Are Bifold Doors Good For The Bathroom? (Quick Answer!)

Bifold doors are famous for their space-saving, low maintenance, and aesthetic advantages. But even so, they are not the most popular for the bathroom, and you wonder why. So, are bifold doors good for the bathroom?

Bifold doors are only good for bathrooms if modified to promote privacy. Moreover, these doors should be of the correct material to withstand the bathroom’s wet conditions and be secure and of the right size and style.

So, there are always conditions, or shall I say considerations, when it comes to bifold door bathroom installation. Thus, not all bifold doors are best for the bathroom. Factors like privacy, size, style, safety and material type are influential here.

But before we can discuss the factors, let me help you understand what bifold doors are and how they work. I’ll also share their advantages and drawbacks and compare them with sliding closet doors.

In a rush? See my most recommended bifold doors for bathrooms on the hotlist below.

3 Best Bifold Doors for A Bathroom

Kimberly Bay Traditional Louver Bifold Door: Best Traditional Style

Closet 6-Panel Style Solid Wood Bifold Door: Best Rustic Style
LTL Home Products 837330 Mission Bifold Door: Best Modern-Style

What are Bifold Doors?

As the name suggests, bi-fold doors are doors that fold at the center when opening and unfold when closing. Sometimes, these doors are known as room dividers or concertina doors, and they are traditionally popular in rooms with limited spaces where traditional doors can’t fit.

How Do Bifold Doors Work?

Usually, we’ve interior and exterior bifold doors, depending on where you want to install them. But since we are talking about the bathroom, we will refer to the interior bi-fold doors.

The type notwithstanding, bi-fold doors run on roller tracking systems, which run smoothly on a set of 2-7 panels, systematically hinged and connected to the roller tracking system.

Are Bifold Doors Good for The Bathroom?

Now that you know what bifold doors are and how they work, let’s answer our all-important question – can you use a bifold door for a bathroom?

The answer, as I hinted earlier, is Yes. Yes, bifold doors are suitable for the bathroom, but it comes with conditions. These doors must submit to these conditions to be ideal for bathroom installation:

1. Modified to Guarantee Privacy

Expecting to find the most private bifold door can be a tall order. The best you can get is probably a solid color or frosted glass. But if that’s not the case, you have to look at modifications that can improve the door’s privacy.

It may mean installing any of these features:

Privacy shades
Shutters
Curtains

Integrated blinds
Decorative glazing

Remember, for a bifold door to be ideal for the bathroom, it has to guarantee privacy, and that’s where the above modifications come in.

2. Correct Size to Match Your Space

The bifold door should match your space. If you have a small bathroom, you should go for a bi-fold door that doesn’t consume much.

Recall that these doors come in a variety of sizes, such as 80×24, 84×24, 84×37, 96×30, and 96×36, among others, as it’s the case of the Closet 6-Panel Style Solid Wood Bifold Door.

3. Its Style Should Complement Your Bathroom’s

Style is another important consideration when choosing a bathroom door, and bi-fold styles are no exception. You need a bifold door that can complement your space, and that brings us to these three recommendations available on Amazon:

Kimberly Bay Traditional Louver Bifold Door – Best for a traditional bathroom
Closet 6-Panel Style Solid Wood Bifold Door – Best for a rustic style bathroom
LTL Home Products 837330 Mission Bifold Door – Best for a contemporary bathroom

4. Secure to Enhance Privacy

Not all bi-fold doors are secure, especially those whose job is only to divide rooms. For that reason, privacy is often an issue if you’ve kids or a mischievous dog at home.

You want a door that can keep you in and everyone/everything else out, which means going for secure locking.

5. Door Materials that Can Withstand the Bathroom’s Wet Conditions

Your bathroom door should resist wetness and humidity damage. To be the case, you should select the material type carefully.

One commonest material is aluminum. It’s strong but, more importantly, water-resistant and durable. It might not be the most elegant, but it serves the purpose.

If you want elegance, then the glass door will do. Glass is also easy to clean, but the only issue is that it’s not durable.

Solid wood is another option. Though it may eventually rot following constant moisture attacks, you can boost its durability with the correct wood protector like the STORM System Stormy Protector.

Why Are Bifold Doors Good for Bathroom?

Now that it’s possible to use bi-fold doors for bathrooms, why should you consider the idea?

Well, that’s because these doors come with these benefits:

Space-saving – Bi-fold doors don’t take up much space, making them ideal for smaller bathrooms.

Low maintenance – Bifold doors don’t require much upkeep. You probably only need to keep them clean and oil the hinges periodically, and that’s it.
Easy installation – You don’t have to be very handy to install a bi-fold door. All you need are the right tools and basic DIY skills. There are, however, a few doors that can be too technical for a novice.
Lots of light – Bi-fold doors are good at encouraging natural lighting. You need to open them fully to fill your space with natural light.

Aesthetic – Whether you go for modern or traditional style, bi-fold doors always look excellent and timely, giving your bathroom an aesthetic look.
Energy-Efficient – Bi-fold doors come with double/triple glazing designs to retain heat in your bathroom, making them energy efficient.
Security – Most bi-fold doors have safety locks and are solid enough to prevent forceful entry.

Property value – Bi-fold doors mark up the value of your bathroom and house if you ever decide to list the property for sale.

Drawbacks of Using a Bifold Door for Bathroom

Despite the shared advantages of bi-fold doors, these doors suffer a few demerits that may make them unsuitable for your bathroom. They include:

Can be costly – Though we’ve budget bi-fold doors that average under $150, most good quality options cost as much as $600, thus expensive.

Privacy issues – Most bifold doors require you to install something like blinds, curtains, shutters, decorative glazing, or shades to guarantee privacy. That may mean more work and expense.
Reduced lifespan – Though most bi-fold doors come in solid materials that can withstand the bathroom’s humid conditions, the conditions reduce their lifespan in the long term. For example, if the door were to last you 20 years in non-humid conditions, it’d probably go for 10.

Which Is Better Bifold or Sliding Closet Doors?

Choosing between bifold doors and sliding closet doors for bathroom use depends on these factors:

View – Sliding doors generally offer a more unhindered view than bi-fold doors. You don’t have to open them fully, as bi-fold doors are the case.

Privacy – Since sliding doors offer an extra unhindered view, they offer the least privacy. That makes bi-fold doors better for the bathroom.

Energy-efficiency – Bi-fold doors come with designs that enable them to retain heat, thus more energy-efficient than sliding doors.

Space Use – Bifold doors use less space, making them best for spacious bathrooms. In contrast, sliding doors maximize the area, thus best for big bathrooms.

Access – Bi-fold doors open from the center to offer you full-length access. While sliding doors can open up fully, they mainly don’t, offering you less access.

Cost – There is nothing to split the two doors in terms of cost as their price depends on the style, size, and material choice.

With the above in mind, here is a table difference between these two doors:

Feature	Bi-fold Door	Sliding Closet Door
View	Full view only when fully open	More unhindered view
Privacy	It offers more privacy with modifications	It offers the least privacy
Energy-efficiency	More energy efficient	Less energy efficient
Space use	Best for unlimited spaces	Best for space maximization
Door access	Better access	Limited access
Cost	It varies depending on door material, size, and style	It varies depending on door material, size, and style

How to Find the Best Bifold Door for Bathroom?

Since not all bi-fold doors are suitable for the bathroom, you should pay attention to these buying considerations:

Good material choice

Go for a moisture-resistant, strong, aesthetic, and durable material. Options like aluminum, solid wood, glass, and PVC are worthy considerations, even though you may make some compromises.

Correct door size

Bi-fold doors come in different sizes, and not all sizes suit bathroom spaces. So, you must consider a size that matches your bathroom space and door space.

Good warranty

Go for a bi-fold door with a good warranty. Usually, the longer the warranty coverage, the better. Consider options with a 10-year range or thereabout to have better value for money.

Ergonomic handle /knob

Consider bifold doors with an ergonomic handle to allow you to operate them comfortably. If that’s not the case, but the door ticks all other boxes, you should replace the handle/knob with an ergonomic option.

Complementary style

Don’t forget to complement your bathroom space with a matching door. In that case, the bi-fold door should match your bathroom space in flair and décor.