I want to remove existing sliding doors (bedroom closet) and replace
with 2 pair of bi-fold.

The opening is very wide, so I need to put in a "T" frame, with each
pair of bi-folds installed on each side of the "T". There is no set of
bi-folds wide enough to cover the 86" opening.

Can I just nail the frame onto existing drywall on sides/ceiling, or
should drywall be removed to get a more secure fastening?

"Pat Coghlan" wrote in message
...
I want to remove existing sliding doors (bedroom closet) and replace with 2
pair of bi-fold.

The opening is very wide, so I need to put in a "T" frame, with each pair
of bi-folds installed on each side of the "T". There is no set of
bi-folds wide enough to cover the 86" opening.

Can I just nail the frame onto existing drywall on sides/ceiling, or
should drywall be removed to get a more secure fastening?


If I am not mistaken you will need to reduce the opening to 72" in order to
use bifolds. Maybe a 36 and 48 would work.

By-pass is so much more friendly. Are you sure you want to do this?
I have owned and installed both and would always choose by-pass.

Bi-folds work on pivot pins at the top and bottom. No support at the sides
is required.

"Pat Coghlan" wrote


I want to remove existing sliding doors (bedroom closet) and replace with 2
pair of bi-fold.

The opening is very wide, so I need to put in a "T" frame, with each pair
of bi-folds installed on each side of the "T". There is no set of
bi-folds wide enough to cover the 86" opening.

Can I just nail the frame onto existing drywall on sides/ceiling, or
should drywall be removed to get a more secure fastening?

My closet is 90" wide. It has 3 pairs of bi-folds. There is no
framing. There is a metal groove (guide?) all along the top.
On the bottom, each pair has an L shaped bracket. The doors
all meet each other when they are closed. No framework
separates them.

Clear as mud?

nancy

Interesting. Never saw that done before. Must be tricky to get
perfectly aligned. It's hard enough keeping just one set of bifolds
aligned.

Nancy Young wrote:
"Pat Coghlan" wrote



I want to remove existing sliding doors (bedroom closet) and replace with 2
pair of bi-fold.

The opening is very wide, so I need to put in a "T" frame, with each pair
of bi-folds installed on each side of the "T". There is no set of
bi-folds wide enough to cover the 86" opening.

Can I just nail the frame onto existing drywall on sides/ceiling, or
should drywall be removed to get a more secure fastening?


My closet is 90" wide. It has 3 pairs of bi-folds. There is no
framing. There is a metal groove (guide?) all along the top.
On the bottom, each pair has an L shaped bracket. The doors
all meet each other when they are closed. No framework
separates them.

Clear as mud?

nancy

"Pat Coghlan" wrote

Nancy Young wrote:

My closet is 90" wide. It has 3 pairs of bi-folds. There is no
framing. There is a metal groove (guide?) all along the top.
On the bottom, each pair has an L shaped bracket. The doors
all meet each other when they are closed. No framework
separates them.

Interesting. Never saw that done before. Must be tricky to get perfectly
aligned. It's hard enough keeping just one set of bifolds aligned.

Personally, I think it would be far more difficult to try framing
them in. The way mine look, it would seem they'd be hung from
that metal track at the top and you would then align the L brackets
at the bottom. The bracket just keeps them from swaying in and out
like curtains, really.

nancy

Pat Coghlan wrote:
Interesting. Never saw that done before. Must be tricky to get
perfectly aligned. It's hard enough keeping just one set of bifolds
aligned.

No, it isn't hard. Each bifold door section has pivot points at the
top and bottom edges near the outside vertical edge. The doors have
metal studs that fit into holes in carriers in the top track and on
the floor. The carriers are moveable laterally. That means you can
move the door sections a bit horizontally and you can tip them off
vertical if needed.

To line them up, start with one section nearest a wall and align it
vertically, leaving enough space next to the wall so it can open.
Then set the next section in place, aligning it to the first and
leaving enough space between the two so it can open. Repeat with all
other sections.

You may have to increase the space between sections to avoid a large
gap between the last section and the wall. If there is too little
space for the last section you either have to get the sections closer
together or cut off a little. Once all are to your liking, you lock
the moveable carriers in place with the integral bolts. There will
always be a space between the outboard doors and the walls as they
must rotate to open...that space can be covered with a small board
attached to the wall.

The next job is to lock the doors into the carriers so they can't jump
out. That is done by screwing out the bottom stud of each door with a
small, thin, included wrench. You need to raise the doors so they
will be above any carpeting. While doing that, keep an eye on the
tops of the doors and align them horizontally.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Well, even with the one pair I have on the downstairs closet, the bottom
pivot always seems to jump over 1-2 notches, putting the doors out of
alignment.

I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds, but I'm
just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto the existing
drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be secure enough?

dadiOH wrote:
Pat Coghlan wrote:
Interesting. Never saw that done before. Must be tricky to get
perfectly aligned. It's hard enough keeping just one set of bifolds
aligned.

No, it isn't hard. Each bifold door section has pivot points at the
top and bottom edges near the outside vertical edge. The doors have
metal studs that fit into holes in carriers in the top track and on
the floor. The carriers are moveable laterally. That means you can
move the door sections a bit horizontally and you can tip them off
vertical if needed.

To line them up, start with one section nearest a wall and align it
vertically, leaving enough space next to the wall so it can open.
Then set the next section in place, aligning it to the first and
leaving enough space between the two so it can open. Repeat with all
other sections.

You may have to increase the space between sections to avoid a large
gap between the last section and the wall. If there is too little
space for the last section you either have to get the sections closer
together or cut off a little. Once all are to your liking, you lock
the moveable carriers in place with the integral bolts. There will
always be a space between the outboard doors and the walls as they
must rotate to open...that space can be covered with a small board
attached to the wall.

The next job is to lock the doors into the carriers so they can't jump
out. That is done by screwing out the bottom stud of each door with a
small, thin, included wrench. You need to raise the doors so they
will be above any carpeting. While doing that, keep an eye on the
tops of the doors and align them horizontally.

Patrick Coghlan wrote:
Well, even with the one pair I have on the downstairs closet, the
bottom pivot always seems to jump over 1-2 notches, putting the
doors out of alignment.

Then you need to tighten the bottom carrier so it can't move.
____________________

I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds, but
I'm just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto the
existing drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be secure
enough?

No. Not unless there is wood behind the drywall. If not, you'd have
to use molly bolts. Or toggle bolts. Or similar.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:
Patrick Coghlan wrote:

Well, even with the one pair I have on the downstairs closet, the
bottom pivot always seems to jump over 1-2 notches, putting the
doors out of alignment.


Then you need to tighten the bottom carrier so it can't move.

These are the Stanley-style pivots (post sitting in a grooved slot).
They just lift out with the door.
____________________


I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds, but
I'm just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto the
existing drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be secure
enough?


No. Not unless there is wood behind the drywall. If not, you'd have
to use molly bolts. Or toggle bolts. Or similar.

There is wood behind the dryway. Okay to just nail/screw through the
drywall?

Pat Coghlan wrote:

I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds, but
I'm just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto the
existing drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be secure
enough?


No. Not unless there is wood behind the drywall. If not, you'd
have to use molly bolts. Or toggle bolts. Or similar.

There is wood behind the dryway. Okay to just nail/screw through
the drywall?

How else? Personally, I'd use screws.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

dadiOH wrote:
Pat Coghlan wrote:

I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds, but
I'm just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto the
existing drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be secure
enough?

No. Not unless there is wood behind the drywall. If not, you'd
have to use molly bolts. Or toggle bolts. Or similar.

There is wood behind the dryway. Okay to just nail/screw through
the drywall?

How else? Personally, I'd use screws.

Remove the drywall and nail/screw directly onto existing frame.

Over time, I thought drywall could break down/soften, weakening the
attachment between new/old framing.

Patrick Coghlan wrote:
dadiOH wrote:
Pat Coghlan wrote:

I'd rather T-frame the opening and install 2 sets of bifolds,
but I'm just not sure whether it's okay to nail 2x4s right onto
the existing drywall on the sides and celing. Would this be
secure enough?

No. Not unless there is wood behind the drywall. If not, you'd
have to use molly bolts. Or toggle bolts. Or similar.

There is wood behind the dryway. Okay to just nail/screw through
the drywall?

How else? Personally, I'd use screws.

Remove the drywall and nail/screw directly onto existing frame.

Over time, I thought drywall could break down/soften, weakening the
attachment between new/old framing.

Geez, man...you are putting up bifold doors. Bifold doors put just
about zero stress on anything except the pivot points and not much on
those. You don't need a "T" frame but if you want one just fasten the
freakin' thing through the drywall into wood, don't turn it into a
monumental project.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico