Subiaco Football Club Concertina Folding Door Upgrade at Leederville Oval
Introduction
Sports clubs demand reliability.
At venues like Leederville Oval in Perth WA, facilities are used heavily throughout the week — from training sessions to game days.
When the existing changing room divider at Subiaco Football Club failed due to broken plastic carriers, a more durable and long-term solution was needed.
This project involved replacing an older concertina door system with a modern, commercial-grade folding door, designed for smoother operation and long-term performance.
The Challenge: Worn-Out Concertina Door System
The original installation was a vinyl-style concertina door that had seen a few years of use. These type of doors are typically chosen for their low-entry cost however for larger openings, they typically do not stand the test of time - read here about the true cost of cheap concertina doors and issues that can arise from them.
Over time, issues developed including:
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difficulty opening and closing - sagging runners caused folding door curtain to drag on the floor
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inconsistent movement along the track
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components wearing under frequent use
In high-traffic environments like football clubs, these issues can quickly become operational problems — especially on game days.
Rather than repairing the existing system, the club opted for a complete upgrade to a more robust solution - our COMFORTflo semi-acoustic folding door. The COMFORTflo has added top and bottom sweep seals to close the opening completely, making it a folding wall partition that seals the opening from top to bottom leaving no gaps between two spaces, delivering mid-range sound mitigation.
The Solution: Bi-Parting Folding Door System
To suit the layout and usage requirements, a bi-parting folding door configuration was installed.
This means the door:
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opens from the centre
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stacks neatly to both sides
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allows fast and efficient access when required
Why Bi-Parting Was Important
At Subiaco Football Club, the door is used to:
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separate home and away team change rooms
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provide privacy during breaks and strategy discussions, and controlled access during matches
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allow quick opening when full access is needed
A bi-parting system ensures both sides can be opened evenly, which is ideal for wider openings commonly found in club facilities.
Before - The Old Vinylcloth Doors with Plastic Runners / Carriers
After - Our COMFORTflo - Modern Folding Door System with Axled Double-Trolley Carriers
Built for High-Use Environments
Unlike older-style systems, our modern accordion doors for commercial use are designed to handle:
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frequent daily operation
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large opening spans
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long-term wear and tear
A key upgrade in this project was the use of a trolley-based carrier system, allowing the door to glide smoothly along its track. Because our carriers are made of aluminium and steel-bodies axles, they are made to last a long time and for heavy-frequency use, without the wear and tear often seen with plastic runners.
This results in:
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easier operation for staff
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reduced strain on components
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improved long-term reliability
A Better Experience for Staff and Players
On match days, timing and flow are critical.
The upgraded door system allows:
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quick separation of teams
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smooth operation under pressure
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reliable performance when it matters most
For staff, this means less time dealing with maintenance issues and more focus on running the venue efficiently.
Australian Made, Supplied Nationwide
This project highlights the importance of working with an Australian manufacturer supplying folding doors nationwide.
From Melbourne to Perth, projects like this can be supplied efficiently with systems designed for Australian conditions.
Whether it’s a sports club, RSL, school, church, medical centre and almost any commercial venue, our concertina folding doors are being used across the country to improve functionality and flexibility.
Where Else Are These Doors Used?
Folding door systems like this are commonly installed in:
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sports clubs and stadiums
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RSLs and hospitality venues
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schools and gymnasiums - example in Brisbane
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offices and commercial fitouts
See where else our folding doors can be used in residential settings.
Can Folding Doors Be Used for Change Rooms?
Yes — and they are ideal for it.
Benefits for Change Room Applications:
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quick separation of spaces
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privacy for teams and staff
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easy operation in high-pressure environments
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compact stacking (doesn’t take up usable space)
For clubs managing multiple teams and events, this flexibility is extremely valuable. Read about our client in Canberra who used our doors for their massage rooms.
Why Upgrade Instead of Repair?
Many older concertina-style doors can be repaired — but only to a point.
In high-use environments, upgrading often makes more sense because:
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newer systems are more durable
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operation is smoother and easier
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long-term maintenance is reduced
Older designs and systems with vulnerable components such as plastic carriers and plastic joining hinges, once aged are usually more beneficial to be swapped out with our modern system, because call out and repair fees can be very costly, when spare parts are actually very cheap in comparison. By continuing to try to keep these old systems serviceable once these vulnerable parts start to fail, the total cost of repairing can actually far exceed the cost of replacing the system with a long-lasting durable system like ours, over a matter of months.
Planning a Flexible Layout in Your Club, Workplace or Have a Project for a Client?
Projects like Subiaco Football Club demonstrate how the right door system can make a significant difference in day-to-day operations, reliability and user experience.
For clubs looking to upgrade older systems, modern folding doors offer a durable, flexible and easy-to-use solution — designed for the demands of real-world environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a bi-parting folding door?
A: A bi-parting accordion door opens from the centre and stacks to both sides, making it ideal for wide openings.
Q: Are folding doors suitable for sports clubs?
A: Yes. Our concertina doors are commonly used in change rooms, function areas and offices due to their flexibility and durability.
Q: How long do commercial folding doors last?
A: With proper design and installation, our doors are built to handle years of high-frequency use.
Q: Can folding doors replace older concertina doors?
A: Yes. Many clubs upgrade their older systems to our modern folding doors for improved performance and reliability.
A: Apart from the COMFORTflo semi-acoustic doors, what other options are there?
Q: We also have the more cost-effective LINEAflo, our visual privacy room partitioning folding doors, and the ACOUSTICflo, our slimline acoustic concertina doors.
Other Links and Articles that may of of interest:
Folding Doors in Adelaide
Acoustic Concertina Doors and Other Solutions for Soundproofing a Room
Internal Folding Doors Cost in Australia
Speak with a specialist to assess your existing system or explore new installation options suited to your budget and acoustic requirements.
More information:
• Our Concertina Folding Door Range
• Our Commercial Concertina Door Applications
• Contact Us
