Bi-Fold Doors - hanging on hinges?

[painters10]

This might be a daft question, but I can't see an answer from the various literature on the web etc TP were pretty clueless too...

Like many, our downstairs toilet is small and I am re-fitting it (loo/ sink/boxing etc). To try and make more room I am toying with the idea of replacing the standard 30" opening-inwards door with a bi-fold door. We have some of these on an airing cupboard and they work ok. They slide in a top rail, and have a floor mount pivot in the corner.

So all Bi-fold internal doors usually mount in this way?

Can a bi-fold door be mounted on 3 standard hinges on a standard door frame instead? I want to avoid having anything in the floor if I can.

Note that it will be the basic bi-fold panel white primed door that Wickes/B&Q/Magnet etc all sell. It will not be a heavy solid pine affair.

Painters10

[painters10]

Ever used bi-fold interior doors?

I'm in the process of planning the next room to do up, the downstairs loo. It's kinda small, and I want to box in the pipes and fit a concealed cistern, and tile floor and walls to match. All to try and make it feel bigger and more modern.

But this means moving the tiny sink further towards the (opening- inwards) door and it will clash. I've thought of hinging the door the other side, but that will not give a very wide opening to get into the toilet. I also thought of hinging the door top open outwards into the hall, but there is a safety aspect there, with two small kiddies running around.

So I had the idea of replacing the standard 30" door with a bi-fold internal type as sold by Wickes/B&Q/Magnet etc We've got some of these on our airing cupboard and they work OK, and slide in a top rail, with a floor mount pivot.

Do they always mount like this? Or can I simply hang the pair of doors on 3 standard hinges, in a standard door frame? I am only talking basic white primed hollow door, not a heavyweight solid type.

Have you ever seen this done? Does it work?

Painters10

[Dave Liquorice]

Yes, but only once.

Why have you posted this twice? Daft question google fecking groups...

I think you'll run into problems unless the door frame is *exactly* plumb (left to right and front to back) and square. You can probably set fixed hinges such that the door is fine closed *or* open but not both, bi-fold doors are weird things when you open/close 'em.

Fiddling about moving ordinary hinges a mm in/out of the jamb or a mm further away or in is not simple. Doing it with the adjustable top and bottom pivots and a plumb line is *much* easier.

[Andy Hall]

Yes this can be done - I've done it with a very heavy solid oak door for a different application, so it will certainly work with a panel door.

The challenge is a suitable latch and lock mechanism, but a claw bolt or sliding door latch will do the job there.

[The Medway Handyman]

Dave Liquorice wrote: > On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:55:47 -0700 (PDT), [e-mail] > wrote: >

I wondered that as well :-)

Exactly. Chances of getting two sets of opposite acting hinges to work properly is remote.

Indeed. The top & bottom pivots are the key to them working properly. There isnt anything on the floor except in the corner under the door.

Two points. You can't really trim bi-fold doors to fit the opening. The opening has to be adjusted to fit the door. Second, watch out for the bottom pivot. Its a threaded metal thingy that is screwed into a threaded plastic insert in the door. Very easy to strip the thread in the plastic insert. The last two sets I fitted were from Homebase & seemed much better because the plastic insert was bigger.

-- Dave - The Medway Handyman

[painters10]

Sorry about the double post, one was meant as an email! Doh!

Thanks for the responses. I will measure how square the frame is, and decide whether to risk it based on that.

Painters10

[1501]

In addition to confirming the opening is plumb and square you can apply a further risk reduction measure.

Use a router (with depth stop set) and a hinge jig to ensure all the hinge leaf recesses are alike. That way the door leaf furthest from the hinged jam should lie truely parallel to it.

Good luck.

[google]

On Apr 18, 9:05=A0pm, "The Medway Handyman" > =A0 Exactly. =A0Chances of getting two sets of opposite acting hinges to work

In what way?

Doesn't that rather depend on the doors? I managed it, at least to the same extent as you would trim any door.

No it doesn't. I fitted two sets of bifolds on hinges across an opening with flush bolts to hold the various leaves closed when not open. It wasn't that hard and they work just fine. I agree with the other poster to use a router for the hinge recesses. My only regret is not using parliament hinges so that they would fold back further against the wall, but that's a job for another day.

Andrew

[The Medway Handyman]

In as much as if one set is slightly out of kilter it will make adjusting the opposite acting hinge difficult.

I suppose it does, I've only ever hung el cheapo DIY store bi-folds. The pivot holes are very close to the door edges without trimming the door as well.

It does according the the instructions included with the doors. It specifically warns against trimming the door & suggests inserting fillets if needed.