Doors and Windows - Folding doors to fit 81inch width closet

Our family room has a large closet without doors--they were removed for "convenience" by the previous owner. There were folding doors there at one time--the metal track is there at the top and floor sockets for doors are there at bottom. But the opening is 81 inches wide (long?) and the largest folding door sets we can find only fit up to 72 inches. Is there something out there that would solve the problem or do we have to do major drywall work to make the door opening smaller?

Hello, Sounds like you need 2 pair of doors all 20" wide 2 fold to the left 2 fold to the right They meet in the middle. Good Luck Woodbutcher

The problem is that we have not been able to find any doors that in combination will fit the 81" opening. Home Depot scratches their heads and so does Menards. Where can we find 20" door sets?

Go to a door shop or a cabinet shop. 20" wide door panels aren't going to be that difficult to come by, once you get out of Home Depot and/or Meynards.

I have contacted a local door shop which says that they can order custom-made bi-fold door panels 20" wide for us and will give us a price in a couple of days. Is it possible that my husband and I could cut some decent door panels ourselves that would work into bi-fold sets? Plywood seems tacky, but is there something else that might be suitable?

Sure you could make your own doors, IF you have the tools (table saw for sure, possibly a router, maybe enough clamps) and the ability and desire to do so. I made a couple of sets for closets in our house. But they are not the best project for a beginning woodworker to tackle. It becomes a question of would your husband feel comfortable trying?

I think you could do some of the work yourself and save some money. First, call independant lumber yards. I live in MA where many yards use a supplier called Brosco. I looked in the book and found many models of door slabs available at standard 1'8". You could then pick up the bifold hardware and install it to the doors on your own. You would need a speed square, 7/16" drill bit, drill and tape measure.........Bifold doors use specific hinges where one leaf sits inside the other, eliminating mortise work.........