Bifold doors make a brilliant alternative to the traditional French door, glass door, solid wood door, or sliding closet door. They’re becoming increasingly popular closet doors thanks to their chic style and space-saving functionality compared to an old door. An internal bifold door is made up of multiple leaves which fold back on themselves in order to open up an entire aperture. The doors are fitted to runners, and when opened, they slide and fold at the same time for seamless operation. This means that you don’t have to make as much space for the closet door to swing open as normal hinged door hardware.

So how do you install a bi fold door on laminate flooring? One of the advantages of choosing a bifold door is the easy installation. Most homeowners opt to install this type of interior door by themselves. A bifold interior door can be installed using a simple two-hole system. It’ll require drilling holes in your laminate floor and placing the tracking for the bifold door. 

How to Install Bifold Closet Doors on Laminate Flooring

Bifold doors are usually used as a closet door, wardrobe door, internal door, and exterior door. With their versatility, bifold doors are also used as a bypass door, patio door, barn door, and garage door. Installation of a bifold door is the same as on any hardwood floor and wood floor surface. With a bifold door installation kit, you’ll find that all the hardware and screws you need are included. Bi fold closet doors are fairly easy to install. Homeowners should consider the fit of a bifold door and the effect it’ll have on their laminate flooring.

Tools and Materials Needed

1. Electric drill
2. Bifold closet door guide and installation kit
3. Tape measure
4. Metal sleeve
5. Masking tape

Installing the Bifold Closet Door

1. The first thing you’ll need to do is put masking tape on your laminate flooring around where you will be installing the doors. This will protect your laminate flooring while you drill the holes for the bracket.
2. Once the tape is down, you’ll need to position the bottom bracket next to the door jamb in the center. Use your pencil to mark a hole for the screw. This will be the hole that holds your floor to the ground.
3. Take the smaller drill bit and drill a hole where your pencil mark is. The hole you drill needs to be about an inch wide and will need to go through the laminate and into the subfloor. Next, you need to drill a second hole. This hole should only go through your laminate, and it’ll help ensure your floating doors can move as they should.
4. The next step is to add the tracking for the doors. You’ll be adding this to the top of the doorframe so you need to put the tracking in position. Use your pencil to mark where you will be adding the screws and drill the holes as needed. Screw the track onto the door frame.
5. Insert pivot plates on the top and the bottom of both the right and left doors. The pivot plates are the pins that stick out of the door and into the door track, keeping the bifold door on track. The pins slide along the track when you open and close the door. The manufacturer's instructions would help with the location to where you should install the pivot plates so the door glides open and close smoothly.
6. Make sure this goes all the way in. If the pins don’t go all the way in, it’s recommended to use a hammer and tap it lightly. You should have one final pin which is meta with ridges on. You want to put this pin on the same side as the smooth metal pin, but on the bottom of the door. Once all the pins are in, the final step is to put the door in place.
7. Install the panel door in the track on top first. Then push in the bottom pins; line them up and snap them in place in the pivot bracket. Press the pivot bracket pins down, position the doors under the track, and then let go of the pin. The pins should bounce up inside the track.
8. After you set up the door panel, the last step is to install the door pulls that come with your doors. Drill a screw through the back of the door where you want to install the door pulls, then rotate the door pull clockwise on the screw from the other side. Rotate the door pull until it’s tightly secured to the closet door hardware.

Benefits of Having Bifold Closet Doors

1) Child-Friendly and Easy to Operate

High-quality bifold closet doors also often have child-safe features to prevent little fingers from getting trapped between leaves when the doors are folded open. This makes bifold doors a smart option for families with young kids or adults with restricted mobility because they open and close incredibly easily.

2) Able to Maximize Space Indoor and Outdoor

Unlike your typical sliding door, a bifold closet door allows you to fold your wall away to provide you with more space. A bifold closet door can be opened as much or as little as you’d prefer for door opening. They provide far more flexibility to suit your lifestyle. When opened, bifolding doors take up hardly any space, which is perfect if you have a small area. 

3) Low-Maintenance

When you decide to install a bifold door, you’ll benefit from minimal maintenance. Each leaf comprises an exterior frame and a single pane of glass which makes it really easy to just wipe them down now and again to keep them clean. Bifolding doors are designed with longevity in mind. 

4) Wide Variety of Material to Choose From

With a wide variety of folding doors, you have a large range of colors and materials to choose from. You can choose from wood, aluminum, composite, and glass bifold materials.

Zothex Flooring Is the Trusted Shop for Your Laminate Flooring

At Zothex Flooring, we ensure that all our flooring products are made to last for decades. They’re also durable and flexible for any door that’ll be installed such as bifold doors. We offer a wide selection of materials made of different kinds of wood. For your next flooring or folding door project, contact Zothex Flooring now.

Learn more: How To Stop Laminate Floor from Creaking