AluFold Direct has added a new Premium Bifold door to its collection, giving installers the chance to upsell to buyers in high-end residential properties.

With the mainstream home improvement market likely to come under pressure during 2022 as inflation rises and higher costs put a squeeze on household expenditure, AluFold Direct says there are still lots of opportunities at the higher end of the market.

The new Premium Bifold features an ultra slim frame with sightlines of 120mm and stylish, contemporary hardware which helps to differentiate it from AluFold’s standard offering.

Managing director, Russell Yates, said: “The fact is that there’s nothing standard about the AluFold Standard Bifold. It’s a great product with proven quality and performance and lots of customisation options and it remains central to our offering. However, this new Premium Bifold gives customers another string to their bow and means they can potentially upsell to homeowners and developers who want something different.

“The hardware in particular, available in a range of different finishes, is likely to appeal to homeowners who want their bi-fold to look and feel luxurious, and we are offering a full range of custom RAL colours so that they can match the doors and the hardware perfectly to their décor.”

The new AluFold Direct Premium Bifold comes with PAS24 security accreditation, and market leading wind, water and air permeability performance ratings. (Class A3 for wind resistance, Class 9A for water tightness and Class 4 for air permeability.) It can also be used with triple glazing to achieve U-Values of 1.1 W/m²K, which means it complies with the upcoming changes to Part L of the Building Regs.

In terms of configuration, maximum panel width is 1,200mm, height is 3,000mm and weight is 120kg. Inward or outward opening can be from one to 14 sashes and there is the option of fully openable 90° corners without a mullion. There are also four different threshold heights, including an embedded low threshold for maximum accessibility.

The new door comes pre-assembled from AluFold Direct for quicker installation and comes with a built-in adjustable jamb to save installers time and hassle onsite.

Russell Yates added: “When I joined AluFold Direct in 2020, it was already amongst the most efficient fabricators in the UK. Since then though, we’ve transformed the entire operation, massively increasing capacity and guaranteeing consistent, highly repeatable precision outputs in doors, windows and rooflights.

“Unlike most aluminium fabricators who put multiple products down the same assembly lines and accept the limitations that puts on speed and volumes, we now have three dedicated high-speed lines, each with their own top of the range cutting and machining centres and fully automated four head crimpers.

“We are producing both our Standard and Premium Bifolds on our dedicated doors line and delivering the same efficiencies on both. What is also important for customers is that we are no longer reliant on a single systems supplier so we can guarantee product availability even when there are delays in our extended supply chain.”