An Introduction to Folding Doors

Doors have the tendency to take up a lot of space at home when they are open. It can get worse especially when you have very little space to begin with.

When standard hinged doors start to complicate your living space, you may consider installing folding doors instead. Folding doors can save a lot of space especially for those with limited interior area and small homes. They are also very helpful in instances wherein doors can’t be installed because of inadequate wall hallow.

Folding doors are popularly used for outdoor living spaces. We see them being utilized as removable walls on pool areas. They can easily convert an open deck space as a sealed room. And oh, let’s not forget that they are being used to close the tools shed at our backyards. In terms of home interior application, folding doors are commonly associated with closets and kitchen cupboards. Today, interior decorators are maximizing their full potential in terms of using them for small living spaces where regular doors may not fit. They are also being used in segregating the available spaces in your homes and transform them into additional rooms.

Unlike the conventional doors, folding doors does not swing open but instead they “fold open.” This makes them the smartest bet when it comes to compartmentalizing an area from a limitedly spaced house or when you necessitate a space anywhere near the door opening.

There are two basic types of folding doors. The first one is called “bifold doors” which is best used for areas too small to install ordinary sized doors from. They are typically being used in pantries, wardrobe and laundry room. They are made from two narrow doors that are attached at the very center by a couple of hinges and are installed alongside a track that will allow you to slide them open on one side.

The second type of folding doors is called “multi-folding doors” which is mostly referred to as “accordion doors.” Just like the bifold doors, the accordion doors also slide towards one side with the help of a track. The only difference is that they are made up of multiple panels that are 3 to 4 inches in width. Bifold doors come in 24, 30, 32, and even 36 inches per panel. Because of the width difference, the accordion doors will stack altogether at one side and take up very little space compared with the bifold doors.  Thus, they are best used to separate small rooms and to make partitions in very small spaces.

Folding doors can be purchased from home improvement centers wherein they come in standard sizes but there is also an option to have them custom-made directly by a manufacturer with the measurements a buyer would specify.  There are also a number of options when it comes to selecting tracks for folding doors for they come in curved or straight design and manual or electric operation.