Bi-fold doors make it easy to access everything in your closet.
Bi-fold doors are a good option if you have a long shallow closet. The doors make it easy to access everything stored in the closet, without having to open outward into the living space. Most shallow closets are between 24 and 36 inches deep. You can frame a closet for bi-fold doors with basic construction knowledge and a few tools. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the dimensions you want for your closet. The closet needs to be attached to a stud in the wall. If your room is already framed find the studs using a stud finder and mark them. This will partly determine the size of your closet. The door will also determine the size of your closet and how you frame it out. When measuring for the door frame you need to add an extra 2 inches to both the height and width of the frame to allow the door to install correctly. Measure from the floor to ceiling and then subtract 4 inches to find the height of each of the studs.
2. Cut the wood for the frame using the circular saw. You will need two pieces that are the length of each wall you will frame. You will need enough studs to place on each end of the wall and then 16 inches apart across the length of the frame. Cut a piece that will measure the length of the framed area for the bi-fold door -- length of the door plus 2 inches. Cut short studs that will go between the ceiling and the door frame. Cut them 4 inches shorter than the measured distance, and enough to space them 16 inches apart.
3. Build the frame for the walls by laying out the four sides and nailing them together. The 4-inch side of the bottom and top piece will lie flush to the floor and ceiling. Use two nails per side of each stud. Once you have built the outside of the frame, make sure it is square then nail the studs into place every 16 inches across the wall. For the door frame you need to put a stud exactly where the door frame will go on each side. Nail the cross piece for the door into place at the correct height and then nail the shorter studs into place across the distance.
4. Install the framed walls by nailing them into the floor and ceiling on each side of the stud, and every 12 inches up the side of the wall. Make sure you are nailing them into the studs you marked on the closet walls. Once the wall frame is up, use a hand saw to remove the bottom piece of the frame where the closet door will be installed.
5. Put up the drywall using screws. Install a row of screws along the top of the drywall into each stud, and then do three more rows evenly spaced down the height of each drywall piece. You will need to install drywall on both the inside and outside of the closet. Use the drywall tape and compound to seal the seams and cover the screw holes, allow them to dry completely, and then sand and paint the wall and the area where the door frame is.
6. Hang the bi-fold doors. First install the track where the door guides will slide using screws. Then install the hinges at the proper height for each door. You need to leave about an inch from the ground so the door will open and close smoothly.
7. Finish the closet off by installing the baseboard around the walls that you just finished both inside and out. Install trim around the doorframe both inside and out to give the door a finished looked.
Tags: door frame, your closet, both inside, door will, floor ceiling, height each