How to Hang Bifold Closet Doors
DIY Projects, Doors and Windows, Repairs and Installation, Video by Danny Lipford
Sliding closet doors are a common feature in some older homes. They are not always the best choice, however, since they limit access to only half the closet at a time and have a tendency to come off the track at the most inopportune moment.
Replacing them with easy to open bifold doors allows full access to the closet space. Here’s how it’s done:
- Remove the old doors.
- Cut a board to cover the recessed track at the top and nail it in place.
- Measure the height and width of the opening.
- Purchase a set of doors to fit the opening. If the exact size isn’t available, buy the next larger size and plane or cut the doors to fit the opening.
- Install the track along the top of the doorway.
- Mark the location for the pivot points at the bottom of the door frame with a plumb bob.
- Align the floor brackets with the marks and attach them to the door frame.
- Insert the bottom pins in the floor brackets and the top pins in the track.
- Fine-tune the fit of the door by adjusting the pivot points at the top with a screwdriver.
- Paint or stain the doors.
- Drill holes for the knobs 36″ from the floor in the middle of the two center doors.
37 Comments on “How to Hang Bifold Closet Doors”
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October 19th, 2007 at 14:56
BOUGHT BI FOLD DOORS FOR A 4FT. CLOSET THE PROBLEM IS TRYING TO OPENING THE DOOR WITH EASY, CAN’T GET IT TO SLIDE OPEN WITH EASE? HELP. TOM
Ben Erickson Says:November 7th, 2007 at 12:11
Tom,
Perhaps the doors are too tight a fit in the opening where they meet in the center? If so, either use the adjustment screws to move them closer to the door casing, or plane the edges down where they meet in the center.
November 28th, 2007 at 23:07
Is there a way to install these bi fold doors without making holes in the floor? Some sort of mount for the wall maybe? I just put in new hardwood floors and really don’t want to drill into them. Thanks!
January 17th, 2008 at 20:17
Is there a special drill bit to use for the floor if you have new tile in the closet and foyer? We have to put back the folding doors but not sure of putting in the floor mounting.
January 21st, 2008 at 12:38
Larry — did you ever find a solution to hanging bi fold doors without drilling in to the floor. We’re in the same situation. Also, our house is very old and the floor board isn’t level. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!
February 7th, 2008 at 18:46
We have been working on our old house (200 years old) I an trying to put closets in our bedroom. I have used bi fold doors and am trying to figure the size of opening I need for them. Can anyone tell me how much larger I need the the opening than the doors?
March 13th, 2008 at 10:37
I have double mirror bi-fold closet doors. The railing on bottom is rusted from shampooing the rug. I want to replace it or make them wthout bottom railing. How do I take the doors down?
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:41
My bi-fold doors came installed in the 1959 house I bought. There is a wall-mounted bottom receptacle for the adjustable pin that fits into the bottom of the door. Sounds like Max Thomas would do well to buy a new set of hinges for his doors because the new set would include the bottom bracket. Me? I can’t get mine adjusted to stay in the track. I am thinking it’s the up and down adjustment in the bottom pin. Sounds like we all need some more specific advice. Does anybody have the install instructions that come with a new set of hinges?
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:44
When you reinstall the door, which part goes in first, the top or the bottom of the door ? Is there a special tool to hold the spring-loaded top pin down during the reinstall ?
April 23rd, 2008 at 21:58
owner installed brand new carpet now i am trying to install cheap bifold doors carpet runs completly through door opening also i am carpet is on concrete slab having trouble leveling doors and securing doors
August 1st, 2008 at 12:02
Need the answer to the question I don’t want to drill a hole in the floor and why does a door buckle outward after installation, there is no pressure on it we can find?
August 29th, 2008 at 16:42
Our closet doors are also those bi-fold doors, except I don’t see any tracks on the bottom or anything liek that — only on the top.
The doors are flimsy, and in fact, my 4yr old was trying to push one side open but the top often gets caught in the track, and the door ended up falling right out of the frame. Luckily, it fell back instead of forward, so she did not get crushed.
Is there any way to make these doors more secure?
I’d honestly like to just take it down so this doesn’t happen again in the future, & just put up curtains or something in its place.
Any ideas?
Ben Erickson Says:September 2nd, 2008 at 11:51
Hi J Ann,
Try adjusting the doors so they fit securely in the track. Squirt a bit of silicone spray or other lubricant in the track and on the pin to help them slide smoother.
September 27th, 2008 at 19:34
When you reinstall the door, which part goes in first, the top or the bottom of the door ? Is there a special tool to hold the spring-loaded top pin down during the reinstall ?
November 15th, 2008 at 21:35
my closet is 6′ wide and already has bifold doors. the track is split at 3 ft.thert door fell off (kids) and i have not gotten it back on. i tried new hardware didnt work then i removed the recessed track wanting to replace all but cant find the same track.. any suggestions
November 18th, 2008 at 06:39
Need the solution for bifold closet door buckling outward…
Thanks
December 31st, 2008 at 18:01
I can’t get the sliding doors off the track! There is no “button” to push to release them, there is no “hole” to align them with to have them slide off and lifting them up isn’t an option because the wheels won’t come over the guard that keeps them in the track. Any suggestions? I’m totally confused.
January 3rd, 2009 at 18:38
Hey Laura, I have the same problem… when I lift up to pull door back the white plastic piece stays in the track on the bottom… I can’t figure any way to get the doors out… anyone have any answers?
January 17th, 2009 at 13:35
I have a 8 foot wide closet and want to put in bifold doors. I bought 4 24 inch doors and the sales man said their would be no problem attaching them together. Well I want the doors to open toward both sides of the closet and do not want them to swivel from the center of the closet opening because I have built in drawers. Anyone had run across this issue?
February 15th, 2009 at 06:33
IF YOU CANNOT LIFT THE DOORS HIGH ENOUGH TO GET THEM OUT OF THE BOTTOM BRACKET, THE ADJUSTMENT PIN ON THE BOTTOM HAS BEEN “TIGHTENED” (UNSCREWED) TO NOT ALLOW THE DOORS TO SLIP OUT. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO “SCREW” THEM INTO THE DOOR (OR UPWARDS) WHICH WILL SHORTEN THE BOTTOM PIN AND ALLOW YOU TO LIFT THE DOORS UP AND OUT OF THE BRACKET. IT MAY REQUIRE A WRENCH TO DO SO.
March 23rd, 2009 at 13:29
I want to install raised panel bifold doors in my closets but the smallest doors i can find are 48″ but one closet is 45.5″ and the other 46.5″…what do you recommended.
April 27th, 2009 at 10:28
I have a bi-fold door that don’t close all the way anymore, is there something that can be done so it will? Thanks!!!
July 4th, 2009 at 17:36
Since you are only covering the existing recessed slider opening with a board, does the board now become the “support” for the new bi-folds?
Since it seems you will be installing the new track on a board directly below the recessed track.
What thickness board is req’d?
August 2nd, 2009 at 08:21
Do you have to buy a solid door to cut it to size…
Ben Erickson Says:August 4th, 2009 at 09:53
Hi Karen,
Hollow core doors have an inch or two wide piece of solid wood around the edges, so if you are going to only cut off a small amount (less than an inch), you can use them. When cutting off larger amounts, you should use a solid door.
Good luck with your project.
August 17th, 2009 at 15:47
Visit this site for side-mount and non-track mounting http://jhusa.net/fdindex.aspx Just wish I could attach all four of my 12″ doors to open to one side.
Shar
March 4th, 2010 at 22:52
Hi I installed bi fold doors but they don’t seem to close tight, what adjustment can I use to make they snug. Thanks Miriam
Ben Erickson Says:March 5th, 2010 at 09:30
Hi Miriam,
There are adjustments to move bifold doors in and out at the top and bottom. Simply loosen the screw, move the doors over, tighten the screws back up, and try them again until you get it right.
Good luck with your project!
May 2nd, 2010 at 20:44
I have bifold doors and one side will not close properly the plastic cylinder(?) at the top of the door that runs along the track does not stay in the track as the door begins to move to full closure. You have to lift the door to get it to stay in the track. The other side is fine. I have read the comments on adjustments and do not understand what to adjust. I see the stops at the top of the track mount and at the bottom. Do I adjust one or the other and which one. These are tight and it has only begun to have this problem. Please help. thanks
Ben Erickson Says:May 3rd, 2010 at 09:01
Hi Jean,
If one of your doors is coming out of the track when you try to close it, you need to raise that door higher off the floor, or adjust it so that either the gap between the door and door frame at the bottom is larger or the gap at the top is smaller. Good luck with your project!
July 31st, 2010 at 02:56
I am trying to figure out how to hang a bi-fold door on the inside of my bedroom door but I can’t figure out what kind of higes would I use to make it fold flat against the wall. Any suggestions?
Ben Erickson Says:July 31st, 2010 at 10:23
Hi Ruth,
Standard butt hinges will work as long as you face the hinge pin toward the inside of the fold (smaller cabinet version works best for lightweight folding doors). Butt hinges can be mortised into the edge of the door, or surface mounted on the face of the door frame. Keep in mind that butt hinges will only allow the door to fold in one direction. There are special hinges, such as these dual-action hinges from Woodcraft, that allow the doors to pivot in both directions. Good luck with your project!
August 13th, 2010 at 00:50
bifold doors can they be plained. it says that they cannot be trimmed “no trimming allowance”. i replaced my old sliding doors with bifolds and i just measured my old doors 24″ but i didnt take in account that one sits behind the other. so i bought 24″bifolds to put in the closet but its only 47″ wide. i hope i can plaine them or something. anyhow can composite hallow core be plained?
August 14th, 2010 at 18:38
I have the same problem as John, 47 1/4 inch opening. My 2 surface mount tracks have approx a 1/4 overlap and don’t fit. Can I trim of some of the metal track? Thanks in advance.
Ben Erickson Says:August 15th, 2010 at 11:47
Hi John and Byron,
Most hollow core doors have about a 1″ wide, solid wood frame around the outer edges, allowing you to plane or trim off a small amount if needed. I can’t speak for your particular hollow core bifold doors, but if it says they can’t be trimmed, there’s probably a reason. You can find out more about trimming doors in our article How to Trim a Hollow Core door or watch our video on How to Trim a Door. Good luck with your projects!
August 16th, 2010 at 08:50
For those who were asking about ways to install doors without drilling into the floor:
Have you considered sliding doors with a track on top and wheels on the bottom that will just roll on the floor? I’m looking into that option for a storage enclosure in my finished basement with tile flooring. I hate to drill into it. In fact, my husband won’t even consider the option of adding the enclosure if we have to drill into the flooring so I’m looking into alternatives. I found the “wheeled” option when I stumbled upon an ad for frameless shower doors. It might take a bit of adaptation to exisiting options, but I’m going to try it!
Ben Erickson Says:August 16th, 2010 at 09:01
Hi Gina,
Sounds interesting. Let us know how your sliding door project works out.