Make Your Own Bifold Closet Doors

Bifold closet doors are great for a place with limited space. The bifold doors are great for closets and pantries because the doors fold back and allow easy access to what you are wanting. You may have to cut out a hole to make room for a door if you want to replace a door in your closet with a bifold. Either way, you can find the materials that you will need for cheap. By following these steps, you will have your own bifold closet doors in a very short time.

Step 1 - Measure

Measure the door opening which you intend to install your door with your tape measure. Then measure the width from casing to casing and the height of the doorway opening.

Step 2 - Buy Utility Door

Now that you have the correct measurements, you can go out and find the correct size door you need to buy. You can find most utility doors at a hardware store. You want to buy two doors which equal the size of your measurements. If you measured your doorway which was 34 inches wide, then you would need to buy two 17 inches doors. When you purchase these doors, make sure there are no holes for handles and you can also buy your piano hinges at the same shop.

Step 3 - Cut Wood

With your two doors ready to be cut, place them on your workbench and use your tape measure to mark off 1/8 of an inch that will be mounted to the casing side. Use gloves and safety goggles and power up the saw to cut off 1/8 inch off the side of the door. Once you have cut off the part you do not need, place it upright and measure it against where you are going to be installing the door. If you need to you can trim more off if the door does not fit the right height.

Step 4 - Place Hinge

With the door up, measure where the 3 hinges are going to be placed. A rule of thumb is to place the top and bottom hinges around a foot from the edge of the door. Knowing these two hinge placements you can measure between them to find the area for the third hinge. With the door held up, mark exactly where the three hinges will be attached with a level otherwise the door will be off balance. Attach the hinges with the wooden screws.

Step 5 - Install Door

Take the doors and lay them facing down and position them so they are even across the top and bottom. Use the piano hinges and place them across where the two doors meet. Space them apart and fasten the three hinges with the wooden screws to the first panel. Have both doors upright and fasten the second panel to the hinges.

Step 6 - Place Door and Handles

Having someone help you hold the door, attach the hinges of the doors to the casings. Double check to make sure the weight looks balanced evenly between all three hinges. Move in front of the door and mark where your pull handle should be placed. Follow the manufactures instruction to drill and place the handle onto the bifold doors. Pull the handles to check the trim and make sure they open and closed as they should. If you run into the door being too tight or too loose, you can loosen the middle hinges and shave or maneuver the door into the correct position. Check that the bifold doors are in working order and are operating with ease.