Bi-fold closet doors: sizes, finished openings and installation tips

Bi-fold doors are the workhorse of closets, pantries and laundry nooks: they open fully without swinging into the room. Sizing them is different from hinged doors, so here is what to measure and what to order.

How bi-fold sizes work

A bi-fold is sized by the finished opening it covers, not by the individual leaf. A “30-inch bi-fold” is two leaves of about 14¾″ each that together fill a 30″ wide finished opening (the leaves are slightly narrower to allow for the track hardware and folding clearance).

• Single units (two leaves, one side): 24, 28, 30, 32 and 36 inches.
• Double units (four leaves, opening from the center): 48, 56, 60, 64 and 72 inches.
• Heights: 80″ standard, 96″ for tall ceilings.

All of our bi-folds are listed by finished opening on their model pages, for example the two panel Shaker bi-fold and the flush bi-fold.

Measuring the opening

Measure the finished opening (drywall to drywall, or jamb to jamb if the closet is cased) at three heights and use the smallest number. Measure the height from the floor to the underside of the head. If flooring is not yet installed, subtract its thickness. Order the standard size that is equal to or slightly smaller than your opening; a bi-fold can be trimmed a little at the bottom but cannot be made wider.

Choosing the style

• Flush bi-fold — the simplest, best for minimalist interiors and rentals.
• One panel, two panel, three panel and five panel Shaker bi-folds — match the hinged Shaker doors in the same unit.
• 1-lite and 5-lite frosted glass bi-folds — lets light into a walk-in closet or laundry room.
• Louver bi-fold — ventilation for HVAC and laundry closets.

Installation tips

1. Track first. Screw the top track to the head, centered in the opening. Check it is level; a track that slopes will make the doors drift open.
2. Bottom pivot bracket. Fix it to the floor and the side jamb directly below the track pivot. On carpet, use a longer screw into the subfloor.
3. Hang the doors closed. Insert the top pivot into the track, then drop the bottom pivot into the bracket. Adjust the bracket so the door edge is parallel to the jamb with a ⅛″ gap.
4. Height adjustment. Turn the bottom pivot to raise or lower the door until the top clears the track and the bottom clears the floor by ⅜″ to ½″.
5. Aligner and pulls. Install the aligner clips on double units so the four leaves meet flat, and mount the pulls on the leaf nearest the jamb.

Solid core bi-folds

Because our bi-fold leaves use the same solid core construction as the hinged doors, they do not rattle or flex like hollow core bi-folds. Make sure the track hardware is rated for the leaf weight; see solid core vs hollow core for weights.

See every bi-fold model in the bi-fold section of the catalog, or request a quote with your opening sizes.