Make my own interior bifold door?

**antgumley** · 28th Apr 2006, 12:23 PM

Hi

We have a bedroom which has an awkward entry and are considering a couple of options.

Our first option is to install a cavity slider using the existing door which is a solid panel door. We had a builder quote us to do this and he quoted $2800!!! The other side of the cavity has a tiled bathroom and he is a bit wary of disturbing the tiles and is unsure if plumbing etc will get in the way. This is obvioulsy way too expensive for us. (We can't put in an external slider because we are having a wardrobe put in along that wall.)

Our second option is to put in a bifold door. This is far more affordable and we have been quoted around $360 for a solid meranti (?) door installed.

It's not that I am a complete tight ####, but I would like to know if it is possible to saw the existing door down the middle and across the top and install a track to it. I just reckon that the old door will look more at home in a Victorian house than a new one.

If this is possible, does the edge of the door that is fixed to the jamb have to be fixed with pins at top and bottom or can it stay hinged like it is now.

Any ideas and advice will be gratefully received.

Cheers

Tony

**mic-d** · 28th Apr 2006, 02:38 PM

No, I'm pretty sure it is because you are a complete tight ****!

Welcome to the forum. If its just a solid core door then you could do it, If its a traditional timber door, probably not depending on construction. You may be able to get away with using the existing butt hinges rather than the pin style of the bifold, BUT only if the lockside-half was wider than the hinge side half by some amount. That would be the distance from the hinge edge of the door to the middle of the track, when the door is fully open. Otherwise the door will not open fully.

Cheers
Michael

**ThePope** · 28th Apr 2006, 04:50 PM

Can you post a pic of the door you'd like to cut.

If your door is similar to this one and it's in good condition, 'solid', you'd likely get away with cutting it down the centre stile, doing it will weaken the structure of the door of course but it's worth a try, I would if it were my place. Cutting the top or bottom of door is no problem at all.

Do you intend to do it yourself, if so you've nothing to lose really, cept a little time. If paying someone don't expect any guarantee.

Bifolds have pins top and bottom on one side so no it can't remain hinged as it is now. You'll need 4 single leaf hinges joining the two halves of the door.

**echnidna** · 28th Apr 2006, 05:29 PM

$360 fully installed seems a good price.
Cutting an existing door in half won't look right as the stiles will be different sizes.
Why stuff around with something that sounds like it will shout homemade.
That's a real good image to avoid and it can harm your future resale value.

**ThePope** · 29th Apr 2006, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by echnidna

Cutting an existing door in half won't look right as the stiles will be different sizes.

For a standard single door opening (820) that's the way they're made, the centre stile is half the width of the outside stile, when closed the centre then looks the same width.

They serve a purpose at times but I hate the things, much fiddling to get them operating smoothly and often even with quality fittings they're very 'clunky' in operation.

**antgumley** · 2nd May 2006, 09:48 PM

Thanks heaps to everyone who replied. I guess that I AM a total fishes butt! More than being worried about the money, I was more concerned that that original door would fit in better with the appearance of the Victorian house as opposed to something new. As ECHIDNA said, cutting the door down the middle might end up looking homemade - definately not something that we want after months of renovations! On the other hand, I'm going to pull the door off anyway and I've been quoted $15 - $20 for a local timber machining bloke to cut it down the middle. I'll see how it looks.

I wish that we could have done the cavity slider, but we can't afford anything near $2,800!

Thanks to everyone for their 2 cents worth. It's worth way more than that to me. Thanks also for welcoming me. I have been checking out the site for some time before posting my first thread. Cheers.

**totoblue** · 13th May 2006, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by antgumley

We can't put in an external slider because we are having a wardrobe put in along that wall.

You could have an external slider that slid behind the (presumably built-in) new wardrobe. You'd lose 50mm or so depth on the wardrobe.

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