Hi, first time poster here. I just bought my first house and am looking for the most simple and least expensive solution. Should I do a bypass or bifold setup? Also, notice that there is baseboard molding in the closet - can I take a dremmel and cut a notch out of the molding so the doors will be flush with the wall? Would that be the best way to do it? Also the floor is solid concrete, which I plan on carpeting. Do I install the hardware into the floor before or after I put carpet down?

Also the house was built in the 50's and the closet has an old bypass track installed up top... There's no way I can re-use that is there? I'm thinking it would probably be better to take it off but I'm not sure.

The house will be a rental so fit and finish doesn't have to be 5 star quality! I just need closet doors!

TIA guys!

 

Welcome to the forums! Until you said it was to be a rental, I was going to suggest accordian door, but that's too fragile. I would go back with bypass doors. More true to the genre of the house and practical. Bifold would be my second choice. What is the exact opening width?

 

The opening is 44" wide and 81" tall... Are accordian doors cheap?

 

I'd build it in on each side and use a 36" pre-hung hollow core door.

 

What Ray said, or two 24" bypass doors. Accordian doors are probably the cheapest, although I am not sure they would stand up to renters pulling on them all the time.

 

MY initial choice was with the bypass door also. But with the odd 44 inch width, with bypass doors you'd only have a 20 inch opening.

And filling it in for the 36 inch door per Ray could look cobbled if not done right.

 

Did maintenance on an apartment with bypass doors and had to put them back on the track every couple of months. I didn't mid, I got paid. but the owner sure wasn't happy.

I honestly don't see a problem filling in. Just a couple of 2X4s, narrow strips of Sheetrock and trim. A pro shouldn't charge to much to finish off the Sheetrock.

Of course I grew up in a 60 year old house built by amateurs and every doorway was an unequal trapezoid so mostly we had curtains. Have you considered a curtain?

 

would curtains look right though? Don't you think that would turn off potential renters? It sure would be the easiest way to go.

Can I buy acordian doors at lowes? How much do you think an accoridan door setup costs?

 

A cheap accordion door would be only 36" so you would need two. More expensive accordion doors ($35+ ?) can sometimes be increased in width with expansion panels. Of course you have to pay for each expansion panel.

If Lowes is anything like HD where I use to work they may not have the expansion panels or not enough or the ones they have are so shop worn they are not usable. You should be able to order if anyone ever showed the associate how to order them.

 

If I was doing it, I would use two 24" hollow core doors, they are pretty cheap, and if the track is still there you can just attach new hardware and install a new guide on the bottom after you carpet and you're done. even if the track is gone you can buy tracks with all the hardware, including rollers, guides and pulls, at Home depot, for about $10.