# Building my own folding (accordion) door



## callofduty (Dec 1, 2005)

Hi, I'm trying to build my own folding (accordion) door. It's going to be used to partition the kitchen (smells) from the rest of the house. The opening is 91" height X 32" width. There will be no top frame, the track will be fixed on the ceiling. 

I've looked at folding doors at lowes and home depot and have some starting ideas I just need some expert advice and suggestions.

The store's doors use pvc, vinyl, or some other light material for their panels. I would like to use wood, but what kind is light?

The store's doors use rubber (kind of like weather stripping material) between the panels so that when the folding door is flat and closed it can still be opened. I was thinking of actually using weather stripping material but they aren't really that durable and their design doesn't necessarily work for this build. What ideas does anybody have for tackling this part of the project? I'm truly stumped. I have a bifolding door, and the wood panels touch each other when closed, there is nothing in between, and I see how one needs to put force on the handle to open the door, but for an accordion door?

I'm thinking of using bifolding door track and materials, though I haven't actually looked if they are readily available. I assume they are because bifolding doors are pretty popular, so I would assume they would have replacement parts in the stores. I've seen accordion doors at the stores but definitely no door track and materials too--those would have to be ordered.

I hope to put in duraglass inserts (or some other shatter proof glass) so that all is still visible between the kitchen and rest of the house. I've seen duraglass at home depot and lowes and they're not bad, though, they tend to scratch easily.

Thanks in advance for any advices, tips, suggestions anyone might have.


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 7, 2004)

You really want to SEAL the kitchen from the rest of the house? Ol'#2's no Julia Childs but she usually manages and fires are rather infrequent. I'm just having a hard time comprehending this, cooking odors have long been associated with being home. Coffee and bacon in the morning and the evening meal.......I have always relished those smells.

The most obvious and simple way is to create negative pressure in the kitchen in the same way that restaurents do. A large exhaust fan.


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## 'Andyman (Sep 5, 2005)

*Sealing off kitchen*

Teetor,

I'm with you on this one. Any cooking smells (aromas) disipate through time.....usually within hours depending on what the meal is. Weekend breakfasts in my place consist of potatoe scones, sausage, black pudding and eggs. Something that you might have sampled in your time in Scotland. Mmmmmm!!


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## callofduty (Dec 1, 2005)

I should clarify. The door is not to completely seal off the smells in the kitchen. Smells of coffee, soup, etc. are fine ... I would probably still leave the door open in these cases. Smells of fried foods and lingering smells that stick to clothes and walls I'm trying to avoid, thus the door will mainly be used/closed in these cases. Also, I don't want to completey seal off the kitchen because if I'm frying for example and a fire accidently starts I want to smoke smell to go through. So, minimal frying smells, and accidental smoke smells, are fine. There's already a window and exhaust system in the kitchen.

Realistically, I could just use a rope and a curtain and its easily solved. But, I've done that before and don't what to do it again, especially after a guess asked did that come from the bathroom. So the pexiglass inserts help visibility between the kitchen and other rooms, just need an idea between the wood panels so it will fold.


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