Garden bar doors, windows and shutters: bi-folds, stable doors, roller shutters or hatches?

Bi-folds look great in the brochure, but the opening you choose decides how the bar works on a wet Tuesday as much as a sunny Saturday. It sets how much light gets in, how warm the bar stays, how easy it is to break into and whether you serve through a gap or invite everyone inside.

The four main options

Bi-fold doors

Bi-folds turn the bar into an open-sided room on warm days. They suit bars that face a patio or seating area and are big enough for people to come in.

• They need a solid, square frame. A cheap shed frame that moves with the seasons makes them stick.
• Check how they lock, and whether the hinges are on the outside.
• Large glass panels need safety glazing (toughened or laminated) in the areas where people might walk into them.

Stable doors

A stable door is the classic pub-shed choice: open the top half, put a shelf on the bottom half and you have a hatch. Close both and it is a normal door. They suit pub-style bars and smaller sheds, and are one of the cheaper ways to add a serving point.

Roller shutters

Roller shutters suit modern and industrial bars, including container bars and garage conversions. Closed, they are a solid face. Open, they leave a clean hatch.

• Manual shutters are simpler. Electric ones need a supply and a safe installation; see power to a garden bar.
• They do not seal like a window, so plan a separate weather barrier if the bar is heated.
• Check the security rating the maker gives, if any.

Serving hatches

A hatch is a window built for passing drinks. It can be a top-hinged flap, a sliding window or a lift-up panel with stays. Our serving hatch guide covers sizes and ledges in detail. Add a drip edge or small canopy above; see guttering and rainwater.

Mixing them

Plenty of bars use two. A stable door at the side for getting in and out, plus a hatch on the front for serving, keeps guests outside on busy nights and the host in the warm. A corner bar might have a hatch on each open face. Whatever you choose, check the opening sizes against the counter height you plan, so the ledge of a hatch or stable door lines up with the bar top rather than sitting a few awkward centimetres above it.

Security

Garden bars hold fridges, TVs and bottles, which makes them more tempting than a shed full of rakes.

• Use hinges that cannot be removed from the outside, or fit hinge bolts.
• Fit proper locks, not just a hasp and padlock.
• Shutters and stable doors need bolts on the inside.
• Keep valuables out of sight of windows.

Our security guide covers locks, alarms and cameras, and insurance explains why your insurer may ask about locks.

Weather and draughts

Every opening is a gap for wind and rain. Look for:

• seals around the frame;
• a threshold that sheds water outward;
• a drip bar at the foot of doors;
• glazing that suits your plans for heating. See insulating a garden bar.

If the bar faces the prevailing wind, put the big opening on a sheltered side and use a smaller window on the exposed face.

Glazing safety

Glass low down in doors and side panels can be walked into, especially after dark or by children. Building Regulations for houses require safety glazing in these critical areas; for a garden bar it is common sense even where the rules may not apply. Ask the supplier to confirm the glass is toughened or laminated, and look for the mark etched in the corner. Plastic glazing such as polycarbonate is a lighter option for sheds.

Stand where the opening will go, picture the bar on a busy evening and on a wet weekday, and pick the option that works for both.