If you want to be able to view the entire contents of a closet, and don’t have enough room for the doors to swing open, bifold doors are a good option. Used on closets and in laundry rooms, bifold doors fold out of the way, leaving room around the door for furnishings and foot traffic. Each door is made of two hinged panels, and the top of the doors slide within a track. The mounting hardware is at the top of the door. There is also hardware at the bottom of the door that allows the door to pivot open.
Tools and Supplies needed:
Basic tool kit and items on this page.
1. Installing the Track
A. Install the top guide track to the head jamb of the door opening.
Use the hardware provided, or recommended, by the manufacturer.
B. Lay out the location for the pivot hardware on the floor directly
below the top track. Secure the hardware to the floor. C. Attach the
pivot hardware to the doors. Make sure the lower pivot hardware aligns
with the hardware on the floor.
D. Attach the hardware to the top of the door. Align the top of the
door with the track. E. Begin to install the bifold doors by putting
one door’s bottom pivot point into the lower track socket.
F. Insert the door’s top pivot point into the top pivot socket inside
the track. Secure the door in place. G. If the top pivot point is spring
loaded, retract the pivot point, place it into position, and release
it. H. Attach the door brackets on the inside edge of each door to
allow for the doors to close snug.
2. Attaching the Handle
A. If your doors don’t have predrilled holes, measure, mark, and predrill
a hole. Insert the hardware through the hole and attach the knob. B.
The finished door should open and close smoothly. The doors should
be plumb and level. Make any adjustments using the lower pins and track
sockets.
Accordian Doors
Accordian doors completely fold out of the way. Installed in a similar manner to bifold doors, accordion doors allow even more floor space around the door opening and they also fit smaller door openings.