Sizing a Rough Opening for a Bifold Door

By Mark J. Donovan

When installing a Bifold door into a wall it is important that the rough opening for the Bifold door be sized correctly. If the rough opening is not sized correctly the Bifold door will either not fit if it is too small, or have wide gaps if it is too large.

Sizing a Bifold Door Rough Opening with a Door Jamb Opening

Typically the rough opening should be sized 2 inches wider and 2 inches higher than the door itself. For example a four-foot wide (48”) by six feet, eight inches high (80”) Bifold set of doors, would require a rough opening width of 50 inches and a height of 82 inches.

This sized rough opening will allow for either a doorjamb kit to be installed or for ¾” thick select lumber to be used to create the finished doorjamb.

Note that most bifold door assemblies do not come with a doorjamb kit so using ¾” thick select lumber to create the finished doorjamb is fairly common. The bifold door mechanical bracket assemblies actually screw into this finished doorjamb so it is important that the doorjamb be installed plumb and level.

To complete the interior trim work associated with the doorjamb, when using ¾” select lumber, case moulding is wrapped around the perimeter of it. For best results, mitered cuts are employed.

Sizing a Bifold Door Rough Opening for a Sheetrocked Wrapped Opening

If the Bifold door is to be installed into a sheetrocked wrapped opening the rough opening width should be sized to the actual width of the Bifold doors (48” in the case of this example). The rough opening height should be the height of the door plus 3/4" (80 ¾” in the case of this example).

Note that these guidelines are typical framing standards that are employed in the home construction business. You should always check with the manufacturer or product specifications to confirm the rough opening requirements for your particular bifold doors.

For information on Installing Interior Door Trim, see the Installing Interior Door Trim Ebook from HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Installing Interior Door Trim Ebook provides easy to understand, detailed step-by-step instructions, on how to install interior door trim around an interior or exterior door. Pictures are included for every key step in the process!