calling us on 0845 601 3220 or filling in our short online enquiry form.

Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Homesecure UK. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Homesecure UK, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

The Buy with Confidence scheme helps you make a more informed decision when it comes to selecting local businesses to carry out all manner of services. Run by a large number of local Trading Standards services across the UK, each business that has been given the Buy with Confidence seal of approval will have been carefully vetted to ensure they can meet the scheme’s code of practice. For more information on the scheme and how it benefits consumers and businesses go to www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk

We are immensely proud of our local reputation for superior products and a level of customer service that never fails to impress all who call upon our services, so it is with great pleasure that we announce ourselves as a fully approved company under the Buy with Confidence scheme.

As the preferred choice for both home and business owners, you can rest assured that when you decide to come to us for glazing services, we will deliver our high levels of service no matter what the size or nature of the project.

If you discover a breach in security at your property due to smashed or damaged glazing, it is imperative you restore the setting to an area of safety through utilising the services of an emergency repair company. We are in operation 24/7, so you can relax safe in the knowledge that an approved glazier is just a phone call away whatever time of the day or night.

To find out more about the expert and honest service provided by our glaziers Northampton, feel free to search our website or contact a member of our team today.

Whether you have builders working on your home and you have decided that now is the ideal time to repair your damaged windows, or your son has kicked his football at your patio window, in your time of need our team of specialists have the expert knowledge and ability to undertake all manner of double glazing repair work including, among others, removing trapped condensation and complete window replacements.

Whilst receiving an excellent standard of workmanship and stunning results, when you employ the services of our professional team you will also reap other benefits including:

• Quick response times (we will strive to reach you within 30-90 minutes)
• No call out charge and free quotes
• Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Fully Insured work

As well as repairing your windows, our team of specialists also have the skills required to replace or repair damaged hinges as well as other work including the repair of leaks and conservatory damage.

We understand the security concerns that arise when windows get smashed, and with this in mind are available all hours of the day to provide an efficient and professional boarding up service to give you complete peace of mind that your home or business is completely secure. For your convenience, we can then return at a time that suits you to fit your replacement double glazing.

Regardless of the double glazing repair work you require, here at Homesecure UK we can guarantee you a high standard of service that you won’t find anywhere else. If you require emergency glaziers Leicester, don’t hesitate to call us today on 0845 601 3220.

Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Homesecure UK. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Homesecure UK, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.