my name is jon i recently fitted a bi fold door between an extension i just built and the main house the opening was too small for the orginal size door so i cut the door to fit and hung with 3 hinges and used a mortice latch and a key lock plus screwed a magnet to the top to stop it from opening in the middle but the door keeps opening and the clients want it to b secure has anyone any ideas or advice to stop it from opening many thanks jon
Horrible things. But sounds like it's not fitted quite right, as it ought to 'flip' shut - ie with the central hinge fully open - and stay that way: hard to explain. I suspect the hinges (side or central) aren't quite in the right position.
David
But useful if space is restricted, beggers to hang though.
All depends on how well hung it is. The OP doesn' say if he fitted a runner at the top to keep the outer edge in the frame of if it just swings free.
Making it secure will be tricky as it can be simply pushed, or pulled, in the middle to draw an ordinary bolt/latch out of it's housing in the jamb. The door needs to be made rigid to prevent this.
rope ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.co.uk) wibbled on Saturday 29 January 2011 09:08:
Mate - try some punctuation and capitalisation ^^^ That's bloody hard to read...
Anyway, I think I see the problem, but as other's have said, it depends on how it's hung. Do you have any photos (cameraphone is good enough) tht you can put on
Of particular interest would be the top assembly, showing runners (if any) and some deatils of the frame, both top section and hinge section - and how this magnet is mounted.
It sounds like gravity is working against you - ie bi-fold doors need to "fall into" the frame ideally, which suggests handing is out slightly on the main hinges.
I've never done this, but thinking about it, I suspect the lower hinge needs to be a fraction outwards from the vertical of the top hinge to the first section of the door wants to close by itself, which will tend to push the middle joint *into* the frame rather than away from it - can anyone confirm this?
Wouldn't be to hard to dowel the hinge holes and shift the hinge.
Another option, is a stronger magnet - if the door basically closes nicely but won't quite stay there, it could be an acceptable solution. Google for "rare earth magnets" or "neodynium". There are all sorts and several available with a centre countersunk hold for screw fixing. One of those in perhaps the 10-15mm diameter range and a steel plate on the other moving part will hold an order of magnitude more strongly than those cupboard magnets people normally use.
Anyway, couple of photos would really help...
Cheers
Tim
I was going to say "Googling for neodymium would give more hits", but Google is so smart these days it corrects the spelling error on the fly.
Jón Fairbairn ( snipped-for-privacy@calligramme.charmers) wibbled on Saturday 29 January 2011
13:45:
"Typo", good sir, "typo"....
As others have said, a bi-fold door can be opened, simply by pushing or pulling in the middle - so a magnet on its own won't prevent it being opened, even if it stops it from opening by itself.
It seems to me that what you need is the sort of lock which is fitted to sliding patio doors - which either has a hook or expands sideways to prevent the door from being slid open. Such a lock should prevent a bi-fold door from being opened.
Have a look at:
As far as keeping it closed without locking it is concerned, is there a top track in which a little roller attached to the top of the remote leaf moves? If so, there should be a snubber at the far end whose position needs to be adjusted so that the roller contacts it just before the door is fully shut. Snapping it shut then compresses the snubber a bit - pushing the two leaves together where they meet - provided the hinges are correctly positioned! If the whole lot came in a kit, there should be some instructions with it!
I tangled with one of these things myself recently; fitted to the bathroom of a buy-to-let I'd bought. Door opened outwards, but the problem was that you couldn't actually close the bifold without someone pushing the door from the outside.
Never mind, I thought; just needs a pull-knob attaching to the middle of the door. I fitted that, and it worked fine until I tried to open the door - the presence of the knob in the middle of the bifold gap effectively prevented the door from opening wide enough to allow me out! Duh.
So, on to plan B... what was needed was a flush-fitting draw-pull arrangement. I sourced one of those and attacked the door to make a recess for it, where upon I discovered the door was a completely hollow egg-box affair, so nowhere to screw it to. In the end I glued the draw-pull in place with NoNails and so far it's apparently holding, but I'm not holding my breath. Like I said... bloody horrible things!
David
I'm not sure if the OP means he cut the door to fit, thus destroying the points where the top sliders fit- and then had to use 3 hinges instead?
Or if his clients simply want to stay closed or be 'secure'?
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
I wanted to fix one of these (between kitchen and utility room) so the cats couldn't push it open. I had the same problem with a projection in the 'fold', but it wasn't too bad if I used one of these, which has been on there years now...
Sorry about the multiple posting...it sat there for ages and then did four posts all by itself!
His English isn't the best - so the original post is not totally clear. But he definitely says the clients want it to be secure - which I took to mean capable of being locked shut. ICBW! I assumed the 3 hinges are used to hinge the two leaves together - but again, ICBW!
FWIW my one is like this:
I suspect both will suffer similarly from egg-box door syndrome though
David
Lobster ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) wibbled on Saturday 29 January 2011
23:49:
She might be the best looking gal they could find in Southeastern Massachusetts?
I hadn't actually noticed her (I have Flashblock turned on). It's not where I bought ours...I just Googled an image.
I wanted it latchable from both sides....
My door is pretty solid; I had it made by a carpenter as it's an odd size. My DIY carpentry is rubbish!
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