Monday, February 16, 2009

Bi-Fold Doors and Laminate Floors

There's no denying that laminate is an increasingly popular building material. But since it's a floating floor system, it comes with its own set of challenges. The main one is that you really shouldn't do anything to impede it from floating. Obviously.

One of these challenges is when mounting the pivot bracket when installing a bi-fold door. These doors are popular for closets and in other places, like clothes washer alcoves in apartments, where every square inch of real estate must be used.



Essentially, the trick is to cut the hole in the laminate larger than it needs to be while not making it too obvious. Reader Mark Sick clued me in to how he solved this particular dilemma by using a minimalist approach using a metal sleeve from Home Depot. And he did it economically. Now that's a DIYer!

The most important consideration is to start with a door that doesn't use a guide track on the floor. Obviously, that would complicate things significantly. And as Mark pointed out to me, those tracks are the source of headaches. They are dust and dirt magnets.



I hope this post solved a challenge for you or at least entertained you. Visit my site to read more free home improvement articles and drop me an email to let me know how you solved a DIY challenge. Mail me at admin@icanfixupmyhome.com.

6 comments:

Jim Lapic said...
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Jim Lapic said...

This is a great fix for laminate floors but there is another option. You can always buy bi-fold door hardware that does not mount to the floor at all. The 111FD Johnson Track Hardware for bi-fold doors has a bottom pivot that mounts to your jamb and NOT the floor. It is heavy duty enough to handle individual doors up to 50 lbs each and up to 24" in width by 108" in height.

KellySmith said...

That's a great solution, Jim. The less intrusive, the better.

Mary said...

Thanks for the information. It would be nice to have Bi fold doors Devon which can be used in place of french or patio doors, with just 2 panels, or in place of entire walls, with up to 16 panels. Choose doors that are A rated energy efficient. Aluminum Bi folding doors are nice too.

jackjack said...

Most probably it is the best combination, I mean bi fold sliding doors plus laminate floors. I like this combination. Yes, seriously.

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