Bi-fold doors are narrower than standard doors.
Bi-fold doors are hinged doors that are mounted on a track at the top of the doorway. They operate by folding outward at the hinged joint as they slide down the track. These doors are often used in closets, and have the advantage of allowing you complete access to your closet, unlike sliding doors, which block at least half of your access at any given time. While they take up some floor space when opened, it's less than traditional doors do. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Stain or paint the doors if they are unfinished. If you're using stain, apply the stain with a paintbrush or foam brush. Use broad, even strokes going with the grain of the wood. Wipe the excess stain off of the surface with a dry rag, and allow the stain to dry for at least 24 hours, then add a second coat if desired. If painting the doors, apply a coat of primer with a paint brush, again using broad, even strokes, and allow the primer to dry to the touch. Paint the doors with the paint color of your choice, suing the same technique. Allow the paint to dry, then add a second coat if needed.
2. Stand the panels of each door next to each other on a level surface. Place the hinges on the edge of the door panels, using the manufacturer's instructions regarding the placement, and drill pilot holes through the screw holes in the hinges into the door panels. Screw the hinges to the door panels with the provided screws.
3. Attach the pivot plates, which are the pins that hold the door in place, and the locking arms, which are the hooks that slide in the track, to the top and bottom edges of the doors. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when installing the track hardware, as it provides the correct positioning on the doors you have.
4. Cut the track with a hacksaw so it goes across the entire header (top of the door frame). The track provides a guide for the locking arms to slide along when you open and close the doors.
5. Slide the hardware for the track into the track. The specific hardware can vary by the type of door you purchased, but it's often door stops in the center of the track, followed by the wheeled track hangers on each side of the stops, and the pivot sockets on the outside. From left to right, the hardware should be pivot socket, wheeled hanger, door stop, door stop, wheeled hanger, pivot socket.
6. Place the track across the top of the door frame with the help of an assistant, centering it in the door frame. Check the alignment of the track with a level, and screw it to the door frame with the drill. Drive the heads of the screws deep enough that they don't extend into the track, which can prevent the doors from fully opening. Slide the track hardware out of your way as needed, but don't screw it into position yet.
7. Determine the position of the floor brackets by hanging a plumb bob from the center of the track next to the door jamb and allow the plumb bob to stop moving. The point of the plumb bob marks the precise spot where you need to install the bracket for the door.
8. Place the bracket on the floor so the pin hole for the door is directly underneath the plumb bob, and screw the bracket to the floor. Install the bracket onto the other side of the doorway.
9. Slide the pin for the first door into the hardware in the track and the pin in the floor bracket into the hole at the bottom of the door. Screw the hardware to the track, following the manufacturer's instructions regarding the positioning. Install the second door using the same method.
10. Install the handles for the door, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Tags: door frame, manufacturer instructions, door panels, hardware track, Bi-fold doors, bracket floor, broad even