If you are limited on space in your bedroom, laundry room or anywhere else in your home because of doors that swing into your rooms, then one way to save space is to install bypass doors. Bypass doors slide by one another and do not swing into a room. They can be installed easily in one afternoon and can give you more wall space for furniture or anything else that was blocked by doors that swing open. Installing double bypass doors in an existing opening requires measuring, drilling and, possibly, sawing. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure your doorway's existing opening. This will ensure the building supply center gives you the correct bypass door size. Measure from right to left of the jamb and from top of jamb to the floor. If the opening is 72 inches wide and 80 inches tall, for example, order a 6/0 by 6/8 bypass door.
2. Order the bypass doors. When selecting the door style, note that some bypass doors come with a bottom track while others come with guides.
3. Paint or stain the doors a few days before installation. That ensures the doors will be completely dry.
4. Put on safety glasses. Keep them on while drilling or sawing.
5. Drill holes for pulls. Do this 39 inches from the bottom of the door slab and 1 inch in from the side. Use a paddle bit. (If your doors already have pulls, don't drill holes.)
6. Install the pulls. Start by placing heavy-duty glue lightly around the pulls. Then place the pulls into the holes you drilled.
7. Cut the door track or tracks if necessary. Use a hacksaw to cut according to the measurements you have from side to side of the door jamb.
8. Find the center of the door jamb on the top of the opening and on its bottom if the doors have a bottom track. For example, if the jamb is 3 1/2 inches, mark its center at 1 3/4 inches.
9. Mark the track screw holes. Place the top track in the center of your marks, and mark each screw hole of the track. Have someone hold one end so you can get the marks where they need to be. Place the bottom track on the floor and mark it, too.
10. Pre-drill the marked holes. Pre-drilling makes it easier to install a track. Never drill the hole completely; drill just enough to start a screw.
11. Install the track, or tracks, with the screws provided in the door kit. Insert the screws through the track and secure the track with them.
12. Attach rollers on the top of the door slabs on the back side. Place them 1 inch from the end (side of door). Ensure all the screws are tightened securely.
13. Place rollers in the back track. To do this, slant the back door slab and place the rollers. Then slant the front door slab and place it on the front track.
14. Adjust the doors if needed. Do this by adjusting the slotted screw on each roller. Place a level on the side of each door and adjust this one screw to level the door slabs.
15. Attach guides. Do this by pushing both doors all the way to one side of the jamb. Place the guides under the doors and screw the guides in place. Guides will keep the doors in position. If your doors have a bottom track, attaching guides is not necessary.
16. Level the doors if necessary. Place the level on each door and adjust the slotted screw in each roller.
Tags: bottom track, door slab, from side, bypass door, bypass doors, bypass doors, come with
