Bifold doors of a closet save a lot of space as they open in the middle and don’t require a full door width. There are two types of such closet doors, single bifold and double bifold. These door types are quite common in houses where the closet doors are changed to create more space. Bifold doors slide on a track, and there are also pivots placed in small brackets at the top and bottom on each side. There are hinges in the middle of the door which allows the door to bend when it is opened. These doors are ideal if you have a small apartment and want to make that extra space in your bedroom.
Resources required
1. Head screwdriver
2. Cordless drill
Instructions
1. Start with measuring
You will need your measuring tape at first. Start with measuring the length of the closet and purchase doors which will fit the area. You can also get the doors made with the kind of material you want to use. If you have a closet of double width, you will need double bifolds. If you are not making the doors, buy those which already have hinges connected to them.
3. Design the layout
After the measurements are done, design the lay out the door panels along with the hardware. Now, separate the upper and the lower rails. The lower rail usually has a jagged bottom which helps it from sliding easily.
3. Place the rails
Pick up the upper rail and place it on the frame of the door. Now place the rail in such a way that one of its ends touches the sidewall. Put in the screws in the rails using a cordless screwdriver. You can use a regular screwdriver also if you don’t have a cordless one, but that will be quite time consuming. In the same way, install the bottom rail and put in the screws into their respective holes. The screw holes will be pre-drilled in the rails, which will save you extra work.
4. Installing the dowels
After you have screwed in the rails, you will have to install the dowels. You will find pre-drilled holes in the top of the door. Insert the dowels into their respective holes. Before this, you will also need to figure out which panel is nearest to the sidewall, while which one is the farthest away. The dowels come with different purposes and so their proper placement is very important, if you want the door to function accurately. The maximum number of dowels will be four, so check the instruction manual before you start installing the dowels. One or two of the dowels can serve a stationary purpose, while one can come along with a spring or screw to help in adjusting the height of the door. The dowels have to be distinguished properly to know their function. Place them accordingly as you wouldn’t want to make a blunder with the movement of the hinges and the door.
5. Install the doors
Place the door into the rails and make adjustments to fit the door. Use a head screwdriver for this purpose as you will need to adjust the height adjuster of the door placed at the bottom. You will find the plate assembly in the upper door rail. This will be used if you need to make the width adjustments of the bifold door. Make sure that you are certain about the placement of the doors. Take a second opinion if needed as the placement of the doors is very vital.
6. Adjust the doorknob
You will find a pre-drilled hole in the outer door. Fix the doorknob into it. It should be close to the hinge of the centre door and also placed centrally in terms of height.
7. Test your work
Try opening and closing the door. If you can’t do it easily then make the required adjustments.
Tips
1. While you are installing the bifold doors in your closet, make sure that you take care of certain requirements.
2. The dowels are to be carefully dealt with. They may create confusion, which will be required to get sort out, depending on their functions.
