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Doors provide privacy and security as well as keep stuff that you do not want to see out of sight.  Think about it, if you didn’t have closet doors you would be forced to look at all the stuff that you have in your closet that you did not want to see in the first place.
 
In my previous post “Do You Know Where Your Stuff Is?” I made a point of how closets not only keep all of your stuff organized, but out of sight as well.  And, you would not want a closet without a closet door knowing that doors conceal everything in the space behind them.

But what do you do when space is limited and a regular flat panel door becomes an obstacle and more of a nuisance than a necessity - you install bifold closet doors.
  
Bifold doors come in many styles and as the name implies fold in half to save on space.  Now if space is a problem you could use sliding doors, but the problem with sliding doors is that one side is always closed, meaning a part of the entry is always blocked - the doors are always on either the left or the right side.  Also, sliding doors don’t work in a narrow opening because of a lack of space. With bifold doors you can access the entire space at the same time. 

If you are looking to change an existing flat or panel door to bifold doors you could call in a professional.  However, they are rather easy to install, assuming that you have a standard size opening and by installing them yourself you can save some money in the process.
 
Continue reading to learn how easy it is to install your own bifold doors -

But, before you begin installing your new bifold doors here is a list of the tools that you will need:
Screwdriver
Hammer
Power drill

Now let’s begin,

1. Remove Existing Door - Before you install your new bifold doors, you are going to need to remove your old door.  If you are removing a flat or panel door, you are going to need to remove the hinges.  Remove the hinges by using a screwdriver and a hammer to knock the pins upwards until they fall out.  Then remove the door and unscrew the frame side of the hinge from the frame.

If your old door was a sliding door remove the guide on the floor with a screwdriver.  Then lift the doors up and back until they come off the track that they are riding on.  Once the doors are removed unscrew and remove the track.

2. Un-Wrap New Doors - Next un-wrap your new bifold doors being very careful not to lose any of the hardware that they came with.
 
3. Stand Doors Upright - Once your bifold doors are unwrapped, stand them next to the opening that they will be installed in making certain that the top is facing up and the front side of the doors are facing out.  Next decide which side of the doors is going to be the pivot or the hinged side. 

4. Install Pivot, Pin & Guide - Once you have determined which side your new bifold doors are going to pivot on, locate the two predrilled holes - one on the top of the door and another on the bottom, both on the pivot side.  Gently tap the pivot into the bottom hole and the pin into the top hole.  There should also be holes on the opposite non-pivot side. Insert the guide wheel into that top hole.

5. Install Track - While holding the track in place, along the center of the top section of your door frame, use a pencil to mark the predrilled holes in the track on the door frame. Once you have the holes marked, remove the track and use your power drill to create pilot holes for the track’s screws.  While holding the track in place, install the screws through it to install the track.

6. Install L Shaped Bracket - Install the “L” shaped bracket on the floor on the pivot side against the frame directly below the track.  Make sure that they are exactly perpendicular from each other.  I like to use a Plumb Bob to determine the right spot.
 
7. Install Snugger - Insert the snugger within the track on the opposite side from the pivot.

8. Install Door - Lift the doors inserting the pivot side pin and the non-pivot side guide into the track.  While the doors are still lifted up as high as possible, insert the pivot into the “L” shaped bracket.

9. Try Out Your New Doors - You may need to adjust the spot that the pivot sits in the “L” shaped bracket either to the left or the right to adjust the way that your new bifold doors fit within your opening.

If your opening is larger than a standard 4′opening two doors can be installed, simply take the full width of your opening and divide by 2 to get the size of the doors that you will need to use. 

Enjoy your new bifold doors and your newly found space.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pm and is filed under closet, doors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.