Bifold doors commonly range from 24 to 36 inches wide. Fitting a new door to an existing opening can be frustrating -- and expensive when an odd size means you need to special order a door to fit. When you are framing interior walls that will include bifold doors for a closet or utility space, plan ahead to accurately size the door opening to specific dimensions of the bifold doors for the easiest installation. The door manufacturer provides the required dimensions in the installation instructions included with the new bifold doors. Wall Construction Because you must frame the opening for the doors to the dimensions recommended by the manufacturer, it is smart to purchase your door before you begin the framing process. Dimensions, even among similar bifold doors can vary between manufacturers, so it is important to have the exact door you will use in hand. This allows you to confirm the precise measurements for the opening, which are found in the doors installation instructions. Considerations There are a couple of important things to consider during the wall's construction to accommodate the door opening.
Although a header is not required to support bifold doors, it is a good idea to include one during the framing of the opening. This allows you the versatility of hanging a traditional door if the need ever arises. Including a door header will not significantly increase the cost of your project, as just a couple of extra two-by-fours is all you will need. The other thing you should consider is that the dimensions provided by the manufacturer for the door opening are usually for finished walls. This means that you have to allow for drywall thickness, corner bead and joint compound when framing the rough opening. Installation A bifold door is one of the easiest types of doors to install. A track attaches across the top of the opening with wood screws to provide a support as well as a guide for the bifold doors to travel. Special brackets are installed on the bottom corners of the opening to support and provide a pivot point for the bifold doors. The final steps of installation are installing the knob and adjusting the height of the door by turning the pivot post supported by the corner bracket.
Adjusting Bi-fold Doors Adjusting a bifold door requires that you rotate the pivot post on the bottom corner of the door. Some bifold door manufacturers include a wrench designed to fit the nut on the pivot post in the hardware package included with the new doors. The wrench allows you to turn the nut on the pivot post to raise or lower the door. A properly adjusted bifold door swings freely between its track and the floor without binding. You can also adjust the distance between the doorjamb and edge of the bifold door. The door's top pivot post is attached to a setscrew, which allows you slide the door left or right in the track for adjustment when it is loosened. To adjust the bottom of the door in relation to the jamb, you lift the door and bottom pivot post to reposition it in the notches provided on the pivot post bracket. C-channel Or Purlin To Attach The Endwall Sheeting To AboveThe Bifold Door Door rolls UpOn Face OfSide Column Building's Side ColumnsMust Be Strong EnoughTo Support The BifoldDoor In All Positions
Header Plate And TheDoor Column Must BeFlush Dotted Line Represents TheHeader Plate Stubs Welded Or Bolted To The Main Frame Or The Continuous Header To Support The Door Header Plate Endwall Sheeting AboveThe Bifold Door Header Plate And The Door Column Must Be Flush Stubs Welded Or Bolted To The Main Frame Or The Continuous Header ToSupport The Door Header Plate. The Door Can Also Be Attached To TheVertical Stubs Only Leaving The Continuous Header Off, Just Another WayTo Support The Doorframe. Endwall Sheeting Above The Bifold Door Continuous HeaderFor the Bifold Door Back Brace Square TubingConnects Two Main Frames Stub ColumnThat attaches to theContinuous Headerto the Main Frame Side Columns &Continuous HeaderFaces must be flush Side Column The BifoldDoor rolls up on. Maximize your Clear Opening height by placing your Header within the Main Frame For the Bifold Door Back Brace Square Tubing Connects Two Main Frames
That attaches to theContinuous Headerto the Main Frame Continuous HeaderFaces must be flush Side Column The Bifold Door rolls up on. Bifold Door Endwall(Recessed Bifold Doorframe) Schweiss Bifold Doors can fit any steel buildings, old or new, providing a commercial door that suits your needs. Door shall be mounted on the exterior walls of building. Door shall be mounted flush with exterior walls of building - Select one We work with architects, contractors, and building suppliers to make sure the door you order will fit your clear opening and building. We will answer your questions and assist you with shop drawings to make sure that your "Automatic Bifold" door will fit your newAvailable are the door weights, loadings, hinge locations, specs, The customer, contractor/owner, and the building manufacturer are responsible to ensure that the building's structural design is capable of handling all the imposed loads that the bifold door exerts on your door header, endwall, and building.
your bifold door is in a full open position, the bifold door tends to pull away from the building at the hinge line exerting considerable horizontal loads on the building structure in the open position. Your building header design must meet standard deflection and strength criteria, both in vertical and horizontal directions to support the bifold door in all positions. A1, A2, A3 & A4 SPEC SHEETS Schweiss Bifold Doors will provide you with those loads that are applied to yourWe will provide you with our A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4 Spec sheets for your actual measurements, movements, weights, and hinge locations. any questions about bifold doors or need technical assistance, feel free to call us at Schweiss strongly recommends that upgrade equipment be used on every door WARNING: Without the proper upgrade equipment, the door could cause property damage, personal injury, or death. THE SCHWEISS HANDBOOK HAS INFORMATION ON: The many different ways to attach a bifold door to your new or existing building
structure (wood, steel, quonset, sidewalls, etc.) Detailed illustrations to help you further understand how to prepare your building for a bifold door, without changing the design of your steel or wood building. Many different applications of an optionalThe Schweiss Handbook should be read by anyone involved in the design, specifications, selection or purchase of an industrial bifold door operator or automated bifold door system. A. _______ Clear Opening between building Side Columns - Finished Opening. B. _______ Clear opening from bottom of truss to finished floor - or total clear height opening. C. _______ Distance from finished floor to the very top of door hinge. D. _______ Distance from top of clear height to top of single hinge. This distance will vary on different size doors. The distance above your clear opening will be 12"-24"-30"-36"-48"-Other_______. E. _______ Distance from top of clear height to center of mounting hole for single hinges.
F. _______ Distance from finished floor to beginning of top building sheeting. H. _______ The distance from the finished floor to the center of the mounting hole for the hinges. CUSTOMER'S CHOICE OF TRUSS: ___Internal ___External Bottom of Header /Rafter / Ceiling Height 1.1 Doors for this project will consist of (___) bifold doors 2. SIZE OF DOOR - Clear Open Width & Height 2.1 Hanger door with door in up position, shall have a minimum clear opening width of (___'___") as shown in the plans and a minimum clear height of (___'___") above finished floor elevation. 3. PLACEMENT of the Bifold Door onto the building - Choose One 3.1 Door shall be mounted on the exterior walls of building. 3.2 Door shall be mounted flush with exterior walls of building. 4. GENERAL / CONTRACTORS REQUIREMENTS: - DESIGN CRITERIA 4.1 The bifold hangar doors shall be designed to the same loading requirements for live, dead and wind loads as the hangar building.
4.2 The doors shall be engineered to resist all anticipated loads without sagging, bowing or conflicting with its smooth and efficient operation. 4.3 Design for wind load as required by UBC, 1996 BOCA building code. 4.4 The design shall be furnished, approved and sealed by a professional engineer registered in the state where the project is located 4.5 The building header shall be designed to accommodate horizontal and vertical building deflections to support the bifold door in all positions (with the proper lateral bracing). 4.6 The building's door columns shall be framed of the proper design and size to reinforce the opening (with lateral bracing) and to carry all loads and vibrations imposed thereon. 4.7 The Bifold should have solid footing with sill directly underneath the doorframe and extending outward from the door to provide a base for the door's weather seal. This also prevents flow of water into, or under, the door installation.