5 Ways to Lock a Bifold Door
Bifold doors are extremely popular for use in tight spaces where a swing door won’t be feasible. It will be very easy to access a closet or pantry area if you install bifold doors. But almost all bifold doors come without any built-in locking mechanism, which is a great inconvenience.
So, how do you lock a bifold doors? We will guide you on different aspects of locking a bifold door in this article. Be it for protecting the house from intruders or preventing your children from messing with things; you will greatly benefit from these methods. Let’s get started.
What Type of Lock Is Suitable for Bifold Doors?
The use of the lock will mostly depend on where you are using the door. For example, the lock for bifold bathroom door might be different from how to keep bifold closet doors closed. Let us introduce you to the lock types so that you can choose the right one.
Childproof Lock
Bi fold door child lock will be useful for keeping kids from messing around the house, especially in the closet or pantry. If you have small kids, you may use these locks to keep bifold doors in these places closed.
These locks are easy to install and use. So, you won’t need to take any extra hassle.
Keyed Lock
Keyed lock for bifold closet doors is very common. If you want to keep the closet out of reach of your children, you might want to use a keyed lock. This is also a great idea to use such locks if you use a bifold door as the main door of your house.
A folding door lock with key provides greater security than other lock types.
Twinpoint Lock
A twinpoint lock bifold door will also be secure as the lock controls the door from the top and the bottom. The lock is positioned at the center of the door. You might have many variations of this lock, so choose according to your preference.
Pad Lock
Using padlocks on bifold doors is also a good idea, but not for bathroom or pantry doors. These places should be easily accessible, and a padlock will slower the process. You may use a padlock on the main door or back door of your house.
Deadbolt
The same thing we mentioned for the previous lock goes here. Setting up a deadbolt on bifold doors is difficult, but it will provide great security.
Locking Bifold Doors with Childproof Lock
If you still don’t know how to put lock on bifold doors, we are here to let you know different methods of locking bifold doors. Our first priority is to keep children from turning the whole house into a playground. So, let’s check out how to use bi-fold door child lock.
We will show you two methods of using a childproof lock on bifold doors.
Zip-Tie Lock
This is the easiest type of lock for bifold doors. There should be handles or knobs, or rings on bifold doors to pull the door open or close. You can use these zip-tie locks through the handles or rings.
To do this, you need to wrap the lock loop around the door handle or knob. Pressing the loops together will lock the door, and small children won’t be able to unlock it.
When you need to open the door, you can push the release button on the lock. This lock can be very handy for locking pantry or closet doors.
Top-Mounted Lock
These are very popular to keep children from invading your closet or pantry. In some cases, children may learn to unlock the previously mentioned zip-tie locks. So, it is a lot safer to use top-mounted locks that are out of reach for children.
For example, you can use Slide-Lok Bi-Fold Door Lock to keep things safe. Other than keeping children from messing around, these locks will also prevent their fingers from injuries. Here is how can you lock a bifold door.
- You need to open the bifold door where you want to use the lock.
- Then, place the lock on top of the door panel. The lock uses the door top as a rail and can slide there.
- After you close the door, you can slide the lock and place it on the folding section.
- As a result, the door won’t open unless the lock is moved from there. As the lock will be out of reach for children, they won’t be able to remove the lock.
- When you need to open the door, you can simply slide the lock away.
Remember, it needs some clearance on the top side of bifold doors to use these locks. So, if your closet or pantry door is too tight, you need to adjust the position to have the necessary space for using top-mounted locks.
Locking with Keyed Lock
Several types of keyed locks are available out there to use on bifold doors. If you have a bifold door as the main door of your house, it is the best way to lock a bifold door with keyed locks. You can either use keyed deadbolts or padlocks with hasp bolts to ensure security. Let’s know more about this.
The Hasp Bolt and Padlock Method
In this method, you need a hasp bolt or surface bolt made of sturdy material and a pad lock. Follow the process to secure bifold doors.
- Install the hasp bolt on the leaves of the bifold door. Remember, the bolt section should be installed on one side of the door and the ring section on the other side.
- After installing the bolt, slide it into the ring section. The door won’t open now with just a push.
- You can insert a padlock into the bolt to increase security. Even though the door might flex a bit, it is now impossible for anyone to open the door without the key.
- If you are doing this, don’t put your key in common places where anyone will easily find the key.
The Deadbolt Method
Though deadbolts are more commonly used on swing doors, you can use bi fold door lock lowes to secure these doors. Here is how.
- Installing process of a deadbolt will be the same as you would install it on a swing door.
- You need to install the locking mechanism on one side of the door. The hole will be on the other side so that you can lock the deadbolt after closing the door.
- The process will require precision work so that the deadbolt and the hole is aligned properly when you close the door.
- Now, you can easily use a keyed lock for bifold closet doors.
Locking with Hook and Eye Latch
If you still ask, is there a way to lock bifold doors without spending too much? We have a very effective and economical way here. You can easily use the hook and eye latch method to lock bifold doors where security is not the primary concern.
For example, you might need a lock for bifold bathroom door, which doesn’t need to be locked with keys. Or, you might want to lock the closet or pantry door so that your children can’t sneak through. In such cases, having a hook and eye lock will work like magic.
You just need to install a metal hook and an eye latch on the door. Here is the step-by-step process if you don’t know how to do that.
- Buy metal hook and eye latches from your local hardware shop. Though you can make them yourself with proper tools, it will be easier to buy them from the store.
- The end of the hook and the eye latch will be threaded. So, you can easily insert them into the door leaves. If it is difficult to insert them, you might need to drill holes in the door.
- Install the hook on one side of the door and the eye latch on the other. Measure the distance between the hook and the eye latch accurately so that the hook can be inserted into the eye latch.
- Now, you can close the door leaves, pull the hook and insert it into the latch to keep the door closed. Pulling the hook out of the latch will open the door.
This method is effective when you want quick access to somewhere but prevents kids from messing at the same time. In such cases, you should install the lock on the upper half of the doors so that kids can’t reach them.
DIY Lock for Bi-Folding Door
If you are changing lock on bifold door, you can try some really cool DIY locks for the door. These DIY locks will be very cheap and still serve your purpose well if you want to prevent kids from opening the doors.
But these locks aren’t suitable for use on the main door of your house. You should keep that in mind in the case of bi fold door lock replacement. Here will be some cool DIY lock ideas for bi-folding doors.
- If you don’t want to spend money on a childproof lock, you can simply use metal file clips on top of the door. Remember, the clips should be large enough depending on the thickness of the door leaves. You can put the clips on the door upside down and slide them along the door to keep it from opening.
- With handles or rings on door leaves, you can use regular or elastic cords to tie them together. Using a normal cord might be a hassle, so you can attach plastic locking tabs on the ends of the cord. It will allow you to simply push the ends to lock and press the release button to unlock the door.
FAQ
If you are still confused about some bifold door locking topics, we will try to answer them here.
How to fix lock on bifold doors?
It depends on the lock type. If you use a spectrum folding door lock, you might need to call a technician to fix the lock. In the case of keyed locks, you might try applying lubricants if there is any rust in the lock.
How to adjust lock on bifold doors?
If you use childproof locks on bifold doors, you can adjust them by sliding forward or backward on the door rail. There should be some clearance to move the lock along with the door.
Can you lock bifold doors from the outside?
Of course, you can lock bifold doors from the outside. But in that case, you must use a keyed lock on the door so that no one can invade your house. And make sure the lock can only be opened with the key from the outside. So, the lever or the thumb turn will stay inside.
Can bifold doors fold in or out?
It will depend on the door configuration. Some bifold doors can fold in both directions.
Can you turn bifold doors into swinging doors?
You can easily lock the middle joint of each side of a bifold door to turn it into a swinging door.
Conclusion
It can be daunting to keep a fragile thing out of the reach of your children. Even if you install a bifold door to control their movement, these doors without locks can easily be opened.
So, the only effective way is to lock a bifold doors with the right type of lock. We showed how to lock bifold doors with various locks in this article. This guide should help you install your preferred lock on bifold doors.
It will also help you understand which lock will be the most effective in what cases. Try these locks today to keep things secure, and follow the guide to make the installation process easier.
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