Wooden folding interior doors - photo

Interior doors are the most important detail of the interior of a residential or public space. The overall perception of the design solutions of the room, as well as its operational characteristics and the comfort of the residents, depend on correctly selected doors. Considering that not every modern standard apartment has sufficient space to install classic swing elements when filling interior openings, designers often recommend installing folding doors. Before choosing such products, you need to study the catalogs of leading manufacturers using descriptions and photos, familiarizing yourself with the most successful models.

Stylish folding door “book” in the interior

Stylish accordion folding door in the interior

Features of folding interior doors

Folding doors for filling openings between adjacent rooms have a number of distinctive features compared to classic swing structures:

• The doors open not along a radius path, but along guides, which does not require the installation of classic hinges.

Opening the canvas

• In the open position, the product does not take up much space. This allows the owner of the premises to better organize the free space.

Cloth in open position

• The sash leaf is divided into 2 or more vertical strips, fastened together using movable hinges. If the door is divided in the middle into 2 halves, this design is called a “book”, and, if there are several segments, it is called an “accordion”.

Product "book"

Product "accordion"

• The doors are equipped with roller supports on ball bearings, which, when opened, move along the runners installed in the upper or lower parts of the door.

Roller bearings

• In the open position, folding doors form a “pack” of segments fixed perpendicular to the plane of the opening.

"Accordion" in the open state

• Sections can be made of wood, veneer, chipboard, MDF, plastic or metal, and equipped with glass, mirror and other inserts.

Folding metal sheet

As a rule, folding doors are rarely found on sale in a standard design and are supplied to customers to order. This is due to the fact that, in addition to dimensions, many other design requirements are imposed on doors and it is almost impossible to produce a standard product.

Types of folding interior doors

As mentioned above, folding doors are divided into 2 main types, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as characteristic design features:

• Book doors. They are a design of 2 sashes that can be connected to each other using both standard hinges and other types of hinges. Due to the small number of connecting elements, such doors fail less often than others and are considered the most reliable type of folding structures.

They can be installed in an opening more than 1500 mm wide, and when folded, cover a space half the width of the canvas. Thanks to the attachment points in places of greatest concentration of forces, they are equipped with powerful hinges, which eliminates the distortion of the structure during operation.

In most cases, doors of this category are fixed to the top of the frame and do not require a threshold, which causes discomfort to residents during operation.

They are made from solid oak, veneer and other materials, and can have either a panel or composite structure. They can be installed in any type of room; when closed, they create a reliable soundproof barrier, and the gap between the bottom edge and the clean floor ensures air flow into the room.

• Accordion doors . They are divided in height into narrow segments connected to each other by movable hinges. As a rule, the width of one segment strip is 80 – 200 mm. The number of sections depends on the total width of the canvas. They are mainly made to order, and the dimensions of each section are selected based on the multiple dimensions of the sash.

They can be equipped with different opening mechanisms - with the possibility of sliding in one direction, or with reverse movement.

Considering that when opened, all sections are assembled into an even stack, the width of which does not exceed the size of the section, they can not only close doorways, but also act as transforming partitions, covering spaces up to 3 - 4 m long.

They can be made of plastic, wood, metal or glass, and can be styled to suit any interior design.

The height of folding doors is determined by the customer or designer. Unlike many other structures, the canvas can cover spaces from floor to ceiling, without the need to organize a door frame and install a lintel.

Materials for folding interior doors

Folding interior doors, presented in a wide range on the market of modern finishing materials, are made using various materials:

• Classic “books” are not much different from single-leaf or double-leaf swing doors. The most expensive and high-quality products are considered to be products made from natural wood of valuable species - oak, teak, ash, larch. Such doors are considered the most durable and are supplied coated with different paints and varnishes.

• “Books” and “accordions” are also made using veneer or eco-veneer. In both cases, the fabric or its sections are based on some inexpensive synthetic material, and the outer surface on both sides is covered with a thin layer of high-quality protective material. The difference between veneer is the use of natural coating, while eco-veneer is made from environmentally friendly synthetic materials.

• Plastic is a material widely used to create lightweight multi-sectional doors. Often used in the bathroom, or as a screen to separate spaces in one room. It is characterized by its light weight, ease of operation, low price, but poor sound insulation characteristics.

• Glass - widely used in both two-section and multi-section structures. It can be made in the form of an insert with a frame made of solid or veneered material. In “books” it is often used as a one-piece construction to decorate a modern interior. Such products have increased weight and are manufactured in the form of triplex.

When installing glass on a bathroom door, it has a matte finish or a mirror film.

Most often, safety tempered glass is used for sectional sashes, which can withstand strong impact loads. When broken, it crumbles into small fragments that cannot damage human skin due to the absence of sharp edges.

• Lamination is one of the most popular and inexpensive modern materials. Durable PVC film, on which the texture of natural wood, stone, metal is applied, can have a glossy or matte surface.

The film is glued thermostatically onto a base, which can be made of MDF, plastic and other inexpensive materials. The quality and strength of the coating increases its service life and eliminates damage even under strong mechanical stress.

A wide range of color options allows each room owner to choose the material that best suits their interior.

• Metal is used less frequently, but in ultra-modern interiors it is often combined with plastic, glass and other materials as an effective insert or frame. Occasionally used as an independent material for interior design in an industrial style.

Profiles for two-section folding doors can be used to design an exit to a balcony or terrace.

Metal surfaces are produced in polished, ground versions, or coated with polymer powder paint.

• Special materials - wicker rods or palm leaves - are widely used in the design of accordion-type doors intended for decorating rooms in a tropical or African style.

On the market you can also find other exotic materials for decorating folding doors, for example, bamboo, which is suitable for adding expressiveness to a Japanese or Chinese-style interior.

Advantages

The main advantages of book doors are as follows:

• Significant space saving when opening. Thus, ordinary swing doors require an area with a radius of at least 60 cm, while a “book” requires a maximum of 15 cm;
• Easy to install. Installing a folding door is so simple that even an unprofessional craftsman can cope with this task quickly and easily;
• Strength and durability. For the manufacture of book doors, high-quality components, fittings and materials are used, and each stage of production is strictly controlled by technologists.

Sliding doors from TOP Massive: fashionable, stylish and practical solutions for your home!

Features of sizes

Folding doors installed in residential and public premises, unlike standard products, are rarely made to fit the standard openings of typical apartments. Most often, such doors are ordered individually, and the manufacturer takes into account the following features when assigning dimensions:

• If an order is placed for a two-piece product, its dimensions are no different from the standard canvas. For example, to fill a typical opening with a width of 910 x 2110 mm in the wall of a living room, you will need a canvas 800 x 2000, and in a folding version the product will be made with dimensions of 400 + 400 x 1950 - 2000 mm, depending on the method of fixing the doors to the lintel.

“Book” for a standard opening

“Book” for an enlarged opening

Book for a non-standard opening

• When manufacturing an accordion-type door, the manufacturer takes into account the multiplicity of the number and size of the section in relation to the total width of the opening. The average size of one vertical section is 100 – 200 mm. Thus, if it is necessary to block an opening that is 900 mm clear, you will need 6 sections of 150 mm each.

"Accordion" for a standard opening

“Accordion” for a non-standard opening

• When making accordion-type doors, the manufacturer takes into account that the doors do not always close tightly, since tension on the leaf is required. This leads to the fact that another additional section is inserted into the structure, and the door does not extend into a line when closed. This solution occurs regularly, but not always.

"Accordion" in closed position

• Book or accordion doors sometimes block not the opening, but a section of the wall, or a space within one large room. In such situations, sections can be made not 2000 mm high, but higher, for example, 2700 - 3000 mm. The manufacturer installs additional vertical profile posts on each section to increase the stability of the entire structure.

• The maximum width of a two-section structure, as a rule, does not exceed 1800 mm, and each sash is rarely made with a dimension of more than 850 - 900 mm, which is due to the need to free up a large free area in front of the sash.

“Book” for an opening of 1800 mm

• When installing accordion-type doors, the number of sections is practically unlimited, and such structures can have a length of 5000 - 6000 mm or more.

“Accordion” for an opening of 6000 mm

When ordering folding doors, a surveyor from the company goes to the site, takes measurements from the opening, draws a sketch, agrees with the client on the dimensions and number of sections, and also calculates the final cost of the product.

Peculiarities

Books are placed in almost any room (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, pantry, cellar, etc.), as they are not inferior to ordinary doors in terms of variety of colors and materials.

Types of materials

Most known materials, including fabric, are used in the manufacture of book doors. Designs with soft fabrics are useful for separating a small part of the room. The most common materials are:

1. Tree. This is a classic, environmentally friendly option. The exquisite appearance of wooden products will decorate every room. But their price directly depends on the quality of the wood. And due to the heaviness, a stronger fastening mechanism will be needed.
2. MDF. MDF book models are placed in any room, but most often in the bathroom and kitchen, due to their resistance to moisture and temperature changes.
3. Chipboard. Characterized by high strength. They are usually covered with a decorative film that replicates the structure of natural materials.
4. Glass. The key advantage of glass structures is their original appearance. But they are not very popular. This is explained by the fact that with them the sense of privacy is lost. And heavy weight negatively affects the service life of fasteners. In the manufacture of the canvas, glass is used: tempered, laminated glass of the triplex modification or double-glazed window.
5. Plastic. Plastic doors are the most affordable. They are resistant to moisture and do not require additional care. They are mainly used to cover a dressing room, or as a partition in a room.
6. Aluminum. Aluminum structures are strong and lightweight. Negative points include: high price, poor insulating qualities.

Folding door sizes

According to the dimensional characteristics, folding doors are standard and non-standard. The former predominate in the catalogs of companies selling similar products. Standard for most factories: width from 400 to 1800 mm, height up to 3000 mm.

Designs with non-standard dimensions are manufactured only upon individual order. For example, you can order a very small partition to cover some niche. A large model is suitable for separating zones in a room.

Color options

The choice of canvas color deserves great attention. A universal option is doors in light colors. They fit into any design and do not distract attention from its other elements. Designers see no less advantages in dark-colored models. The cappuccino color looks attractive; it will suit both dark and light rooms.

An interesting idea is to match the door design with the flooring, especially if they are the same color. This helps complete the look of the room. It's good when the tone of the floor matches the color of the doors.

Attention! Sometimes, products are matched to match the furniture, bedroom set or cabinets. But usually these things change before the doors.

Mechanism design

The design of folding interior door-books is more complex than that of swing or sliding doors. It consists of one or two sashes, divided into sections, moving on special rollers, a fixation and braking system.

The mechanism is mounted in a box on hinges or supports that are attached to the upper beam. The strength of the structure is affected by the quality of its installation to the vertical beams. Placing the mechanism at the same time above and below will also have a positive effect on strength.

Types of glass

When installing folding doors, the leaves are often equipped with glass. These inserts may have different structures, thicknesses, dimensions and other important parameters, namely:

• Book-type structures can be made of standard materials and equipped with inserts made of regular window or tempered glass.

“Book” with glass insert

• “Accordions” can also have inserts on each of the sashes, or on several sections, depending on the design solution or the wishes of the customer.”

"Accordion" with glass insert

• Both types of structures can be made of solid triplex and installed in openings with or without edging.

Solid glass “book”

Solid glass accordion

• In some cases, when decorating classic interiors, glass can be made with a corrugated surface that refracts light rays. This solution is often accompanied by painting the glass in different bright shades to create artistic patterns.

Folding design with grooved glass

• The glass frame, depending on the style of the interior, can be made of metal, wood, plastic and other materials.

Folding design with framed glass insert

• Glass on two-section “books” can start either from the floor or from the upper half of the structure. If necessary, the insert is divided by decorative layouts, forming separate segments.

Glass from the floor on the “book” design

When choosing a design with glass, you should think about the feasibility of its use. This material looks good in the interior, but entails many problems. Glass has an increased density and significantly makes the entire panel heavier, which is why the manufacturer has to use more powerful fasteners, and the retail price of the door increases significantly compared to the solid version.

Choosing doors: about color and taste

Economy class folding doors harmonize perfectly with any interior. It is enough to correctly determine the model. Such doors are made using:

• wood and leather;
• plastic and fabrics;
• Chipboard and MDF.

Modern manufacturers produce modifications of book doors, which contain:

• colored, transparent, frosted glass;
• traditional and fusing stained glass;
• insert photos and collages.

The elements are inserted into metal or wooden slats. There are both mirrored and all-glass door panels. Door sets that include glazing are sold at higher prices.

Book doors include both symmetrical sections (having the same width) and asymmetrical elements (different in size). Such models look quite unusual. In addition, such products can be folded on one or both sides. The assembled kit can:

• be on the edge of the opening;
• move inside the walls;
• be located along the walls.

The latter option looks more organic in the “Khrushchev” buildings. Book doors fit very harmoniously where there are small and narrow corridors or dressing rooms. There is a successful mix of functionality and style. The modification in question is installed in the same way as traditional sliding interior doors. At the same time, the book door looks very modern and takes up little space. Since the set of fastening elements is not particularly durable, it is not recommended to hang interior “books” in places where a large flow of people is expected.

See also: Installation of sliding aluminum doors

Door color

The old film coatings of panel panels with 2 - 3 shade options are a thing of the past, and today there are hundreds of color solutions for interior doors on the market, and sectional folding structures are not an exception to the general rules:

• The most popular solution is to use a standard texture and natural shade of wood. Depending on the color scheme, the consumer can choose such generally accepted shades as “oak”, “pine”, “cherry”, “wenge”, “apple”, “walnut”, “ash” and many other options.

If the door is made of solid wood, it can be covered with a stain with an individual shade, the tone of which matches the colors of the floor, baseboards or furniture.

"Oak"

"Pine"

"Cherry"

"Wenge"

"Apple tree"

"Nut"

• When installing folding sectional structures in modern interiors, glossy or matte, laminated or enameled surfaces are used, depending on the door material. The color scheme can be made in red, blue, green, yellow and other tones, in accordance with the range of shades presented by a specific manufacturer in the catalog.

Bright colors

• When decorating ultra-modern rooms, designers often resort to cool, steely industrial shades, using metal or foil coverings, as well as mirrors. In such rooms, monochrome and gray shades, polished or brushed metallic, and a large amount of chrome predominate.

Chrome plated cloth

• When decorating ethnic interiors, the owner of the premises can choose gilded, copper, or other colors that reflect the spirit of a particular era or tradition of the country, according to which the type of finishing is selected.

Japanese style

• In the case when the customer does not want to repeat any of the previously completed design solutions, he has the opportunity to place an individual order and choose his own color scheme, as well as a combination of different shades in the design of the folding door leaf.

Customized solution

Before choosing a particular color scheme, room owners should contact designers, since the shade must match or contrast with certain interior elements.

Drawing design

Regardless of the material of the doors, the presence of glass inserts in the canvas and other parameters, an image can be applied to each surface, which will undoubtedly emphasize the individual taste of the owner:

• A popular solution in recent years has been applying photo printing to the surface of the doors. The image can be panoramic or individual, on each section of the “book”. When printing, an offset plotter is used, which maintains the resolution and quality of every detail, regardless of file scaling.

Folding design with photo printing

• When using glass or a mirror insert on sections, the owner of the room can choose a product with a pattern applied by sandblasting or laser engraving. This method of applying an image is the most reliable and durable.

Foldable design with laser engraved glass insert

• In a children's room, or in a room with creative decoration, hand-drawn images with animated characters are often used, or decorated in accordance with the general style of the room. Such pictures are applied to the surface of the product in the same way as photo printing.

Folding canvas with animated children's image

When choosing a drawing or photograph, you should take into account that folding doors are installed in rooms once, with the expectation of many years of use. The image should be selected in such a way that it does not go out of fashion, lose relevance or become boring after a few years.

Photos of folding interior doors in the interior

Folding interior doors, depending on the design style, material and general concept of the leaf sections, are ideally suited and actively used for all types of interiors:

• Classic. Smooth lines, wealth, luxury and respectability in every element.

• Modern. The presence of contrasting solutions, a large area of ​​glossy surfaces, the use of different materials and other techniques when implementing a design project.

• High tech. Industrial style, a lot of steel and glass, mirrors and chrome surfaces.

• Vintage. Gilding, rich emerald and burgundy shades, colored stained glass, heavy elegant monograms and other elements in the spirit of the era of the century before last.

• Country. Contrast of white and brown shades, images of flowers. The presence of transparent glass inserts and natural wood are integral details that embody this style.

• Ethnic. Accordion doors and partitions are especially well suited to Japanese, Chinese or Indian interiors.

• Exclusive. Considering that many folding doors are made to order, each owner of the premises has the opportunity to implement the most daring decisions when purchasing a product.

In order for the door design to suit a certain interior style, you need to familiarize yourself with catalogs that illustrate the complex design of such premises. Every detail that is present on the door must fully correspond to the era, country and other criteria. Otherwise, such mistakes often lead to a negative perception of decorative elements.

Let's summarize the above

Any door, even the highest quality one, will become unusable if it is not treated with care. In this case, the service life of the structure is reduced by half. The movements of the shutters when closing the door should be smooth and unhurried. At certain intervals, it is necessary to inspect door hinges and other fasteners. Prevention is always cheaper than repair work.

If you have any doubts at the stage of choosing a folding door model for a particular room, it is better to consult a specialist. Having a clear understanding of the dimensional parameters of your doorways and the free space around, he will be able to accurately select the best option for the door leaf, its configuration and equipment.

In addition, in this case, it is also better to entrust the installation of the selected door leaf to professionals, so that later you will not be excruciatingly painful for wasting money on purchasing an expensive folding door model. The slightest violation of installation technology can lead to irreparable consequences - deformation of not only the guide, but the door leaf itself. You should not choose folding interior doors purely based on photos on the Internet - be sure to look at the product in person, its color, texture and quality of individual elements. You shouldn't skimp on quality. On the contrary, the family budget may suffer from this. After all, fixing a breakdown can sometimes cost half the price of a new product, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Briefly about the main thing

Folding doors are the optimal solution for separating two adjacent residential or office spaces in an apartment or house with limited usable space. Such doors are always divided into 2 (“books”) or more (“accordion”) vertical sections connected to each other by hinged inserts. When choosing such a door, you should take into account the number and size of each section, the material from which they are made, the style of execution, as well as the presence of glass. To add expressiveness to the doors, you can choose a unique design or an interesting photo print that will be combined with the overall style of the interior.

Folding doors - advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

Choosing the right folding door for your apartment or house is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. We must consider both their functionality and aesthetic value. The price and method of assembling the doors are also important. Folding doors are a very interesting alternative to traditional swing doors. Due to the fact that these doors have a folding mechanism, they do not take up much space. They save space when closing and opening, do not interfere with furniture and other elements of equipment. They work great in small apartments where saving space can improve comfort.

Modern folding doors are distinguished by their remarkable appearance, to which they owe their design. They consist of elements called slats, connected to each other by flexible plastic or canvas tape. This is what ensures comfortable gliding. The slats can be made of plastic, wood or wood materials. They are usually additionally equipped with efficient glazing that allows light to pass through. The original appearance of folding doors allows you to create an elegant and interesting composition in an apartment or house.

Flaws

The undoubted disadvantage of folding doors is their poor sound insulation. Low sound insulation is due to the design. The planks are connected in such a way that there are natural gaps between them through which air and sound pass. Even the most suitable folding door will not be as effectively sealed acoustically as traditional sliding doors. This is why this type of door works best when you want to protect a certain space from prying eyes

Another advantage of this solution worth mentioning is that folding doors are extremely functional and are available in many versions (double-leaf, tri-leaf or even more). Thanks to this, they can be an ideal solution for spacious interior openings. Another advantage is the relatively favorable price, much lower than in the case of traditional swing or sliding doors.