Question:
In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration shown here http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would just float in the middle which seems sort of odd. I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home Depot sells Masonite doors). Any suggestions?
Response:
> In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and > using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are > 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). > In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the > Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot > length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here > http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm > …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would > just float in the middle which seems sort of odd.
It’s done all the time (why do you suppose it’s in a "stock catalog"?) However, for a 96" opening I would use 2-32" doors on the inner track and a 36" door on the outer track. Using 3-36" doors leaves you with only a 24" access. > I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if > it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home > Depot sells Masonite doors). > Any suggestions?
You could go with 4-24’s I suppose.
Response:
Now that I think about it, bifold doors may be a better option for an extra wide closet door – 2 sets of dual 24 inch folding panels should do the trick. Is this a common configuration? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and > using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are > 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). > In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the > Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot > length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here > http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm > …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would > just float in the middle which seems sort of odd. > I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if > it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home > Depot sells Masonite doors). > Any suggestions?
Response:
> Now that I think about it, bifold doors may be a better option for an > extra wide closet door – 2 sets of dual 24 inch folding panels should > do the trick. Is this a common configuration?
A bi-fold that big will not operate smoothly.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and > using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are > 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). > In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the > Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot > length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here > http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm > …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would > just float in the middle which seems sort of odd. > I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if > it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home > Depot sells Masonite doors). > Any suggestions?
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and > using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are > 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). > In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the > Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot > length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here > http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm > …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would > just float in the middle which seems sort of odd. > I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if > it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home > Depot sells Masonite doors). > Any suggestions?
I had this setup with three doors in a previous house and it worked beautifully. I don’t remember how wide each door was though. They had small "holders" on the floor to keep them in line. One of the outer doors had a full length mirror on it. In my experience, bi-fold doors always come off the tracks and quit working right.
Response:
> In my experience, bi-fold doors > always come off the tracks and quit working right.
Only if they’re not hung right, or the hardware is junk. I much prefer bifolds to "bypass" doors. I had bypass doors in an apartment I rented years ago, and I hated it– could only get to half of the closet at once. And being unorganized, I never knew which half stuff was in… -Tim
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->In my experience, bi-fold doors >always come off the tracks and quit working right. > Only if they’re not hung right, or the hardware is junk. > I much prefer bifolds to "bypass" doors. I had bypass doors in an apartment > I rented years ago, and I hated it– could only get to half of the closet at > once. And being unorganized, I never knew which half stuff was in… > -Tim
Wood bypass or sliding doors are very nice, especially when fastened with and mounted on decent hardware.
Response:
> > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here
oops. I meant 3, 32 inch doors.
Response:
> I had this setup with three doors in a previous house and it worked > beautifully. I don’t remember how wide each door was though. They had > small "holders" on the floor to keep them in line.
…so, when you close the closet doors, is the center door just slid to the middle by eyeball until no gaps are showing? In other words, is there a positive stop for the center door, or is it just floating?
Response:
> Wood bypass or sliding doors are very nice, especially when fastened > with and mounted on decent hardware.
I’m not doubting they look and operate nice. I just don’t like half my closets covered up at any given time. -Tim
Response:
BAN: My preference is for the more durable type of bifold door that is made with a less twisty HC door. Hafele makes the hardware sets for doors that may be up to 66 or 88 lbs. per leaf (HAWA Bifold 30, 2001 cat. p. 9.44). The doors may be designed in 2, 4, or 6 leaf arrangements, for example. Hafele America Company 3901 Cheyenne Drive Archdale, NC 27263 Phone: 336-210-2398, 800-423-3531, 336-889-2322, 336-255-1294 fax: 336-431-3831 http://www.hafeleonline.com Ralph Hertle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > In finishing my basement, I will be building an extra wide closet and > using bypass doors. The largest bypass door openings I have seen are > 72 inches(using two 36 inch doors with a slight overlap). > In my case, I would like to have an 8 foot opening. I know that the > Stanley bypass door track sold at Home Depot comes in an 8 foot > length, so I am trying to determine how to configure the doors. > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > shown here > http://www.sgshardware.com/stock_catalog/bypass.htm > …but I have never seen this done. I assume the middle door would > just float in the middle which seems sort of odd. > I would prefer, though to have 2, 48 inch doors, but I don’t know if > it is possible to get a 48 inch hollow core molded panel door (Home > Depot sells Masonite doors). > Any suggestions?
Response:
You can install stops on the center door leaf; however, you would then need to move at least one door (back and forth) to access any one-third of your closet at any one time. That is a lot of door moving. If you (or everyone else) think moving two doors back and forth is a pain in the rear, try negotiating three. You obviously want maximum access with no ‘dead’ ends (or middles). I’d go with two sets of four-foot bi-folds. You can open and close one side or both sides simultaneously. Twelve inch wide doors are not so likely to jump track as are the very wide panels. (Unless you want to go 8-ft high, which look great, but if the top, spring-loaded pivot jumps out of the track, it will gouge your ceiling . . . if you have a ceiling. Again, 12" wide door panels are unlikely to jump out of even cheaper hardware, but go with the best hardware.) With all doors opened, you will have the double-stacked doors in the middle, but that is relatively easy to both see and reach around. Jim Jim
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > One option is to use 3, 36 inch doors in a three door configuration > > shown here > oops. I meant 3, 32 inch doors.
Response:
> >>In my experience, bi-fold doors >>always come off the tracks and quit working right. > Only if they’re not hung right, or the hardware is junk. > I much prefer bifolds to "bypass" doors. I had bypass doors in an apartment > I rented years ago, and I hated it– could only get to half of the closet at > once. And being unorganized, I never knew which half stuff was in… > -Tim
I agree with the above poster, I much prefer bifold doors. I have 4 sets on closets in my house and they’ve worked since 1966 without problem (BTW, they’re all 8′ wide which is now a hard-to-get size). Barbara
Response:
>>I had this setup with three doors in a previous house and it worked >beautifully. I don’t remember how wide each door was though. They had >small "holders" on the floor to keep them in line. > …so, when you close the closet doors, is the center door just slid to the > middle by eyeball until no gaps are showing? In other words, is there a > positive stop for the center door, or is it just floating?
The center door floated and could slide left or right. Yes, I eyeballed it but there was enough of a slight overlap (1 inch or so on each side) to make it easy. I "organized" (hah!) my closet to put most frequently used clothing towards the center since it was the easiest door to slide. The two outer doors had notched finger pulls with brass doohickeys (technical term) lining the notches.
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