What Are Bi-Fold Gates, and Why Might They Be Right for Your Site

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Whether you got here by searching for bi-fold driveway gates or you’re just looking for a gate solution that will work for your project, you’re in the right place.

Let’s take a closer look at what bi-fold gates are, how they are made, and why they might be the type of gate you need.

What Are Bi-Fold Gates?

Bi-fold gates are named after their design. In this case, each leaf of the gate (which would normally be a single panel) is made of two separate panels that are hinged in the middle. This allows the gate to fold up like a concertina instead of simply swinging open and closed.

Bi-fold gates are also sometimes called articulated gates or concertina gates, but they all work in basically the same way.

How Are Bi-Fold Gates Made?

Bi-fold gates are made the same way that ordinary swing gates are, except that instead of a single panel per gate leaf, there are two panels. These panels are hinged in the center, sometimes with a sliding bolt to allow them to be used as ordinary swing gates or bi-fold gates, and they sometimes have a gate wheel to ensure that they don’t sag.

What Is the Benefit of Bi-Fold Gates?

The biggest benefit of bi-fold gates is that they have a much smaller swing radius – as you can see from the graphic we created for this article.

A bi-fold gate that is made up of equal-sized panels will have half the swing radius of an ordinary swing gate of the same opening size.

This is very useful when space is limited or where there is something obstructing the swing of an ordinary swing gate.

Can Bi-Fold Gates Be Automated?

Yes. There are special gate operators and gate motors on the market for bi-fold gates. It might take a little more looking to find the right product for your gate, but they are out there.

Where Can You Buy Bi-Fold Gates?

Since they’re not something that is requested very often, you’re not likely to find bi-fold gates on the shelves of your local big box hardware store.

In most cases, you will either need to order your bi-fold gates as a special order, custom built gate, or you might be able to put one together using ordinary gate panels, hinges, gate wheels and so on.

As you can imagine, however, a gate like this is a little more complex than your ordinary swing gate, so if you’re not already a fence pro, it’s probably best to find a company that can manufacture and install your bi-fold gate for you.