How To Frame A Bifold Door Opening [Step By Step Guide]

You must fit the frame right to guarantee that your bifold door fits and operates as intended. Are you looking for information on bifold door framing? We have extensively researched this subject to help you with your installation. Let's dive right into it below!

Follow this step-by-step guide for framing a bifold door opening:

Prepare your frame.
Remove the existing door and door frame.
Get all the measurements needed for the structure.
Cut out the measurement on the piece of wood.
Assemble the frame carefully.
Check the frame is level.
Install the door frame.

We'll go into greater detail about the abovementioned processes in this article. Additionally, we'll proceed with elaborating on installing the bifold door. Continue reading!

How To Frame A Bifold Door Opening

Bi-folding doors are a terrific option to maximize the space in your house, especially in tiny areas where every square inch matters.

When you open them, you can tuck them neatly out of the way and quickly pull across to make new spaces, such as playrooms or home offices.

Bi-fold doors open in a significantly smaller space than standard doors, making them the ideal choice if you're short on space and suitable for closets, cabinets, bathrooms, and corridors.

If you want to put a bifold door in your house, the door needs a specific structure to perform effectively, and that’s the door frame. A door needs a door frame to stay in place.

Also, a door frame is a crucial component primarily concealed within the wall and supports the door, enabling it to open and close easily.

Follow the detailed instructions below on framing the opening so that your bifold door will fit and function as intended:

1. Prepare Your Frame

The bifold’s frame is usually purchased separately. Choose a door frame that matches your door color if that's what you desire, or go for a contrasting look if that's what you prefer.

By giving it a new look and boosting your home's curb appeal, a precisely matched door frame brings out the beauty of your door. Additionally, consider having a flat frame or jamb because the bifold door requires this.

2. Remove The Existing Door & Door Frame

Before proceeding, you must remove any existing doors and frames. To remove the existing door, unscrew the hinges from the jamb using a screwdriver.

Click here to see this screwdriver on Amazon.

Then using a hammer and chisel or wrecking bar, remove the existing architraves or exterior casing, a decorative element that conceals the frame itself.

This will allow access to the removal of the door frame.

Click here to see these chisels on Amazon.

Click here to see this wrecking bar on Amazon.

The simplest way to do this is to cut around the frame with a Stanley knife to make the initial gap before using a chisel or wrecking bar.

After that, carefully work your way around the frame, gradually loosening it until it readily separates.

Click here to see this Stanley knife on Amazon.

Sometimes, if properly installed, few nails or screws are holding it in. Take them out first, then the frame.

3. Get All The Measurements Needed For The Frame

It's important to be explicit about all the dimensions, including the height, width, and length of the frame. First, measure your opening in multiple places to ensure the correct measurements.

Measure the space at the opening's top, center, and bottom with a measuring tape and choose the most accurate measurement possible for the width.

Measure the space to the left, center, and right of the opening for the height and use the broadest size.

Click here to see this tape measure on Amazon.

Ideally, these three measurements are close together if the opening is square. On the piece of wood or lumber you would have bought to create the door frame, mark all the dimensions.

4. Cut Out The Measurement On The Piece Of Wood

Mark the excess lumber that needs to be cut away after carefully carving out the measurements in a straight line on the piece of wood using a pencil.

Click here to see this pencil marker on Amazon.

Next, cut the top part of the frame into the required shape or size using a handsaw. Then, saw off the overhang on each side.

Click here to see this handsaw on Amazon.

The exact process of cutting for the two jambs. The door jambs or side jambs are another names for the door frame's legs. Ensure that the flat jamb is just a little bit smaller than the opening.

This will make it possible to pack the frame squarely. Once the head and jambs for your door frame are ready, use the sandpaper to smooth down their edges.

Click here to see this sandpaper on Amazon.

5. Assemble The Frame Carefully

It's time to put the door frame together after cutting the wood. To help the screws get into the wood, pre-drill pilot holes using a cordless drill.

To secure the frame, drill screws through the lintel and into the head of the frame.

Click here to see this cordless drill on Amazon.

Size up the frame's head. Place the inside edge of the jambs against the head. It is wise and practical to put the frame together and fit it to the floor first.

6. Check Whether The Frame Is Level

Use the spirit level to level the frame after inserting it into the opening.

Cut the lintel doorstop to size, pin it in place to accommodate the thickness of the door, and then repeat the process with the door jambs. Lastly, use screws or pins to fill in any holes.

Click here to see this spirit level set on Amazon.

Check to see if the frame is leveled correctly. Put shims into any uneven areas you see, then fill them with concrete cement.

Click here to see these shims on Amazon.

Click here to see this ready-mix concrete patch on Amazon.

7. Install The Door Frame

It's time to attach the door frame to the surrounding wall now that you are sure of the door frame's dimensions and everything looks great.

Carefully mount it to the wall and fix the frame's head and jambs using a claw hammer and nails.

Click here to see this claw hammer on Amazon.

After installing your door frame, measure your opening several times to ensure accurate height and width, and then use these measurements to purchase your new bifold door.

Click here to see this bifold door on Amazon.

How Do You Install Bifold Door?

You can start installing your bifold door after learning about bifold door framing. Follow the detailed instructions below.

1. Mark The Opening's Center

Measure the width of the entire opening using a measuring tape. Then, use a pencil to draw the width's midpoint. You will place the new door at this location.

2. Cut And Affix The Track

The installation of bifold doors requires a track and brackets. Cut the track with a 1/16" gap at both ends.

After that, install the track by centering it on the header (frame) and adjusting its pivot bracket, so it approaches the jamb.

Click here to see this track on Amazon.

Click here to see this bifold hardware kit on Amazon.

3. Attach The Jamb Bracket

Each jamb needs a bracket to connect it to the door. Since the bracket is not already attached to the jamb, you must attach both.

To do this, place the bracket on the floor and position it next to the jamb, drill pilot holes into it, and then screw them.

4. Mount The Bifold Door

To install the doors, place the top pivot first in the brackets, then the bottom pivots in the bottom brackets. After that, Incorporate the snugger guide into the track.

Release the snugger guide after squeezing it into the top of the door and sliding it under the track to ensure the pivot guide is rotating firmly in the door.

5. Make Some Adjustments

Verify that the door is not contacting the door header. Additionally, it shouldn't scuff the flooring. Lift the door and turn the bottom pivot to solve any of the two problems if they exist.

After that, you would need to plumb the door.

To accomplish this, lift the door and slide it into the jamb bracket. Adjust the door until it is plumb by loosening the screw at the top of the pivot bracket. Then, tighten the screw once more.

6. Put The Hardware In Place

If your bifold doors already have pulls installed, you won't need to attach any hardware. If there is nothing, mark a place your hand can comfortably reach on the door.

Click here to see this bifold door knob on Amazon.

Drill a hole in the mark. Then, put the screws in the holes while holding the hardware in your hand and pushing it against the door.

After that, fasten the aligners, keeping the bi-fold doors closed. Attach them loosely to the side of the door facing the room, around one foot above the ground.

As long as the doors don't suddenly close, keep making adjustments. Afterward, tighten their screws.