A bifold door unit consists of two doors hinged together that fold to one side. These two doors usually hang on pivots and have spring loaded rollers that slide in a track that is attached across the top of the opening.
Bifold doors are frequently used on wide closet openings because when opened they offer access to the full width of the closet. Sliding bypass doors, in contrast, only allow access to about half or even less of the closet when slid into the open position.
They are a popular choice for the laundry area closet that many people have in their homes because these spaces are often in hallways. The bifold doors allow people to walk down the hall while the doors are in the open position because they only require 1/2 of the space that a conventional door of the same size would need. We also use these doors
to cover the coffee/kitchenette areas found in many offices. Generally they have a nicer appearance than accordion doors that are often used in similar situations. Larger units can be used to divide spaces in homes or offices.
Bifolding doors are sometimes used as passage doors in small rooms where a standard swinging door is not practical because it would interfere with space usage. I don’t care for them so much in these applications because while they are easy to operate from the pop out side, they are a little awkward to close from the pull in side. There is also not a good way to latch these doors should you require a privacy locking function.
There are many styles of bifold doors to choose from: They can be simple flat hollow core doors with no designs at all. Or they can be ordered with most of the same designs as the raised panel hollow core doors that are so popular. There are a number of glass designs available for bifold interior doors. I have seen frosted, etched glass, leaded glass and french window designs.
I recently installed a couple pairs of douglas fir shaker style bifold doors. They went into an older home and were going to be clear finished to tie in with all of the wood features these folks had in their house. Here are a couple pictures of the completed installation. They looked really nice!
Another popular style is louver bifold doors. They are made of wood, usually pine or fir, and have horizontal louvers either just in the top half with a wood panel below or the louvers can both above and below a narrow board at lock height. Louver doors provide ventilation for closets and other rooms without windows and add nice design elements to the rooms in which they are installed. This picture show a couple of the styles of louvered bifold doors that are available.
Mirror bifold doors are available. They can make a small room look larger and are convenient if there is no other dressing mirror in the room. I would caution that they must be measured and ordered carefully because they cannot be trimmed for carpet clearance like the wood models.
Bifold doors are fairly easy to install with a minimum of tools. The instructions are usually easy to follow and the parts are simple to install. There are pivots that seat in brackets top and bottom on the sides of the openings. A track is installed across the top to control and align the doors as they open and close. There is no bottom track or guide on the floor in the center of the opening like we use with sliding bypass doors. I usually install a wood trim, 3/4″ cove moulding is my favorite, around the outside of the opening to cover the gaps on the side and the track across the top.
Some of typical stock widths are 18″, 20″, 24″, 36″, 48″, 60″, 72″ and 96″. The smaller openings require only two panels to fill them. Openings 48″ and over are usually filled with four panels. Standard heights are 6’8 and 8’0 with 7’0 available from some manufacturers. Custom sizes are available but can get pricey.
These doors can all be painted. The ones made of wood are stainable. Some manufacturers offer prefinished doors-Usually painted white.
For more information please call or email me….Richard The Door Guy !
I am looking for a pair of bifold interior doors with the solid panel at the bottom and adjustable louvers on the top panel, preferably 3 inches. Do you have a style like this?
thanks.
clara hardin
Hi Clara,
Thank you for your note about some interesting bifold doors!
The door manufacturer that I work with is not set up to make
movable louvers.
I think you should check with a company that makes custom shutters
for windows….I am sure that if you gave them the specs they could
make what you are looking for….Probably prehung and ready to install.
Best of luck with the project!
RC/DG
I have a customer who need 96″ wide, 80″ high bifold louvered doors for a laundry room. Need price, availability and any suggestions for such a wide opening. The laundry room opens into a hallway.
Thanks
Hi Henry,
The door that you describe should be a special order item that you could order from a local door shop or lumber yard with door specialty section. I would stay away from big box stores but that’s just me. Standard louver doors are usually pine and can be ordered with lovers in the upper area and raised panels below or with louvers above and below a lock rail. Just depends on look that you want.
I think that used to be a standard size but my door supplier says not now.
Best of luck with the project!!
RC/DG
I have two bifold/french doors leading from my living room into a guest/den/playroom that we are considering converting into our child’s bedroom (toddler). They swing free from the hinges and are not connected to any tracks, neither top nor bottom. We need a way to make at least one side stationary and lock the two so that our son cannot push them open from the other side in the middle of the night.
Any suggestions?
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your inquiry. It sounds to me like you have 4 panels total with 2 panels hinged together on each side jamb of the opening and the doors fold out into your main living area. When closed they all hit against a piece of door stop across the top of the opening…How’d I do?!
If that is the case probably the simplest solution would be to put a surface bolt(probably 4″ or 6″ would be best size) at the top of leading edge of each panel and have them seat into the appropriate strike plate attached to the head jamb. Here is a picture of the bolt that I am talking about: http://thedoorguy.com/images/Sbolt.jpg .
How’s that sound?
RC/DG
Good call on the type of doors by the way, I’m sure I wasn’t terribly clear. 🙂
Would that work to secure the door shut at night? Also, there is molding around the door frame that may make it difficult to put that kind of a surface bolt against the top of the frame (I think that’s what you were saying, right?)…
I found a picture of this bolt installed….See if it makes sense with your application. http://thedoorguy.com/images/SBoltInst.jpg . If you put one at the top of each panel it will keep the doors closed. They will flex at the bottom if pushed. I supposed they could slide down if shaken a lot but probably worth a try ….Not horribly expensive and installation does not cause many marks that can’t be fixed.
Another option would be to replace the bifolds with a pair of regular hinged doors. Then you could bolt one closed with surface bolt and put a privacy lock on the active door. That would probably be a bit sturdier but you might have to call a door guy to get it done!
RC/DG
Hi! I am building a closet and am failing at finding bifold mirrored closet doors for a 48″ opening without a bottom track. i would prefer to not ruin my cork floors! and of course the kicker is that i have a tight budget. i appreciate any ideas or direction you might have. Thank you for your attention. Carina
Hi Carina,
Thanks for your note. I thought that it would be a fairly common item but…..Gasp!….I was wrong! I talked to a couple of my suppliers and they both told me that their manufacturers don’t like mirror bifolds without a bottom track because of the weight and chance that they might bump something.
A couple of ideas do come to mind:
1. Install a flat slab bifold door unit and have a glass shop mount mirrors on them after they are installed. You would have to upgrade your hanging hardware and track to something like this: http://jhusa.net/100fd.aspx . It is rated for 75 pounds per panel so it would be strong enough to support the weight of the doors and mirror. I have used Johnson hardware a number of times and they make a good product and it is easy to order from their website.
I would reinforce the bottom pivot area with screws from both sides of the door and perhaps attach a rectangle of sheet metal around the hole in the bottom of the door to distribute the weight a bit.
2. Often bifold application is the only configuration that makes sense but if you can get by with a pair of swinging 24″ doors you could mount them using full length chrome piano hinges and install the mirrors on the doors butting up to the hinges on each side.
In either case, buy some stick on mirror knobs from the glass company.
Those are the only things that come to mind right now….I hope it helps a bit.
RC/DG
Thank you so much for your help!
Glad that it was helpful to you Carina!…Let me know if you have more ??
RC/DG
Hi,
I have a closet with a 42″ rough opening; thinking of installing a bi-fold. How do I fund a bi-fold for this size? Is it too narrow for bi-fold?
Would also like to hear your thoughts on double/french doors for closets.
Great website by the way, a lot of useful info.
Hi there Acaba,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Probably the best bet would be to buy a couple of 20″x80″x 1 3/8″ or 1 3/4″ doors that you like. Most of the hollow core moulded interior door designs ( http://thedoorguy.com/Moulded-Doors.html ) are available in 20″ widths. The doors will not have any prep on them but it would be easy enough for a finish carpenter to drill them for the pivots and attach the hinges on the back. You can buy the hardware here: http://johnsonhardware.com/fdindex.htm . The 1825 model would be plenty strong for hollow core doors in your size. They have complete package with track, rollers, pivots and hinges: http://johnsonhardware.com/1825.htm .
French doors are fine for closets. I don’t think the 20″ width is standard, so they would probably have to be made to order. A bit pricey for a closet perhaps. If you go that route you might want to consider a decorative glass to divert attention from your closet interior. This would also add to cost so it really depends on your budget. Also probably would want a heavier duty hardware package for the french doors than the one described above. In general I like interior french doors. They define the space but still have an open feel about them.
I would check with a local door specialty shop or, if you don’t have one, go to a quality lumber yard with a door specialist in house. Big box store would be less than helpful in this situation.
I hope that helps a bit. Please reply back with more questions or comments.
Best of luck with the project!
RC/DG
For three years i have been looking for 9″ wide panels for two doorways , each sized 36″ across (80″ high), such that there were four panels in one doorway.
Our painters tossed the beautiful one there, and i cannot find elegant replacements, such as a french door style, or craftsman style. Only solid. Can you help?
Hi Janina,
I am not sure that I understand your situation but a local full service door shop should be able to help.
Take a picture of the openings that you are trying to fill so that they will be able to visualize your goal.
I am installing bifold doors to replace sliding doors in the hall closet of my condo. Due to the size 87″ wide/90″ tall I had to order custom doors. The way we had to do it was to have four doors (8 panels total). I’ve got the basics installed but the problem I am having is in the middle. Essentially it will look like two separate closets if that makes sense. But in the middle there is nothing to drill the bottom jamb/bracket into other than the floor since it’s essentially the outside right of one set of doors and the outside left of another set. Now that I’ve already custom ordered them I don’t really have space to add a wall down the middle and truly divide the closet in half. Any suggestions on how to do the bottom pivot? Thanks!
Hi Kris,
I think I understand your situation. The only thing that comes to mind right now is that you should use the supplied jamb brackets and secure them to the floor. If it is concrete or tile you will have to use plastic anchors. If wood you can just screw the bracket to the floor. If your supplied bracket is the typical one supplied with bifold doors, it will have one screw hole out at the end towards center of opening. You will have to run a screw through the slot in the bracket at the wall end. Probably will require a washer to hold the bracket tight.
I hope that helps a bit. If you have more comments, please post and I will try to help.
Door guy, we have two rooms that we are making into one…each room has standard 48″ closet bifold doors….but we are taking down the wall between the two rooms that have the closets. The wall we are rebuilding the closet on is about 1-foot shorter so instead of 10 ft wide it is only 9 feet wide. We actually have another closet in the house that has similar dimensions and uses 2 sets of 40″ bifold doors….so I want to do the same in the new rebuilt closet…but I can’t seem to find a store that has these 40″ bifold doors…do you know where to get these?
thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
While you did not tell me the style of door that you want to use; most are available in 20″ (1’8) widths. Check out these as an example:
http://thedoorguy.com/CobbMoulded/MouldedDoorSpecs.jpg
If you just want flat slab doors, they are readily available also.
For hardware you would visit one of the more user friendly sites that I know of:
http://www.johnsonhardware.com/fdindex.htm .
They sell all of the parts that you would need to assemble your own bifold door systems. You can buy complete sets of track, rollers, pivots and hinges in various weight categories. I would suggest looking at the 111FD series for solid core doors and the 1700 or 1825 for hollow core doors. You or your contractor should be able to install them at full width if you size the openings correctly. If the openings are already 40″ net you will have to size the doors down an equal amount on each panel to allow clearance, mostly on the pivot sides. Once you get the doors installed and working correctly, you can install 3/4″ cove moulding around the sides and across the top to dress things up a little.
Let me know if that helps or if I went off in the wrong direction.
Thanks for your question and best of luck with the project!!
RC/DG
I have a mirrored bifold door to my walk-in closet that’s about 3ish
years old, so it’s past warranty…but the handle to open it has come off.
Right now it’s temporarily re-attached with box tape (a lot of it and creatively cut pieces so it stays on and the tape doesn’t lift) but it really looks awful. Plus I’ve noticed that the mirror where the handle was originally stuck on with some sort of adhesive backing has a crack. I’ll most likely be stuck with replacing the whole door when I have the money, but everywhere I’ve looked only has mirrored bifolds with the same adhesive-type handle attachment. There has to be a better option that I can reasonably afford out there somewhere….right??
Hi Lynn,
The adhesive backed pulls are the standard option for mirror door knobs. I have not heard of one coming off until now. Perhaps yours was not pressed on firmly enough or maybe it was cold that day. I would suggest trying again, perhaps with a larger knob. i found one here: Large mirror door knob . Might not be exactly the style you are wanting but it should get you by until you can replace. Make sure that mirror surface is clean and both the mirror and knob adhesive are a little warm…..Should improve adhesion.
A glass company could probably drill that mirror somehow and attach a knob through it but you would have to pay service call and they might not like the idea anyway. My advice is to stick with the adhesive variety.
I hope that helps a bit.
RC/DG
Thank you so much!! I have a company that I’ve gone to in the past for making glass tops for all my wooden furniture but they’re expensive and I doubt they’d suggest drilling a hole through the door due to the potential for cracking. What should I use to remove what’s left of the previous adhesive prior to putting the new one that I’ve ordered in place?
Hi Lynn,
I am glad that you liked the larger knob idea! Various adhesives thin better with different thinners. One of the more environmentally sensitive removers is Goo Gone. It is available at most hardware and paint stores and is safer to use than paint and lacquer thinners.
I use the thinners: paint thinner, lacquer thinner and acetone. Paint thinner is the mildest. I usually start with that and advance to the other two if it doesn’t work. They are pretty harsh products so I would start with Goo Gone if I were you. In either case you should use rubber gloves for the sake of your skin.
I hope that helps!
RC/DG
Hi Erik,
Nice to hear from you all the way on the other side of the country!
Is this a two door or a four door unit?
How wide is it?
You have a valid concern about using hinges with a top track because you give up most of your adjustments when you switch from pivots to hinges. If your opening is very plumb and level you might be ok but they usually are not quite that good. We like to use pivots on bifolds because you can easily adjust the height and sides by moving the pivot points in or out and twisting the bottom pivot to raise or lower the door. The goal is to have the tops of the doors line up with the track on the head jamb for smooth operation and nice appearance. The doors frequently do not line up with the side jambs and we solve that appearance concern by installing a moulding in front of the doors on the sides and across the top. 3/4″ cove or square moulding usually works well for this.
That was a long way around to get to your question about securing the bottom bracket. You can probably get by with just securing the bottom bracket to the door jamb with long flat head screws and leave the end of the bottom bracket unattached. That being said, most stone floors are soft enough so that they drill quite easily with the proper bit. I would drill through the bracket with 1/8″ bit then remove bracket from wall and drill 1/4″ hole deep enough to install a plastic anchor. Then reattach bracket to jamb and secure that one hole with a flat head screw. If you are going to drill those holes in the stone be sure that you buy drill bits that say percussion or hammer drill on them. They have better carbide tips than the basic masonry bits. I am sure that you know that regular steel bits will not work at all on stone. You will be able to use your lightweight household drill or battery powered driver to drill these holes.
I hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reply back with more ? or comments.
RC/DG
I need a bi fold door that is 40 by 80 vented for a furnace area where could i find one
Hi Brandy,
One concern about your opening is the width. That 40″ measurement would not be a standard width. 80″ is fine for the height. If you can frame the opening down a couple of inches on each side and make a 36″ finish opening you could buy some nice looking pine louver doors like the ones shown above in this post. Full louver would certainly be plenty of ventilation and I would think the half louver model would work as well. You should check with your heating guy before you make that decision.
If you need the full 40″ width you could get a couple of 20″ wide hollow core flat slab doors and buy some bifold hardware from the Johnson Hardware Company. Find some small louvers that would fit in the 20″ width and install them top and bottom in each panel.
That’s all I’ve got right now…I hope it helps a bit!
RC/DG
Hi DoorGuy,
Most perplexing problem you’re gonna hear for awhile. 😀
Here goes…. My mom’s got glass bifold doors on her 60″ wide bathtub. Yes, two 30″ glass panels, metal frame around each panel, hinged in the middle, metal track at top and bottom. Looks KILLER! Problem is, I’d absolutely love to have the same thing over the tub in my bathroom, yet can’t find the product ANYWHERE. I’ve searched the net for hours on end. Could it be that they just don’t make them any more? Hers was installed in the early 70’s.
Hi Marvin,
I have not seen that system installed anywhere but it does sound like a cool idea. My suggestion would be to check with a quality glass company in your area and see if they can find you one or perhaps can fabricate a system in their shop and install it for you. They will all, most likely, have a variety of shower enclosure systems readily available. The key will be to find someone that has an interest in helping with something a bit out of the ordinary. If you live near a good size city there should be a number of companies that could help. I would take a few pictures of your mom’s system, print them up on photo paper for clarity and take them into the glass shops along with measurements of her unit and the area that you would like to see them installed. See if you can spark someone’s interest.
I hope that helps a bit!
RC/DG
THANKS for the suggestion!
My pleasure, Sir…..Best of luck with the project!
RC/DG
Dear Door Guy. Nearly every closet in my home has bi-fold doors. But they all seem to be falling off. I don’t want to completely replace them. Just fix them. Do you have any suggestions? It looks to me that the track at the top is bent in most of them. Are tracks replaceable? What are some other common reasons for this to happen? Thanks!
Hi Mandi,
Thank you for your inquiry.
Most bifold door systems come with pretty flimsy hardware.
Here is link to company that sells complete sets or just individual parts for bifolding doors:
http://johnsonhardware.com/1825.htm
Installation will be similar to what you have but quality will be a bit better and, of course, new.
Check it out and if you have more questions, please feel free to post them here.
RC/DG
Do you have any idea where I can get a bifold door to fit 90″ high opening? The width is standard 48″
Hi Donna,
A few options come to mind:
1. If you are looking for flat slab doors, stainable or paintable, with no raised panels or designs; you could special order a unit cut down to correct height with track and hardware through a door store or full service lumber yard.
2. If that is not an option you could order two 2’0x8’0 hollow core doors and have a finish carpenter cut them down and put new wood inserts in the top. Quality bifold door hardware is available from: http://johnsonhardware.com/fdindex.htm . Probably the best for your application would be the 1700 or the 1825 series. But have your carpenter make that decision…Not me!
3. If you require doors with louvers or raised panels you will have to have them made by a custom door maker. You did not say where you live but try typing “custom wood interior doors” with the name of nearest good size city into the Google machine and you should come up with a few companies that could help with the project.
I hope that helps a bit.
Please feel free to comment back if you have another ? or two.
RC/DG
Right now guests tend to enter our kitchen since it is the first doorway from the entry. So I want to use bifold doors for a 32″ opening (2 panels) which will match the coat closet nearby. The knob on the closet one is on the panel nearest the door jamb. But is there any possible knob placement on the future doorway one from the backside (kitchen)? It just will seem rather unfinished without some hardware to open/close it from the kitchen side. Without some hardware it will make the small kitchen feel like even more of a closet!
BTW, cannot put one door on either side of the jamb inside the kitchen because of refrigerator doors immediately over the threshold. We have electricals on either side so no pocket door is practical either. Thought of cafe doors that open against the entry wall but that would mean a fourth style of door in the entry which would seem “busy”. However, is there is some special hinge I can use with separated hinged bifold doors that would allow me to mount under the trim (less visible) and still open completely against the entry wall? In that case would want totally flat against that wall. Any advice? Thanks!
Hi Sue,
As you may have found out already, 32″ wide bifold door unit is not a standard size. My suggestion would be to buy a couple of 16″ wide 1/2 louver doors (similar in appearance to your closet) and have your finish carpenter make them into a bifold unit for you.
You did not mention where you live but a full service lumber yard with a good door department should be able to order two of those doors for you. You might also have a specialty door shop in your are that would be smart about your needs. Typical louver doors are designed for air flow ….Spaces between the slats for ventilation. In your case where you are trying to separate the kitchen and ventilation is not requirement, you should probably ask them if they offer false louvers….Look just like real louvers but you can’t see through them. Would help close off kitchen visually and might help a little bit with noise control. Just for fun, ask them if they can have the 32″ wide bifold unit made for you….That could simplify things a bit for your installer.
They could also provide the track and hardware for installing the doors. For better quality options for bifold hardware, check out this website: http://johnsonhardware.com/fdindex.htm . The 1825 hardware would work nicely for you.
As far as hardware for back/kitchen side goes, you will need something that lays flat on the door so that it doesn’t stop the folding action with a protruding knob. Here is link to a flush pull that I have used a few times over the years when this situation came up: http://deltana.net/catalog/knobs-and-pulls/flush-ring-pulls-solid-brass/296_flush-ring-pull-2-12x-1-78 .
I hope that helps a bit and best of luck with the kitchen project too!
RC/DG
Thanks so much for the flush pull idea! That should work nicely if I do a bifold approach (may even replace the one on the entry closet as well). However, given the bifold doors would take up about 3-4″ of the doorway when folded up, my first choice is to hang them separately by hinges so that they lie parallel with the entry wall when completely open. Is there a way to hide the hinge plate under the entry door trim and still get them to lie parallel with the entry walls (may stick out an inch or so but want them parallel)? Hate to see plates on the finished woodwork if at all possible. Sue
This hardware will give you full opening width but will not allow both doors to lay flat across wall.
http://www.johnsonhardware.com/1601.htm
Click on the photo to see a larger picture and check out the small drawing on left.
The problem with not using a track of some sort is that you don’t have a good way to control door in closed position.
RC/DG
We just bought a cabin in the northern woods in Michigan. We have a narrow closet in the bath that has a 20 1/2″ x 80″ opening. Is there any place where we would be able to find a louvered door to fit this opening? Thank you for your assistance.
Hi Kerri,
20 x 80 inches would be a standard door size.
It would be a little loose in that 20 1/2″ wide opening but since it’s a closet I don’t think that would be a big deal. you would probably have to replace the existing door stop with something a little thicker so door would have something to hit against. Also you would use a roller latch that mounts to the back of the door to hold it closed because a standard latch might not catch the strike plate because the door is a little loose in the jamb. Here is picture of the basic latch that I am thinking of: http://thedoorguy.com/blog/?attachment_id=184
Here is a link to some louver doors that I found online: http://www.masonite.com/pdf/architecturalSpecs/Plantation_Louver.pdf . You could choose full or half louver design. That door would be availble special order through a full service lumber yard or a Home Depot.
Let me know if that helps or if you have more questions.
Best of luck with the project!
RC/DG
Hello TheDoorGuy,
I’m in a bit of a bind & hoping you might have a solution. I ordered some custom bifolding closet doors & completely forgot to leave space for the door jambs. My concern with installing the hardware directly into the finished drywall is that the screws might loosen overtime with normal use.
The doors were already run through a table saw and close to the minimum they can be trimmed. I might be able to shave off 1/8″, 1/4″ max from each panel.
Is there a product you could recommend that is 1/8″ thick that could be used, as a door jamb, to secure the hardware? If so where might I source it? The ideal dimensions of the product would be 1/8″ thick x 4″ wide x 80″ tall.
Any advice is appreciated,
RV
Hi Robert,
I have installed many bifold door systems into drywall openings. You just need to make sure that the screws are long enough to go through the drywall and into the framing behind it. The track across the top secures to the header over the opening and the top pivot is integrated into the track. No problem there. The only point of concern really is the bottom pivot. They typically are sort of L shaped and designed for two screws to go into the wall and one screw into the floor. Again, just make sure that the screws are long enough to drive a 1/2″ or more into the stud and secure the one screw into the floor. That one is pretty important because it stops the bracket from wanting to flex from side to side which could eventually loosen or crush the drywall if you did not use it.
Am I missing something or did that help with your door concern?
RC/DG
Hi RC/DG,
If you believe, with proper installation, that the hardware will stay secure then its all the reassurance I need.
One last question… I have an older drill which is powerful, yet only has a single speed, fast. After drilling the pilot hole, for the L shaped metal piece, into tile & concrete flooring would I be able to drive the screw by hand into the concrete? Only asking since the drill would likely strip the grooves.
Would a floor anchor help to secure the screw or is it unnecessary?
Thank you for the swift response & advice,
RV
You should probably use plastic anchor for that.
The ones that go into 1/4″ holes are about right for the screws that come with those kits.
This looks like the one that I have used with success over the years:
http://www.amazon.com/10-12-Ribbed-Plastic-Anchor-pieces/dp/B004S6NSXI .
You should be able to pick one up at a local hardware store.
Ceramic tile is really hard….Get the best tile/concrete bit you can get.
If your drill has a hammer function it will drill the tile faster but you risk cracking it.
Best of luck with the project and thanks for contacting me from the other side of the country!
The internet has brought us all closer together.
RC/DG
Bifold Door Guy,
I have an opening – odd, at the top of a basement staircase that is approx. 40.5 inches by 77. I need light, so I’m looking for bifold french doors and thought maybe I could find a closet door that would work. Ideas? I have a carpenter that can install but I can’t find the product!
Hi Blaire,
You could frame the opening down a bit on either side to accept a pair of standard 18″ french door sidelites. Make the finish opening about 3/8″ over the width of the two doors so that you don’t have to plane them down for width. They will come 80″ tall. No problem cutting that 3″ off the bottom of each door.
Johnson Hardware makes a good track and pivot set….. http://www.johnsonhardware.com/fdindex.htm ..Scroll down to the 1825 series. Comes complete with hinges. Should work out quite nicely for that size of door.
What do you think of that, Sir?
RC/DG
Hi,
We are trying to find bi-fold closet doors (24″W x 80″H) in a divided light french door style with frosted glass. I’d appreciate if you would recommend a supplier for this style of door. It seems we can find french bi-folds with clear glass of more modern looking doors with frosted glass…
Thanks!
Hi Mary,
You will probably not find this door unit on the shelf anywhere. However, because of the size you are after, you can order parts and have a finish carpenter put it together for you. The source would be a door specialty store or a quality lumber yard with an in house door department. They can order in a couple of 12″x80″ divided lite sidelite panels with a number of different glass panels in them. Here in Southern California we would order something like this from TM Cobb Company an established manufacturer of wood doors. Depending on where you live, I would imagine that you have a similar company by a large city near you. The hardware could be ordered online from Johnson Hardware Company. Their 1825 model would work nicely for you and can be ordered as a complete kit with hinges, track, rollers and pivots. The sidelite panels would probably have to be planed down a bit so they will fit and fold properly in your door opening but this is not a difficult job for a finish carpenter.
I hope that helps a bit!
RC/DG
Hi,
Is there any hardware for a bifold door that only attaches to the top of the door and not the bottom. We have a hollow core closet door that we had to trim due to new flooring installed. After trimming it, there is no way to attach the part that pivots. Any ideas on what we can do?
Thank-you.
Hi Shelly,
It used to be that those hollow core doors had 2″ or more that you could cut off for thick carpet or tiles. Over the years they have made that bottom rail thinner to save a few pennies per door. That makes it tough for us out here in the world to make doors fit and work correctly.
Best bet in your situation would be to mill a piece of wood to fit in that empty space that you have now. If you don’t have access to table saw a local lumber yard could rip a board to the dimensions for you. You’d want something about 1 1/16″ thick(for 1 3/8″ door) and about 1 1/2″ wide. Cut it to length and glue it in place. I use 5 minute epoxy so I don’t have to wait for wood glue to set up. In any case be generous with the glue. To be sure that board is flush with bottom of door you can put a couple of drywall screws in the bottom of the board so that you can adjust it in and out. Let glue dry. All that remains is to drill a new hole for the bottom pivot…I think 7/16″ is the correct hole size but you would want to confirm that.
Use a sharp wood boring bit. Match the location of the top pivot.
I hope that helps.
RC/DG