Reader Mark Sick sent in this method he used to mount a trackless bi-fold closet door on his laminate
floor. Eliminating the track is important on a floating floor system.
What does “floating flooring system” mean? It means that unlike glued or nailed down hardwood,
these click-together planks and underlayment are allowed to move to a very tiny degree. 1/4” gap
is maintained at all walls to allow for expansion and contraction.
Additionally, many manufacturers, such as Pergo, recommend installing an expansion strip in rooms
that are longer or wider than 30’
Tools and Material List
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Electric drill
2 drill bits, 1 for the screw into the subfloor, and 1 for the larger hole in the laminate
Tape measure
Bi-fold door and pivot bracket with screw
Metal sleeve from Home Depot (less than $1.00) which can be found in the specialty hardware
drawers. It is essentially a very short piece of pipe. For the laminate and pad that Mark
installed, he purchased a 5/8” sleeve.
Position the pivot bracket on the laminate floor and mark the location to drill the bottom hole
for the pivot bracket.
Drill through the laminate into the subfloor using a bit size and type appropriate for the
size of the screw for the pivot bracket and the subfloor (concrete or wood). I like to use a hammer
drill and Tapcon screws when attaching to concrete.
Use a 7/8” or 1” bit and drill through the laminate only while centering on the hole
drilled in step 3 above. Note that the bottom side of the pivot bracket will sit on top of the
hole so the larger hole will not be visible when the bracket is installed. This larger hole ensures
that the floating floor concept is not compromised.
Get a metal sleeve from Home Depot (less than $1.00) which can be found in the specialty hardware
drawers. For the laminate and pad that Mark installed, he purchased a 5/8” sleeve as
mentioned above.
Screw the pivot bracket into the subfloor. The screw for this goes through the screw hole in the
bottom of the bracket and through the metal sleeve and then into the subfloor. If installing on a
wood sub-floor, Mark says he would probably put a washer between the floor and the bottom of the
sleeve.
Screw the 2 screws for the side of the pivot bracket into the wall.
Mark Offers Some Concluding Observations
“When installed, it appears that the bottom of the pivot bracket is sitting on the laminate floor but
the bottom of the bracket is actually about 1/16” above the laminate.
All of the weight of the door is
actually sitting on the top of the metal sleeve rather than on the laminate. There is about a 1/4” gap
all around the sleeve so the floor can float under the door pivot bracket.
The easiest way to get the hole in the subfloor exactly centered in the 7/8” hole in
the laminate is to first use a drill bit sized for the screw that will attach the bracket
for the door and drill through the laminate into the subfloor. Then, use the 7/8” bit and
use the hole drilled for the bracket screw as a pilot to enlarge the hole in the laminate
to 7/8”.
Once again, many thanks to Mark for devising and sharing this excellent solution for installing a
trackless closet door and sharing it with the DIY community!
Screw the pivot bracket into the subfloor. The screw for this goes through the screw hole in the
bottom of the bracket and through the metal sleeve and then into the subfloor. If installing on a
wood sub-floor, Mark says he would probably put a washer between the floor and the bottom of the
sleeve.
