both bipass and bifold work on a upper track. there are no lower tracks so there is no stub toes.

This is what it says on the Johnson website: "NOTE: If desired, a bottom track/guide may be used instead of standard surface mounted guides. This guide may be surface mounted, recessed in the floor or the door."

...from which I take it that something is needed on the bottom. Is this really true?

TIA!

the GUIDE can go on the floor. the TRACK goes up top.

while it can go on the floor, must it please?

no you can get the guides that can be on the door. bifold dont have bottom guides, they attach to the doors aswell. for the bypass they keep the doors hitting each other. for the bifold they keep the doors aligned when there closed.

I don't usually come here, but am trying to plan a closet myself and found your post. Another option is hinged doors. Some have doors that aren't too wide, so they don't need much swing room. Maybe a set of 4 narrow ones, floor to ceiling. Also, check out the Ikea sliding tracks for fabric.

Here is a link that might be useful: ikea panels

I have double doors on my closets. Two doors, 18" wide for a 36" wide opening. An advantage to the double doors is that you can make use of the inside of the door for additional storage, something that you can't do with a sliding or bifold door.

We have bifold doors with only the upper track (nothing on the floor) and we get along fine with them. They're 15 years old and work as good as new. They happen to be a wood-stain hollow core door. Not sure if a solid or heavier door would cause more problems. I have had sliding doors with a track before and would not go that route again. My college-age son has used the curtains - to me it looks like someone ran out of money.

I like hinged doors, too, but bifold doors are handy for spots where you don't have the depth for a full door swing.

Another option is pocket doors if you have the adjacent wall space. Also, barn-style sliding doors that mount on the outside at the top and slide to cover the wall nearby.

Aliris- This is a very fancy dressing room, but I do like the mirrored closet doors...and plan to use something similar in our bedroom. I saw some a little less fancy in The English Home magazine. I'll see if I can find a picture :)
{{!gwi}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

aliris you and I have in common some of our concerns and similar views on them too.

reluctantly I have come to a few conclusions.
here are some solutions that work in spite of the negatives.
in no particular order.

a/ a curtain on big rings that make a noise when you whack the curtain out of the way.
incredibly good even though it makes a noise.
a/ 2/ a pair of curtains each one on a pivoting rod.
you swing them out when you want, for sight lines, and can leave them pinned back most of the time, framing the opening.

b/ bypass doors on the most silent of all on rollers.
an even number of doors, not odd.
with or without a base guide.

c/ an expensive mirrored door on hinges

d/ nothing, and ideally a layout that puts a panel in the way of the most disturbing sight line / sigh line.

e/ pocket door(s)

a lot depends on whether or not the closet gets closed ...

Hth

A neighbour of mine, after gutting his late 19th Century home to the framing and brick walls, faced the same dilemma. He resolved it by rebuilding all three storeys with absolutely no closets. It gave him a lot more room, he told me. That is, until you hauled the armoires into all the bedrooms.

My personal preference is anything but curtains- they just tend to lend an unfinished look, no matter how beautiful they may be. I'm leaning toward mirrored sliding glass doors for mine even though many designers are moving away from them now, claiming they are "out."

i have a posting up with door questions as well. I am combining 3 cloests into one 11'3" closet. I think i am going to go with 2 sets of double french doors (2-48" openings). curtains just seem unfinished to me as well. I have bifold mirorred doors now but 8 feet of mirors will feel a little to "porn studio" for me. I hope that 8 ' of door isnt too much. I was thinking about frosting the glass (with frosting spray_ or hanging curtains on the inside so you arent just looking at clothes.

any suggestions?

by the way the CDM bifold (custom order) from home depot are fantastic doors. No problems with the mechanisms (6 years later) and they never come off the track.

I'd never even heard of bifold mirrored doors. What a fantastic option, as you can use them sort of like dressing room doors and see yourself from different angles. If you were to frost the glass would it be on outer doors only, or would you alternate between mirror and frosted? And have you considered putting an image behind the glass before frosting? I'm including a link as I'm too lazy to look up how to post pics, but I think this is an interesting option.

Here is a link that might be useful: glass doors with image