Bi-fold doors are a popular choice for closets and other openings in restricted spaces. They are available in a variety of styles and materials. The basic types are louvered, half-louvered and solid doors. The solid doors are ideal for sound control, while the louvered style is great for closets where ventilation is a virtue.
The details of mounting the door depend on your door mounting system. All bi-folds are mounted by setting one door to a fixed point while the second door is supported by a track mounted at the top of the door opening.
Before mounting your doors, read the instructions for your door carefully. Here are some general guidelines for installing bi-fold doors:
- First, make sure that the door height matches the opening you have available. If the door is taller than the opening you will have to modify the door prior to installation.
- Mount the track that will support the door at the top of the door jamb. Make sure that the track is positioned parallel to the front of the opening and set back to a distance that will allow the door to be flush with or slightly recessed from the closet opening. Also make sure that no screw heads are protruding; that will hamper the movement of the door support through the track.
- The door will be supplied with a bottom bracket to supply a pivot point for the fixed door. Make sure that the pivot point is directly under the center of the track and far enough from the opening side that the door will not bind when opened. Your instructions should provide you with the correct distance. Use a plumb bob to make certain that you got it right.
- Once the track and bottom bracket are in place, it is time to mount the doors. The fixed door will have pegs mounted on both the top and bottom of the door, toward the outside edge. It helps to have an assistant here because the movement of the doors can make this step a little awkward.
- Set the bottom peg in the floor bracket and angle the top peg so that it fits into the adjustment bracket in the top track. Slide the door(s) to an upright position, making sure that the guide peg on the moving door slips into the track.
- When the doors are parallel to the door jamb, tighten the retaining screw on the top adjustment bracket and test your installation fine tuning by adjusting the top bracket.
