Help needed with bifold door mechanism

[stix]

I would like to fit a bifold door to the WC in my loft conversion. The only problem is that the door needs to be cut to suit the pitch of the roof.

The bifold door mechanisms that I have seen have a pin that fixes into the top of the 2nd door leaf and runs in a track fitted to the top of the frame, which I can't do. Can I get some runners for the bifold door that fit to the base of the door and the floor? Or is there some alternative method for fitting them that I could use?

Thanks in advance
Steve

 

[engineer one]

you can get some bottom runners, but i think you would need to make the door hang from the left hand side rather than the right, but the problem is the doors will come into the room.

with bottom runners, you have no support at the top and thus it would tend to tip. why not fit pocket doors on either side, that would mean it opens in the middle, and goes to either side of the wardrobe/ space


paul :wink:

 

[stix]

Thanks for the reply Paul.

The reason I'd like to go for bifold doors is so that the don't open into the room as this makes it a tight squeeze to get in there. I can't hang any doors from the left as when they open they would foul on the slope of the roof.

What if I used a bottom runner and used three hinges on right-hand leaf and three on the fold? Do you think that would stop the door from tipping as I opened them?

Cheers
Steve

 

[engineer one]

i have to say i have personal experience with people stuffing up hanging doors through misuse.

in one case within 3 days of installing a "friend" mucked it up

anyway looking again at you item, wonder whether you have considered putting a short top track on and heavy duty hinges for the smaller door.

maybe make the right hand door narrow and flat topped, and the left hand one wider and hinged.

you can get a short track, for single doors too.

paul :wink:

 

[stix]

I don't quite follow I thought the top guide track was to guide the end of the second door (left-hand in this case) as the centre folds in?


Cheers
Steve

 

[engineer one]

in principal you are right, but i have seen some alternative solutions.
will try and find a link.

paul :wink:

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

You can get bottom rollers from hafele if you are in the trade. It runs on a bottom track, the 2 doors will be of differing sizes though.
2 hinges to attach the 2 doors in the middle should be fine.
The bottom roller is about £90 + vat though,

 

[LyNx]

Why can't you run the track on the bottom and have the pin in the bottom edge of the door, not the top?

The track/pin only allows the door to open in the correct manner, it's not taking any of the door weight.

What is the total width/height of opening and what thickness doors do you plan on using?

 

[engineer one]

actually andy in the tracks i have fitted, the top pin is sprung loaded to keep in the upper track, and the bottom pin is solid to pivot the door, so your plan may not work :?

paul :wink:

 

[LyNx]

Hafele ref : 930.10.000 - brass bottom roller

Something like that will work. You will have to set-out the doors to allow for the distance from the hinge pivot to the centre of your bottom track.

The movement will not be as smooth as a top/bottom guided door.

 

[stix]

Thanks for all the replys guys.

Andy, looking on the Hafele website at the item you have mentioned I think I can make something at work that will do the job and, if necessary, take some of the weight (although if I make some doors from 20mm timber I don't think that would be an issue).

I'll give it a go and see what happens.


Cheers
Steve

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

Perhaps a Ball castor such as 661.02.210 from hafele could be used?
A radius router cutter could be used on the bottom to act as a track?
if they are only 20mm thick there wont be much weight. Assuming you are using frame and panel doors rather than a flat MDF board