Installing Bifold Doors

Bifold doors can be installed easily in almost any opening. They can be used for closet doors, privacy, or controlling heat and airflow between rooms. Their advantages include ease of installation and minimal swing requirements. However, they take up more space in the door opening than swinging doors.

Bifold door kits -- with plastic, metal, or wooden doors -- come in a variety of styles, including louvered, paneled, and smooth. The kits fit most standard-width openings, although the maximum width of a single door is 24 inches. Units can be combined to cover openings up to 16 feet wide. Wooden doors can be trimmed for a better fit; plastic doors cannot be trimmed. (If you trim a wooden door kit, each door must be trimmed equally.) Two heights are available -- one to fit standard 6-foot 8-inch openings, the other for 8-foot floor-to-ceiling applications.

Prestart Checklist

Time
About 1 hour for a pair of doors

Tools
Drill/driver, level, tape measure

Skills
Leveling the track, locating and installing hardware

Prep
The opening should be complete with wooden jambs or drywall hung and finished; casings can be installed later

Materials
Bifold door hardware kit, doors, shims