It seems that bi-fold doors are callbacks waiting to happen.
No matter how plumb or well-installed or adjusted they are, it seems that the lightest jostle or mildly enthusiastic pull has them all out of whack. That’s true even with all-wood doors (not the just the aluminum closet doors).
Also, it seems like the hardware at the home center and even honest-to-goodness hardware stores is just flimsy plastic. There is no positive locking mechanism for the pivots to hold the doors.
Is it just me? Is there something more I should be doing? Is there better hardware?
Are there better alternatives I can recommend instead of bi-fold doors?
Thanks.
Neal
Replies
I agree. I stopped installing bi-folds after my first spec. house and started putting in 3'-0" doors instead. If the closet is more than 5'-0", I divide it into two. You just have to design the rooms to accommodate the door swing.
Every time I repair a bi-fold, it always feels one push away from being broken again.
<<Every time I repair a bi-fold, it always feels one push away from being broken again.>>
Exactly! (Very well said.)
Go to JohnsonHardware.com
I use their harware for bifold doors all the time and no call backs.
I even upgrade old bifold doors by using their hardware.
The hardware you are using right now is worthless.
The Johnson Hardware line of products is excellent.
Expensive but worth it.
Al
Edited 6/15/2007 1:59 am ET by foreigner
The stuff I replaced was Johnson Hardware.
It seemed like good quality stuff, but the base clamping mechanism kept falling apart and the upper pieces kept needing adjustment after opening the doors a few times.
It could have been operator error, but I'm not sure how.
Late-breaking addendum:
I went to the site and you're right. It does look like sturdy, heavy-duty, top quality stuff. And I didn't see the parts from today's exercise.
What I ran into today said Johnson on it. It was metal (brass?) surface mount pivots, an all-metal base mount (with a loop for the pivot) and a plastic locking-type piece for the top pivot.
Perhaps next time I'll just replace all the hardware.
Thanks for tipping me off to this site.
I have found the johnson 1700 bifold hdwr to be the best available.
The doors hang from the head jamb, bottom held in place by the jamb mounted bracket. No floor mounted pivot to hop off.
Is this the hdwr you removed and found to be bogus?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
The 1700 sounds ironclad.
The one I encountered didn't have the bottom track. It was just a top track with pivots on one end and a pop-up spring on the top at the other.
I use both Stanley and Johnson hardware. Once the door is in its proper place I put extra torque on the top locking pivot screw and wedge a piece of MDF into the bottom pivot holder then trim with a utility knife. Never get call backs.
Best to you and yours, Chris.
Building as thou art paranoid never harmed anyone.
I don't have that problem.
But I know there are cheaper doors. When I call to order bifolds, my door guy asks me do I want the good ones or the cheap ones. Not sure of the brand name tho. They are definitely thicker than the cheapies. I'm guessing 1-3/8" instead of 1-1/8" and better hardware.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I'll second (or third) the Johnson Hardware votes.
However, if dealing with the home center cheapy hardware here are two tricks which seem to make it perform better.
1) When adjusting the sliding top pivot, it seems impossible to get the screw tightened well because the door is in the way and your Phillips screwdriver will want to cam out due to it's angle. Do the best you can with the door in place, then remove the door gently and tighten the screw with a nut driver. Re-install the door. If you mark the bottom pivot plate (notched track) before removing the door it will go right back in and not require any re-adjustment.
2) HO's and especially their kids have a tendency to "over open" bifolds, once the door is opened past 90 degrees, it becomes hard to initiate movement to close it - they yank and slide the top pivot plate in the track = door out of adjustment, or worst case - door falls out (this is generally when they call).
To somewhat discourage the "over opening" and subsequent yanking I install an "appliance foot" on the back of the door. Appliance foot = round rubber foot, attached with a single screw through the center - about 3/4" in diameter and about 1/2" thick, typically found on the bottom of a microwave, stereo or whatever. The foot is installed on the back of the door, near the edge of the door panel ( non-hinge side) and prevents the door panels from contacting each other when opened and becoming jammed = no yanking.
Most HO's don't even know the foot is there - they just know the door works. Available in at least 3 decorator colors (black, white and brown) at your local big box and other fine suppliers. I prefer the white ones since they blend the best with most paint schemes and do not leave any marks on the other door panel.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
here's an option for bi-fold that is a custom solution to a unique situation. the bi-folds were custom hinged from slabs, which were flush mounted to the jamb. to keep the doors latched, we specified one of those ball spring deals at the to jamb with a catcher in the frame (sorry for the 4 year old explanation of that hardware).
the contractor originally tried to use magnets to hold the doors, but they wouldn't.
check it out in the attached pic.
probably not your run of the mill situation on a typical bi-fold closet door, but maybe this will make you think about a new way?
j
"It depends on the situation..."
Edited 6/15/2007 10:31 am ET by lindenboy
That's a good looking installation for HINGEFOLD doors. The original poster was needing help on BIFOLD doors.
I'm with you, though, lindenboy. With a little forethought, you can plan for hingefold doors and eliminate the track above, as well as have doors that open completely out of the way--not just perpendicular to the opening.
By the way--the terms are "rollerlatch" and "strike plate""Roger Staubach for President"