Renovation guides

How to install bifold or sliding closet doors

Short answer

Measure the finished opening, check it is square and that there is solid wood above it, take the old doors and track out, screw the new top track level into wood, set the pivots or floor guide, hang the doors the way the kit says, then adjust until the gaps are even and they glide. Difficulty 2 of 5; for a first-timer, plan on about half a day. Read “When to stop” below before you start.

Draft guide written from standard practice, not yet reviewed by a licensed pro. Follow product labels where they differ.

Difficulty 2 of 5 · about half a day · you can do this

When to stopStop and get help if: there is no solid wood above the opening to screw the track into, or the opening is badly out of square (that is framing work first); the doors you want are bigger than the opening the kit is made for; or the doors are mirrored glass and you have no second person — a mirror door is heavy and dangerous when it breaks. The door maker's instructions decide the track position, the pivots, and the adjustments: they differ from kit to kit.
See it in your own room — free

Photo of your room, the look you pick, then this guide with the materials counted for your room.

What you need

  • Wood screws long enough to reach the header
  • Composite shims

Tools

  • Tape measure
  • 4 ft level
  • Drill/driver
  • Hacksaw — Only if the track has to be cut to the opening's width, per the kit.
  • Plumb bob or a laser level — Lines the bottom bracket up under the top one.

Step by step

  1. Step 1 of 9

    Measure the finished opening

    Measure the width at the top, the middle, and the bottom, and the height on both sides and in the middle, from the finished floor. Write down the smallest numbers and buy the doors and the track the maker's size chart gives for them.

  2. Step 2 of 9

    Check the opening is square and the header is wood

    Measure both diagonals of the opening: the closer they match, the better the doors will hang — the kit's instructions say how much it can take. Use a stud finder or a test screw to find the solid wood above the opening that will carry the track.

  3. Step 3 of 9

    Take the old doors and the track out

    Bifold: lift the door and swing its bottom pivot out of the bracket. Sliding: lift each door up into the track and tilt its bottom out. Unscrew the old track and the floor guide. Mirrored doors: two people and gloves.

    Ready to hang?

    • Opening measured at three widths and three heights; the doors and the track fit the smallest
    • The track will screw into solid wood above the opening
    • The floor in the opening is finished
    • The kit's instructions are read through once
    • A second person is here if the doors are mirrored glass

  4. Step 4 of 9

    Mount the top track level

    Place the track where the instructions say (centered in the opening, or set back from the trim by the amount they give), level it, and screw it into the wood above. Shim behind it if the head of the opening is out of level.

  5. Step 5 of 9

    Set the pivots or the floor guide

    Bifold: fit the top pivot bracket in the track and the bottom bracket at the floor or on the jamb, plumb below it — use the plumb bob or the laser. Sliding: set the floor guide under the track where the doors overlap, per the kit.

  6. Step 6 of 9

    Hang the doors

    Bifold: set the top pivot into its bracket, drop the bottom pivot into its bracket, and slide the guide wheel into the track. Sliding: hang the back door first, then the front one: hook the rollers onto their rails and swing the bottom into the floor guide.

  7. Step 7 of 9

    Adjust until the gaps are even

    Turn the pivot or roller adjusters until each door hangs plumb, the gap at the top is even, and the doors meet in a straight line. Check they clear the floor or the carpet all the way across.

  8. Step 8 of 9

    Knobs, aligners, and the track cover

    Fit the knobs or pulls where the instructions say. On a bifold pair, fit the aligners so the doors close flush. Snap on the track's cover if the kit has one.

  9. Step 9 of 9

    Open and close each door ten times

    Each door should run smoothly, stay where you leave it, and close without bumping its neighbor.

    Quality check

    • The track is level and every screw is in solid wood
    • The doors hang plumb, with even gaps at the top and between them
    • Each door opens and closes ten times without rubbing, jumping the track, or swinging on its own
    • Nothing rubs the floor or the carpet
    • Mirrored doors (if any) have no chipped edges and sit firmly in the track

Common mistakes

  • Measuring the opening once. Openings are rarely square. Measure the width at the top, the middle, and the bottom and the height at both sides, and buy for the smallest numbers.
  • Hanging the doors before the new floor. A new floor raises the bottom of the opening, and the doors then drag. Finish the floor first, then measure the height.
  • Screwing the track into drywall only. Doors hang from the track. Into drywall alone, it pulls out the first time a door is yanked. Find the wood above the opening.
  • Carrying a mirror door alone. Mirrored doors are heavy and awkward, and a cracked mirror cuts. Two people, gloves, and carry it upright.
Get this job planned for your room

Questions

How do I measure a closet opening for new doors?

Measure the width at the top, the middle and the bottom, and the height on both sides and in the middle, from the finished floor. Write down the smallest numbers and buy the doors and track the maker's size chart gives for them. Measure both diagonals too: the closer they match, the better the doors will hang.

How do you install bifold closet doors?

Mount the top track level, screwed into the wood above the opening (shim behind it if the head is out of level). Fit the top pivot bracket in the track and the bottom bracket at the floor or on the jamb, plumb below it. Set the top pivot into its bracket, drop the bottom pivot in and slide the guide wheel into the track. Then turn the adjusters until each door hangs plumb with even gaps, and fit the aligners so the doors close flush.

Why do new closet doors drag or pull out of the wall?

Two mistakes from the guide. Hanging the doors before the new floor: a new floor raises the bottom of the opening and the doors then drag, so finish the floor first and then measure the height. And screwing the track into drywall only: the doors hang from the track, and into drywall alone it pulls out the first time a door is yanked. Find the wood above the opening.

When should I stop and call a pro?

Stop and get help if: there is no solid wood above the opening to screw the track into, or the opening is badly out of square (that is framing work first); the doors you want are bigger than the opening the kit is made for; or the doors are mirrored glass and you have no second person — a mirror door is heavy and dangerous when it breaks. The door maker's instructions decide the track position, the pivots, and the adjustments: they differ from kit to kit.

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