How To Install Bifold Doors

By Todd Fratzel on Doors, Finish Carpentry

Installing Bi-Fold Doors

Stanley Hardware Bi-Fold DoorInstalling bi-fold closet doors is an easy DIY project. In this article you can Learn How To Install Bifold Doors yourself with simple tools.

The level of effort in installing bi-fold doors really depends on the condition and type of door jambs you already have. In new construction this is pretty straight forward. You just trim out the door opening as if it were going to be a cased opening.

If you’re not familiar with the term “cased opening” then let me quickly explain. A cased opening is a door or window opening that gets a very simple trim detail. You use flat 1x material for the jambs (top and sides) then use your normal casing around the outside of that. The real difference between a cased door opening and a regular door are the stops on the jamb of a normal door. As you can see in the pictures below the cased opening is just a plain flat jamb.

Install Top Jamb Track

The one little extra thing I do is to add a small trim piece to the top jamb to Bifold Door Trackhide the bi-fold door track. The first step is to install the top track. You can buy all the bi-fold door hardware you need from Amazon, Stanley Hardware 60-Inch Bifold Set #402054.

To determine the location of the track on the upper jamb I like to measure a nearby regular door. Measure the distance from the front edge of the jamb to the center line of the door panel, then set your track to the same measurement. That way the doors will close and look like the regular doors in the rest of the house. The track comes with some small wood screws that easily attach the track to the jamb.

Install Lower Door Pivot

The next step is to install the lower pivot bracket. The bracket holds the lower pivot pin in the door. If you have carpeted floors I recommend that you only put screws in the upper leg of the bracket into the jambs. If you try to put a screw in the lower arm through carpet you’ll most likely end up pulling the carpet yarn and ruining your carpet.

Install Pivot & Roller Pins

Bifold Door Pivot BracketThe next step is to install the three different pivot and roller pins. The door closest to the jamb gets two pins, one top and one bottom. The top pin is spring loaded and allows you to take the door in and out of the brackets. The lower pin controls the height of the door off the floor. The other door only gets one pin on the top. That pin is a little plastic roller wheel that allows the door to follow the upper jamb track. Each of the pins can easily be installed in the door using a hammer. (Typically most bi-fold doors come pre-drilled for the pins, if they do not follow the directions with the bi-fold door hardware on the proper size and location of the holes.)

Hang The Doors

Bifold Door Pivot RollerThe last and probably hardest step is installing the doors. The easiest way to do this is to stand outside the closet and tip the upper portion of the doors away from you. Line up the upper pivot pin and the upper roller into the pivot hole and track. Once they are lined up you can slowly push the bottom of the door towards “vertical” until it is near the lower pivot bracket.

Now the hard part: The easiest way to get the lower pivot pin onto the bracket is to place a wood chisel under the door and pry it up. (The upper pins are spring loaded so that you can lift the door up.) Once you pry up the door slowly move the door back until the pivot pin is directly above the slot in the lower pivot bracket.Bifold Doors
The last step is to align the doors and install the hardware. The upper pivot point can be adjusted left and right by loosening a screw in the bracket. The lower pivot pin can be moved left and right by simply lifting up on the door with the chisel. Install the door pulls and you’re all done.

If you’re looking for materials for this project then take a look at these links:


About the author

Todd Fratzel

I'm full time builder for a large construction company in New Hampshire. I run their design-build division that specializes in custom homes, commercial design-build projects and sub-divisions. I'm also a licensed civil and structural engineer with extensive experience in civil and structural design and home construction. My hope is that I can share my experience in the home construction, home improvement and home renovation profession with other builders and home owners. I'm also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Tool Box Buzz. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or you'd like to inquire about advertising on this site.

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11 Comments

  1. Brian says:

    Was just wondering I am putting in a 30×80 bifold door was wondering if you can tell me what the finished opening should be for the width and the height and a 36×80 the finished opening for that as well.

    Thank-You
    Brian

    • Todd says:

      @ Brian – The finished opening should be the same as the door dimensions. So a 30″x80″ bifold would have a finished opening of 30″x80″. The rough opening should be 32-1/2″ x 82-1/2″. If you have carpet I’d make the finished opening 80-1/2″.

  2. Darrin says:

    I have a closet opening of 59 x 80…..can not use (2) 30 x 80 bi-fold doors…..too large for opening….any suggestions!!! Thanx

    • Todd says:

      Darrin – What is in that opening now? sounds like maybe the trim has closed up the opening. You might be able to re-trim the opening to make it work.

  3. Carol Wells says:

    Hi Todd,

    Did a dumb thing. We are framing out a close tin my son’s room and looked at the measurements for the opening for 36″ bifolds on the box and proceeded to make the opening 36×80 1/2. The measurements were referring to the finished opening, not the rough opening. Now we have a closet rough opening of 36×80 1/2. The doors will not fit once the drywall has been applied. Know of any quick fixes?

    • Todd says:

      Carol – You might be able to cut down the doors. However, that’s probably not going to work that well. Is the door opening in a non-structural wall? If so you could remove the jack studs and replace with 3/4″ plywood jack studs, this would gain a total of 1-1/2″ so then you can install 3/4″ trim on both jambs and be the correct dimensions.

  4. John Whitmore says:

    As a general diy enthusiast I found this post very useful and am planning on installing a set of bifolding doors for my new extension. I have opted to buy them from a company called ID Systems who have been recommended to me (http://www.i-d-systems.co.uk for reference). I have also done a fair bit of research into this.

    Thanks again

  5. Madeline says:

    I’m replacing a door in a closet with all the trimming and I want to install bifold doors, but I’m having a hard time knowing if it will be possible. Any suggestions ?

  6. Madeline R says:

    My current closet door has a door “stop” or jam… not sure the technical term, so in order to install the bifold doors will I need to remove that whole piece that goes on all 3 sides of the door frame? If so, is there anything I should be prepared for when I’m removing it? I.e.: more than 1 piece of the frame or such?

  7. Amy says:

    I am putting in bi fold closet doors in a closet that measure 82″ and the doors are 80 can I just add a 2×6 to the header to lower the opening or do you suggest something different?

    • Todd Fratzel says:

      I would use trim material instead of framing material, but sure you can do that. It’s just an aesthetic issue.

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