Inspired Glazing supplies and fits aluminium bifold doors in Hampstead Garden Suburb, building Smart Systems Visofold and Cortizo doors in our own workshop at Fifield, near Windsor, and fitting them with our own installers. We travel from Fifield to survey and install, usually allowing a little over an hour each way, and we take care of the Suburb’s extra approval stage with you from the start.
Free survey for bifold doors in Hampstead Garden Suburb
Made in our own Fifield workshop and fitted by our own team, with lead times from 10 days and a 10-year guarantee. Tell us about your opening and we will book a free survey.
The Suburb’s houses and their garden elevations
Hampstead Garden Suburb was planned by Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker, with Sir Edwin Lutyens laying out Central Square. Most of its roughly 5,000 properties are houses with their own gardens, many in an Arts and Crafts manner, with later 1930s housing north of the A1. Gardens are central to the place, and rear rooms are where owners most often want a closer link to them.
Folding doors suit the Suburb when a garden room or rear extension needs to open fully for summer living. They also handle angled or cranked back walls, which are common where earlier additions have been made, and corner openings where a single post would spoil the effect.
Trust approval comes before anything else
The Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust runs a Scheme of Management approved by the High Court in 1974. Under it, freeholders must obtain the Trust’s approval before changing the external appearance of their property, and that includes new doors. This approval sits alongside planning control by the London Borough of Barnet, which has designated the Suburb as a conservation area with Article 4 directions in place.
In practice that means two separate checks. Check with the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust about its design guidance and consent process, and check with Barnet Council about planning. We can provide elevations, sections and finish samples for both. Our article on planning permission and replacement windows covers the wider planning picture.
Two folding systems, chosen to fit the opening
- Visofold 1000 by Smart Systems: sashes up to 1200mm wide by 2500mm high, a typical sightline of 122mm, a low threshold option and an integrated cill. Smart also offers a heritage-style sash, which can help where a design needs to sit well with an older house, and dual colour finishes.
- Cortizo Bi-Fold: one to fourteen sashes, up to seven folding each way, inward or outward opening, with sashes up to 1200mm by 3000mm and 120kg. It carries PAS 24:2012 certification and allows an open corner with no mullion.
Our side-by-side guide to Visofold and Cortizo explains which suits which opening. There is more on Smart Systems products and on Cortizo doors and windows elsewhere on the site.
Finishes and proportions
On Suburb houses the appearance of a new door is usually judged on proportion as much as material. Panel widths that echo the window rhythm above, a restrained colour and a frame that sits neatly in the reveal all help a modern opening sit comfortably against older brickwork. We bring colour samples to the survey and can draw alternative panel layouts so you can compare them before any application is made.
What the work involves
- A free survey at the house, measuring the opening and discussing finishes that the Trust is likely to accept.
- Drawings for your approval, which can also support Trust and council applications.
- Fabrication in Fifield, with lead times from 10 days once drawings are signed off.
- Installation by our own team, including making good around the frame, covered by a 10-year guarantee.
Many Suburb roads are quiet and residential, but some closes and lanes are narrow, so we plan vehicle access at survey. We are Constructionline Silver accredited, which suits architects and builders managing a wider refurbishment.
Weighing up folding against sliding
Bifolds give a fully open wall, but more frames show when they are closed. Some Suburb owners prefer fewer, larger panes to keep the garden view calm. Our guide to choosing between bifold and sliding doors explains the differences, and the page on sliding doors in Hampstead Garden Suburb covers the other option. For a general overview, see our aluminium bifold door page.
We also fit folding doors nearby in Hampstead, Highgate and Swiss Cottage.
Start with a free survey
Tell us about the opening and we will arrange a visit. Phone 01753 965 005, WhatsApp 07934 152 343, or complete our free quote request. We answer calls Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Trust consent for bifold doors in Hampstead Garden Suburb?
If the change alters the external appearance of your property, the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust's approval is required under its Scheme of Management, and that is separate from planning. New rear doors usually count. Check with the Trust before ordering, and check with Barnet Council too, because the Suburb is a conservation area with Article 4 directions.
Will the Trust accept aluminium doors on an Arts and Crafts house?
We cannot speak for the Trust, which judges each application against its own design guidance. Sightlines, glazing bars, colour and the elevation they face all matter. We can supply drawings and finish samples, and the Visofold heritage-style sash may help on some houses. Ask the Trust early so the design reflects its view.
How wide an opening can bifold doors cover?
Cortizo's folding system allows up to fourteen sashes, each up to 1200mm wide, and the manufacturer says it can cover openings of almost 17 metres. Visofold 1000 sashes are also up to 1200mm wide. In most Suburb houses the limit is the structural opening, which we measure at survey.
How far do you travel to fit doors in Hampstead Garden Suburb?
Our workshop and only premises are at Fifield, near Windsor, and the Suburb is roughly 23 miles away as the crow flies. By road that is usually a little over an hour. Our own team makes every trip for the survey and the installation, so nothing is subcontracted.
Can bifold doors open outwards onto a garden terrace?
Yes. Cortizo states that its folding system can open inwards or outwards, so the panels can stack on the terrace side. Outward opening keeps the room clear, while inward opening avoids clashing with planters or furniture outside. For Visofold, ask us to confirm the opening direction for your configuration at survey.