# Installing bifold doors in a non-standard rough opening



## michelob (May 13, 2009)

I have an 80 year old house that we are currently remodeling. Due to the placement of the brick flue in the center of the house, my ability to make my rough opening any wider than 58" is not available. Bifold doors come in 48" and 60" sizes. Once I finish out my opening (likely with 1x4) there is NO way that the 60" doors will fit. I can't cut them down, because they will be louvered, as this is a laundry closet. What options do I have available as far as odd width bifold louvered doors? I am at a dead standstill until I can get this problem resolved. HELP!


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

Close down the opening to fit the 48" unit or order expensive custom size doors.
Third option is to make your own doors. Flush doors will be easier then the louvered units to make.
Ron


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## michelob (May 13, 2009)

Ron6519 said:


> Close down the opening to fit the 48" unit or order expensive custom size doors.
> Third option is to make your own doors. Flush doors will be easier then the louvered units to make.
> Ron


I wish either was an option. However, this is a laundry closet, which requires a minimum opening, as well as louvered doors.


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## Rehabber (Dec 29, 2005)

How about cutting 1/4" off of each side of each door and reassembling them?


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## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

How about getting two bifolds hinged on opposite sides, one 24" and one 30". Or two 28"; or a 26" and 30"; or a 24 and a 32". Depends on what size doors are available and what your finished opening size is.
You get the idea. And yes you can always trim a little off each side if you need to maximize the opening to an in-between size.


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

You didn't say how much you need to reduce the total width once the r/o is finished...... But remember that you are dealing with a total of four doors.

That means that you can take the hinges off each pair, and you will have eight door edges you can trim down a little. It does NOT have to all be cut off the outsides of each pair of doors. Then you put the hinges back on, and hang the doors. 

(This is what Rehabber is suggesting, and you can do a pretty good job of removing a good total amount like this.)

Remember, also, that besides using well anchored 1 x 4's as studs to help with more width, you can also use 1/4" drywall (if you are drywalling) to gain another 1/2". If you are triming the returns with wood, it does not have to be a full 3/4" thickness... the casing will hide the truth of whatever thickness your trim wood is.... you only need enough to show a reveal.


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## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Be sure when all is said and done, the dryer door is *able* to open. Be safe, G


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## Robdude (May 12, 2009)

I'm certainly not an expert (I'm a hack at best), but I ran into this exactly problem in my house (built 1978).

The closet was 58'" and the doors were designed for a 60" opening. The old doors were just plain sliding doors. The doors I wanted were the cheap 6-panel bi-folds at the Home Depot...


All I did was take a door planer to the outside edges. Since there are two doors, that's four edges for you to trim down. Like others have said, if you remove the hinges you could trim from 8 sides. I was too chicken to try it  I ended up having to position the door as close to the wall as possible while still allowing it to open....but it ended up working out for me.

I don't have much skill with hand tools - so it actually took me quite a few times of putting the door up, using a straight edge, taking it down, planing it some more, etc, etc to try and get the edges to be straight - but I think most people would have a better 'eye' for it than I do.


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