Who would believe it could be so hard to find out RO size for a (bifold) door?
Trying to reconcile what the factory is telling me with what the lumberyard is telling me.
Simpson: 6’8″ door is actually 6’6-3/4″ to allow for apparatus. Apparatus is Stanley BF125N, which requires 5/8″ to 1-1/4″ clearance at the bottom and 1-3/4″ to 2-1/8″ on top. So that Simpson 1-1/4″ must refer to the bottom part, right? On another call, I was advised to make the *finish* opening 80-1/2″ to 81″ high, which is consistent with this. Stanley docs say door should be 2-3/4″ less than finished opening, which suggests 81-1/2″ finished opening.
Brosco: RO should be 82″! That is supposed to fit the apparatus, plus 3/4″ jamb (no horns). Adding up everything, I can just fit in the door, jamb and apparatus, all clearances at a minimum, and have 1/8″ to take to the bank (that’s already gone with an out-of-level floor). Forget about ever adjusting the door height for e.g. thick carpet. But my finish opening height is going to be more like 79-3/4″ (say leave 3/8″ under the valence).
I have this feeling of a disconnect between what Simpson is telling me and what the seller is telling me. The thing that occurs to me is that maybe Brosco replaces the decent Stanley hardware with the cheapest crappiest piece of hardware they have, hence their smaller-than-expected RO recommendation. And of course their jambs would be short.
Anyone else got a Simpson bifold via Brosco? Any surprises?
Replies
the rough opening for a bifold door is the same size as a rough opening for any other interior door...it's the finished opening that counts, and surprize...it's also the same size as any other interior door 80 1/2 inches....all the rest of these numbers do nothing but confuse the issue...any bifold you order is sized to fit in a standard size door opening...they cut down the doors, to allow for their hardware, which is getting worse and worse, but don't get me started on that...
If my finished opening is 80-1/2", since I allow 1/2" clearance between top of door and opening.....then I need 3/4" (for jambs) plus 1-3/4" (for apparatus, minimum!) and no way that fits in 2" extra height of RO.Something about this smells.
You're gonna lose sleep trying to remember all these measurements, Taylor. I use the same length trimmers for all interior doors (81+1/8") then try to not install the finished jambs for bifold or bipass until I have the hardware and doors on site. TIPI,TIPI,TIPI!
I use the same length trimmers for all interior doors (81+1/8")
Brosco recommends 82" for all Simpson doors including bifold.
But bifold has (according to Simpson) that top-hanging apparatus that requires 1-3/4" to 2-1/8", say 2" to allow for height adjustment.
Assuming you cover 1-1/2" of that with a valence and casing (recommended for example by Johnson for 100FD, that looks comparable to Stanley BF125N), that puts your bifold door opening 1-1/2" lower than regular door opening.
Another data point: Another seller sells 79" slab with 100FD (2-7/8" height as opposed to 2-3/4" for Stanley).They recommend 81-3/4" *finished* opening.It don't add up.
81+1/8" trimmer plus 1+1/2" bottom plate gives you 82+5/8" R.O. Has always worked for off the shelf hardware and door slabs for me. Once in a while I might have to trim a door bottom but it's all in a day's work.
Get any sleep last night? :)TIPI,TIPI,TIPI!
Ah I'd forgotten bottom plate. Yeah I'm thinking 82-3/8" or 82-1/2" would work well if the slab is 78-3/4".I'll be real curious to see what kind of hardware Brosco ships with that door.....As a matter of fact, no I didn't sleep last night....and I wasn't thinking about any stinking door! :-)
Edited 2/22/2006 10:05 am ET by Taylor
The general "rule of thumb" for interior rough openings is to add 2 1/2" to the width of the actual door and 2 1/2" to the actual height. The RO for a 2'6 x 6'8" door would be 2'8 1/2" x 6'; 10 1/2". For carpet allowance, typically 1 1/4" is about right under the door. There can be a difference in casing height if a piece of wood is not used to hide the top track on a bifold. It's a good idea to make all the top casings come to the same height on all doors. This way, wallpaper, borders and other decorating items come out the same. If you already have some standard doors hung, measure to the top of the casing and work your numbers back from that point. Never listen to the lumber yard, they sell doors but don't know anything about hanging them. Follow the manufacturers instructions. You can always cut the bottom of the doors a little but they don't stretch very well. From the bottom of the metal track on the header, you should have the actual height of the door plus 1/4" spacing on top and 1 1/4" spacing on the bottom.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match