Bifold Closet Doors

One way to solve this dilenma is to make all your closets into the walk-in variety. Not the best use of livable space. The more practical solution is to replace the existing problem doors with bi-fold closet doors.

These will fit into your existing door openings and will not require changing the size or the frame. Several styles are available through home centers and lumber yards. You will be able to find appropriate doors for every style of home, from Contemporary to Victorian.

Bifold doors also offer flexibility in larger openings. For example, if your closet had an 8 foot wide opening, you can use 4 panels at 2 feet each, or 8 panels at 1 foot each.

Since the door panels are hung on a pivot at the bottom and a track at the top, there is no need for any intermediary wood supports. However, to be completely obstruction-free, you should go with the 4 2-foot panels.

Custom Bifold Doors

If your pocketbook allows, you can easily find manufacturers of custom-made bifold closet doors. This will allow you to have the doors match the surrounding moldings and/or hardwood floors. You can also add decorative flare by inserting stained glass or other features.

Many older homes have a lot of intrinsic beauty built into the architecture. This can be reflected (and even enhanced) with the right interior doors.

Older homes also typically have smaller windows and less natural light than more modern homes. By having mirrors or glass panels on your bifold closet doors, you can brighten the room.

Bifold Hardware

The hardware (pivots, tracks, rollers) MUST be sized to the weight of the doors in order to avoid future problems. If you are using hollow core or Ultralite doors, it's alright to use light-duty hardware.

When doors are solid core, or hardwood, and especially if glass or mirrors are added, you have to use heavy-duty hardware. The heavier, the better.

In the event that you can't find hardware that's substantial enough for your doors, you might be forced to supplement the pivots with butt hinges or piano hinges at the two ends. This will put much less strain on the rollers and track, but will detract from the look of the doors.

If you have a special situation regarding the door opening (say 45" instead of the standard 48") you will be forced to use solid doors. This is because you have to cut the doors along the vertical edges, and this would weaken hollow core doors to where they might bow. Make sure you cut the same amount from each edge in order to maintain consistency in appearance.

Another solution to this problem is to use 3 bifold closet doors instead of 2. The third panel would have to be mounted with butt or piano hinges.

This means that although the panel will be tight against the other 2 when the door is open, it will swing loose from the track (which is a bit annoying when opening or closing the doors) and you might need to anchor it with a latch when in the closed position so that it doesn't "float." In my opinion, cutting the edges is the better alternative.

Here's something worth looking at: Closet Organization Systems - Helping you choose the perfect closet organization systems for your home.

If you have a question, contact me about bifold closet doors by clicking here.

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