Folding glass doors open a whole span rather than a doorway. Closed, they are weatherproof and secure; open, the panels stack aside and the room joins whatever is beyond it. That combination is why they work as well on a restaurant frontage as they do on a house opening onto a terrace.
Our panels are tempered safety glass with secured clamps and fittings, so the system stands up to daily use and to Malaysian weather.
The two GeWalt folding systems
GW-FW8900 folding wall system. The heavier of the two: panels up to 3000mm high, 1000mm wide and 90kg each. It needs no bottom track, because the head track carries the weight and a roller keeps each panel steady. The end leaf runs on a double-acting floor spring and stays non-folding, so there is a 100mm service entrance you can use without opening the whole wall.
GW-SF8900 sliding and folding system. Lighter, for panels up to 2500mm high, 800mm wide and 50kg. Upper and lower door strips carry the panel, with anti-collision parts protecting the glass edges where panels meet.
Common types of folding glass door
Sliding folding. The most common type. The door slides on tracks, so you keep walking space beside it, and light pressure with one hand is enough to move it.
Pivot folding. Uses a swivelling mechanism: two pivoting panels hinged at their base slide past each other above the opening, letting the entire span of the partition open up.
Accordion folding. Also called pocket-folding, because it needs very little space to open and the panels are small when folded. It works like an accordion blind and opens with one hand.
Telescopic folding. Similar in mechanism to accordion, but with smaller panels that fold more compactly still.
If you are not sure which suits your opening, send us the span and a photo and we will tell you.
Advantages and disadvantages
What you gain. A sliding or pivot folding door opens the entire surface span of the partition, which brings natural light in while still letting you shade the space. Because the panels travel on tracks rather than swinging, you keep floor area you would otherwise lose to a door arc. And a sliding foldable door closes in a way that stops rain getting in, so it is more water-repellent than most doors covering an opening that wide.
What you give up. It is heavy, and a large system can cost more than RM8,000. The weight is also the reason we do not usually recommend it for a home where young children or frail elderly residents will be opening it every day.
Related systems
For a shower enclosure, see our shower sliding systems. For a movable partition inside a building, see interior glass systems. For a frameless glass enclosure on a balcony, see glass curtains.
