Tips for Installing Replacement Bifold Closet
Doors
By Mark J. Donovan
The bifold closet door is one of the
most ubiquitous doors used in home construction. Bifold doors are used in
bedroom closets, bathroom closets, entryways and even as pantry doors. Due to
the number of moving parts, bifold closet doors overtime can become damaged.
Consequently it is not uncommon to have to replace bifold closet doors
occasionally. Fortunately replacing bifold closet doors is an easy
do-it-yourself project. For tools, all you will need is a Philips screw driver,
drill and drill bit.
The first step in replacing bifold
closet doors is to measure the old panel door width and height. In addition,
measure the width of the door opening. With these measurements purchase a
replacement set of bifold closet doors.
Removing Old
Bifold Closet Doors
First remove the old bifold closet
doors from their upper tracks and floor brackets. Usually you can lift up the
doors and tilt the base of them outwards to slide them out of the upper tracks.
Set the old bifold closet doors aside
and then remove the old door tracks and the floor brackets at the lower outside
edges of the door opening.
Installing New
Bifold Closet Doors
Begin by installing the metal
track, or rail assembly along the top of the closet door opening using the
screws provided with the doors. Make sure you center the track in the middle
of the closet door opening. In addition, make sure one end of the track
butts up against one of the sidewalls of the closet door opening. Note that
the side of the track that mounts nearest the sidewall should have an
adjustable plate with a hole in it. This plate assembly is where the bifold
closet door will pivot on.
Now fasten the floor bracket
to the floor and one of the sidewalls of the door opening. Again, use
the screws that came with the new bifold doors.
Next, insert the dowels that
came with the door into the predrilled holes on the bifold doors. Make
sure you install the right dowels into the specific holes as specified
in the bifold door instructions. One of the dowels will most likely
have an adjustable end that is used for the bottom outside corner of the
door. This particular dowel assembly allows you to adjust the height of
the bifold closet door.
Photo by Mark Donovan
The other two dowels install in the
top of the door to allow the bifold closet door to pivot and to slide within the
track. One of the top dowels will most likely have a spring assembly included.
This particular dowel should be placed in the top outside edge bifold door panel, as
it will act as the pivot point for the door.
Once you have installed the tracks
and floor brackets you are ready to install the replacement bifold closet doors.
For best results, insert the top of the bifold door into the top track assembly
and then slide the bottom of the door into the floor bracket. You can then
adjust the position and height of the door by moving and turning the bottom
adjustable dowel.
If you are installing two pairs of
replacement closet doors within a door opening make sure they close together
such that there is an even seam on both the outside edges and along the center
of the door opening.
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Installing
Replacement Bifold Close Door Hardware
Once the bifold closet doors have
been installed you can then move on to install the door hardware, i.e. door
knobs. If there are no pre-drilled pilot holes for the door knobs you will have
to find the center point of the outer panels (top-to-bottom and side-to-side) to
determine where to place the knobs.
Once you have marked the locations for the
door knobs, drill pilot holes and then screw the door knobs onto the bifold
doors using the screws that came with the doors.
Finally, if you are installing two
pairs of replacement closet doors within a door opening, install the bifold
closet door guide brackets. One bracket should be installed on each inside edge
of the center door panels so that when the two pairs of bifold closet doors are
closed they guide each other into a straight position. Ideally the brackets
should be mounted on the inside edge of the bifold closet doors about 1 foot off
of the floor.
And with that you have completed
replacing your bifold closet doors.
Replacement Bifold Closet Doors and Hardware from Amazon.com
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