Building your own DIY bifold door is a daunting task. It requires careful consideration of many factors, including the strength and size of the door, the load bearing capabilities of the building, and how the door will operate. Other factors to consider include the time to design and cost to build the door.
For those who welcome an interesting challenge, building a DIY bifold door might be an excellent choice. However, for those who are busy with other projects or simply need a bit of time to relax, an engineered and certified Diamond bifold door might just be the better option.
Size vs. Strength
What do you need in a large door?
Reliable operation, plenty of headroom, and convenience are all common needs. Depending on your building application, the height and width of your door can also vary.
Private hangar doors are often built up to 40 feet wide to accommodate the wingspan of the plane. Doors are typically narrower on agricultural shops, but they make up for that in height, often reaching over 20 feet high. And industrial shops… well, those are just big doors.
At Diamond Doors, we build every bifold from high strength tubular steel (HSS). With its high strength-to-weight ratio, HSS allows us to build bifold doors that are taller and wider without compromising the strength of the door. In fact, we have built doors over one hundred feet wide.
Diamond Doors also manufactures a self-supporting header system. This system provides additional strength and support to the building, making it possible to install a bifold door on anything from a fabric quonset, post frame building, or a steel structure.
In contrast, most DIY bifold doors are limited in size to just a little bit larger than standard garage doors. This is typically due to the materials used to build the door. Build any larger and the homebuilt door loses strength. This makes the door a hazard to anything passing beneath it.
A larger door also means more weight, which makes the counterweight system used to manually open the door more complicated and heavier. Simply put, large DIY bifold doors are hard to build without reducing the strength of the door.
Safety is Important
The safety of your bifold door is important. When you have equipment, employees, or customers passing through the door, you want it to be as safe as possible. Unfortunately, safety features are difficult to implement on a DIY bifold door.
At Diamond Doors, we have designed a variety of safety features. We use these features on every door to protect your employees, customers, and equipment.
These features include photo electric safety sensors, an electric brake, a cable safety factor, cable guards, and more.
- Photo Electric Safety Sensors – Our photo electric safety sensors prevent the door from closing if anything is within the doorway. Used in multiples, they create a safety curtain for added protection.
- Electric Brake – We equip every Diamond door with an electric brake to prevent the door from closing in the event of a power failure. The brake is automatically engaged if the power fails. We also equip the electric brake with a lever to disengage the brake and manually operate the door.
- Cable Safety Factor – at Diamond Doors, we use lift cables with a 10x safety factor. Having more cables decreases the strain on the building and door. It also means that you don’t need to worry about the door crashing down if a cable snaps or catches during operation. In addition, our unique driveline design prevents the cable from overlapping while the door opens or closes – the primary cause for a shortened cable lifespan. This lengthens the lifespan of the cables. It also prevents you from having to spend valuable time untangling the cables.
- Genesys Electrical Box – Diamond Doors is the first bifold door manufacturer to receive dual CSA and UL certification for their Genesys electrical box. The watertight, explosion proof also meets NEMA 4/4X/12 and IP64 specifications, offering customers peace of mind for their building.
Other Safety Features
Difficult repairs, wind protection, and DIY door maintenance are other factors to consider. However, these are issues that Diamond Doors has both considered and solved in the design of their bifold door.
Diamond Doors has implemented time saving features on their bifold door design, including greaseless hinges and no maintenance cables. We have a blog post that discusses our favourite no/low maintenance features – check it out here.
Finally, it is important to consider the recommendations and requirements of local building codes when building a bifold door. On a public building, these codes are stringent to protect employees, customers, and the public. Purchasing an engineered bifold door ensures that all building codes are met, saving you time and money during building inspections.
Time is Ticking
A bifold door is deceptively simple to look at. Two frames, joined together by a series of hinges, form the basic door. Depending on the building application, the door may be insulated. Covered in a finishing material – typically metal cladding – the door is complete.
It sounds simple, but it is much more than that.
Designing the door, finding the materials, and building the door takes time. The bigger the door, the longer it takes. Troubleshooting any issues can also take time. What may seem to be a simple project ends up taking longer than expected, leaving the building with a gaping hole or half-finished door.
At Diamond Doors, we have built thousands of custom doors for a variety of customers and their needs. Our experience guarantees each new customer a quality door. With a short lead time, between 6 – 8 weeks, we minimize the amount of time you need to put into your project and leave you with time to spend as you please.
The Convenience of an Engineered Door
A door that opens at the push of a button. Low maintenance. Quick and easy installation. In a word – convenient.
At Diamond Doors, we recognize that a bifold door is a tool with a purpose. It’s why we build each door to make your life easier.
In comparison, a DIY bifold door can be difficult to maintain. With the rare exception of the automated DIY door, most DIY bifold doors use a system of counterweights and pulleys to open the door. These systems take time to set up properly, and more time to maintain. Then there is the time required to replace old boards, grease squeaking hinges, leaks, and more.
Diamond Doors ensures that maintenance is as simple as possible on your bifold door. With greaseless hinges, high-quality frame finishing, and easy-to-replace lift cables make caring for your bifold door easy. You can read more about our low maintenance features on our Bifold Door Maintenance Checklist blog post.
Easy Installation
A Diamond door is also built for quick and easy installation. Every door comes fully assembled – wired, painted, and ready to install.
For every door, we assemble the electrical components and test them in factory. After they have been tested, we install the components onto the door frame. We pre-wire the door with the power and control wires to save time when installing the door. Finally, a colour-coded junction box makes wiring the door to the building quick and easy.
Our Easy Bifold Door Installation blog post has more information on what makes a Diamond door an ideal choice for easy door installation.
For customers who are ready to install their door, Diamond Doors offers a comprehensive installation manual. Easy-to-reach phone support is available throughout the day to answer any questions that may come up.
For customers who are short on time, Diamond Doors also has a large and growing network of builders and installers. This team of experienced contractors provides excellent service to all Diamond Doors customers.
Cost Comparison
Comparing direct costs for ordering vs. building a bifold door is difficult. With prices that constantly fluctuate and hard-to-find materials, building isn’t cheap.
However, there are other costs to a door.
Will the quality of your DIY bifold door stand up to the quality of Diamond door? A Diamond door has been designed to withstand wind speed, regular usage, harsh weather, and more. In the end, you are receiving a quality door that lasts longer and works better.
The Durability of a Diamond
A diamond lasts forever. It’s a popular tagline – one that reflects the quality of every Diamond door. Investing in a custom-ordered Diamond door is an investment in quality, innovation, and excellence.
That’s why every Diamond door comes with an extensive warranty. It includes a comprehensive, two-year factory defect warranty, a ten-year warranty on all lift cables, and a lifetime warranty on hinge bushings – not that we expect you’ll need it.
Decisions, Decisions
A bifold door is an important investment. It protects your equipment, your business, and your hobbies. When you purchase a Diamond door, you know that you made an investment in a tool that will make your life easier.
