Removing an old bifold closet door can require a little effort. Most doors are hollow core, so they do not weigh a great deal. There is a little bit of a trick to taking them out, with a little help, it only takes a couple of minutes.

Not sure if you need to remove the door? See the article 'Troubleshooting Bifold Doors' to find out what you need to do. See 'How To Fix Doors' for a listing of all the door topics.

Understanding how a bifold door works will help a lot when it comes to removing it.

How Bifold Closet Doors Work

The name bifold implies that the door folds, which it does. A bifold has two door leaves or slabs that are held together with hinges. The two slabs fold together to open the closet door.

The slab that is closest to the door jamb on the pivot side has a pin at the top and a pin at the bottom that the door turns on. The top pivot pin is spring loaded so that the door can be lifted up.

Removing a Bifold Safely

A 36" pair of doors may weigh around 30 to 40 lbs. They can be a little awkward, since they need to be lifted and then tipped out. So consider getting some help. Follow the steps below to remove the door.

(1) You can open the pair of doors or one of the two pairs if it is a double door. If you have help, try to get one person on each side of the door, one towards the closet and the other person in the room. Grab the pair of doors on the sides keeping them together.

(2) Lift up on the pair of doors. You will only be lifting them approximately three quarters of an inch, so don't expect to make a dramatic change in the location of the door. Once the door is lifted, you shouls be able to swing the bottom of the door toward the center of the closet.

(3) Tilt the door out of the opening. Be careful not to drag the bottom of the door across the floor. There is a metal pin in it and it will scratch the flooring or damaged the carpeting. Lay the door on a pair of saw horses or lean it against the wall. Best to set it on a piece of cardboard.

Yes, that's all there is to it, do you see why bifold doors are popular. For a four panel door take the other pair out the same way.

At this point you will need to make a decision. The top track and brackets at the floor may be very similar to the new ones that you will be installing. Your choice, whether you want to leave the old ones in place. So removing an old bifold door does not need to include taking out the track.

You have gone to the trouble of installing bifold doors, so we will assume you are going with all new parts. Unscrew the top track and the bottom brackets and remove them. Discard the old door slabs and hardware.

Summary

So you can see that it is not that hard to remove a bifold door. Next you want to complete whatever tasks you needed to do and the set the door back in place. See the article 'Installing a Bifold Door' for instructions on getting it back in place and the article 'Adjusting a Bifold Door' for instructions on aligning it correctly.