MY BEDROOM CLOSET HAS TWO DOORS THAT ARE ABOUT A FOOT APART. I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE THE DIVIDE AND INSTALL MIRRORED BIFOLD DOORS. WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED. IS IT A DIY PROJECT?

 

You should be able to do it. You will need to rebuild the header over the opening and install cripple studs just like is over the existing doorway. Then install the new door jamb and doors.

 

THANKS FOR RESPONDING SO QUICKLY. I WOULD LIKE TO TRY BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO BEGIN. WHERE CAN I FIND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR A BEGINNER?

 

First thing to determine is whether this is a bearing wall or not. Does it run in the same direction as the joists above it, or is it perpendicular to those joists?

Are the walls sheetrocked, or are they lathe and plaster?

The answer to those 2 questions will determine how much work you are in for, and any extra steps that may be involved.

You say there is about a foot of wall between these 2 doors -- how wide are each of the doors? What is the total width of the 2 doors and that foot of wall between them?

Bifold doors come in standard widths for openings 4', 5', 6', and 8' wide, but can be custom made to fit pretty much any opening width you choose. Doors for a standard width opening will be less expensive, but you might have to do some extra framing and sheetrocking to get the opening to a standard size.

Reply to this posts with the answers to those questions, and we can explain how to proceed.

 

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL YOUR HELP.

I LOOKED IN THE ATTIC - THE JOISTS RUN THE WIDTH OF THE HOUSE. THE WALL FOR THE CLOSET IS BETWEEN TO BEDROOMS AND IT RUNS THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSE. DOES THAT TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED?

I TOOK SEVERAL MEASUREMENTS: THE DOORS ARE EACH 24" WIDE.
EACH ONE MEASURES 28 3/4" INCLUDING THE TRIM. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN EACH DOOR IS 12".

THE TOTAL MEASUREMENT FOR THE TWO DOORS INCLUDING THE OUTSIDE TRIM AND THE SPACE BETWEEN IS 64 1/2".

OH YES, THE WALLS ARE SHEETROCK I QUESS - IF THAT'S THE SAME AS DRYWALL.

 

The ceiling joists run in one direction, the wall with these doors in runs the other. Got it! That means this wall is, or at least should be treated as, a bearing wall. But since the back wall of this closet is only about 2' away, it's probably not going to be a problem.

Drywall and sheetrock are one and the same.

The width from outside trim to outside trim for these 2 doors is 64-1/2". Great -- you can install a standard 5'0" set of bifolds.

First thing you need to do is go get the doors (Meynards, Lowes, HD, -- wherever) for a 60" opening. The instructions will explain how much tolerance you have for the width of the opening.

You need to remove enough of the sheetrock from both the inside and the outside of the closet so you can see the header for each door and the 2X4 supporting that header. That 2X4 won't go all the way to the ceiling -- it will end at the bottom of the header. Remove the sheetrock from the 12" section of wall between the 2 doors. Do you have a seperate header for each door, or just one header that covers both doors?

If it is just one header, resheetrock the opening down to the width that the doors need, tape, texture, paint, deal with the flooring, and install the doors.

If it is 2 seperate headers, you'll have to remove them and install one header across the opening - a 4X6 or taller, or double 2X's with a 1/2 " fill between them. Then resheetrock, tape, texture, paint, deal with the flooring, install the doors -- YOU'RE DONE!!

 

THANKS AGAIN. IT REALLY SEEMS THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
I'LL TACKLE IT NEXT WEEKEND AND LET YOU KNOW HOW I DID.

 

I want to add double bi-fold doors to widen the opening to my closet. I know that the wall with the existing door is load-bearing, it holds up the roof. The walls are plaster and lathe. I also need to insulate the closet. The walls are solid, plaster over exterior brick. That means the closet gets REALLY cold, and leaks cold air into the housefrom the attic, and the cold radiating from the wall itself. I was going to run 1x3's with styrofoam insulation panels on the exterior wall(the rear wall of the closet), then drywall over the insulation. Do I need to add a vapor barier?
Can I just knock out the header and install a new header the necessary width for the double bi-folds? I don't want the roof to fall down. How do I knock out the lathe? Should I cut it with a circular saw, or can I just smash it with a hammer? Will my insulation plans help, or will the closet remain really cold? I was planning on louvered bi-folds to help with heat.