Nowadays, one of the most popular decoration solutions is the installation of sliding doors. They are installed where you need to save on space. Thanks to this article, you can learn about how do-it-yourself sliding interior doors are mounted.
Interesting solution
People are most attracted by the functionality of such a solution, as well as the fact that this will give the interior a more elegant look. Due to its mobility, the installation of such doors is very popular. Nevertheless, such work does not require the master any specific knowledge, skills in the use of building materials or great physical strength. Do-it-yourself installation of sliding interior doors can easily be done independently.
Door characteristics
Before you decide to install such doors at home, you must first consider all the advantages and disadvantages of the solution. First, you need to note that it is necessary to make sliding interior doors with your own hands for small rooms in which installing paneled doors is a difficult and impractical task.
Moreover, this option is considered excellent for all lovers of non-standard interiors.
Solution Benefits
If you want to put the interior sliding doors with your own hands, you will receive the following advantages:
- Significantly saved space in the room.
- Sashes of this design open very easily, without any great effort.
- Such models can be easily and simply automated.
- They do not close or clap due to a draft.
- Most often, such a solution does not need to install thresholds.
Do-it-yourself photos of sliding interior doors will also add a few points to the piggy bank of such a decision.
Nevertheless, it is important to understand the disadvantages of such a design in order to objectively approach the choice of such a solution for the home:
- With installed sliding doors, you must be prepared for the fact that in some areas near them there will be no opportunity to place furniture (otherwise it will interfere with operation).
- The cost of resources for the manufacture of sliding doors is the same as for ordinary doors. Nevertheless, ready-made models of sliding doors, most often, are significantly more expensive than paneled structures. It is worth noting that the accessories for mounting and fixing such doors are much more expensive than those used to install classic solutions.
- The sliding structure is used exclusively in the interior of the apartment. Installation of such a system as entrance doors is, of course, impossible.
- The presented doors have weak heat and sound insulation parameters. However, there are also models that differ in improved characteristics. For example, these are doors, at the end of which a layer of a special sealant is placed. The doors themselves, when they are closed, call into the niche.
Types of door structures
There are many options for how to make sliding interior doors with your own hands. Nevertheless, most often they differ only in their appearance. Their design remains mainly the same. It consists of a door leaf, roller mechanisms, and also guides.
The action scheme is the same for all types of sliding structures. The rollers move along the guides, and the mechanism itself is mounted to the doors. The number of clips may vary. It all depends on the model of the selected door. There may be two, four, sometimes even more.
In addition to all these components, the structure of such a system also includes panels for decoration, which are used for tightly closing doors, various accessories for doors, platbands, as well as extras.
The main types of doors
Among the huge variety of do-it-yourself sliding interior doors, you can create such designs:
- Radius
- compartment doors;
- in the form of an accordion;
- multi-winged;
- cascading.
Possible fittings
You can’t make a sliding mechanism for interior doors with your own hands, however you can always pick up all the necessary components for this. It is worth noting that you need to look for special accessories that belong to a given type.
Locks and handles for the presented doors differ significantly from the classical fittings. A special feature of such handles is that they are recessed inside the canvas. Such a design, of course, is not accidental. Recessed into the door leaf of the beam allows the door system to work unhindered.
The same applies to the locks themselves - these are not classic options. For this type of door locks are used, working on the principle of vertical latching. Most often, it comes immediately complete with the entire structure. Nevertheless, if you decide to make the interior sliding doors with your own hands, then it is best for you to get advice from a qualified specialist in order to purchase the right product.
Door mechanism
How to install do-it - yourself sliding interior doors ? You will need to put in special mechanisms that will help to quickly and easily open and close doors. Depending on the type of door, the material on the basis of which the canvas was created, as well as the number of leaves, the type of the roller mechanism, as well as the guides selected for it, depend.
Various types of doors can differ in their weight, and therefore can create a different level of load on the entire structure. For example, if we compare double doors, one of which was made of glass, and the second of MDF, then we can immediately understand that the second model will be significantly lighter than the first. From this it follows that to install a sliding interior door into the wall with your own hands, you will need to choose a simpler and easier version of the mechanism.
The installation of certain types of interior doors sometimes requires increased attention regarding the choice of guides and roller mechanisms. To a greater extent, this applies to such types of doors as coupes, accordions or cascading models. The cascade version requires the installation of two roller systems for each web separately, and additionally, it is required to supply guides with two gutters.
During the installation of cascading or sliding doors, attention is required to this moment: under each door leaf inside the guides, one gutter is installed directly for each leaf.
Studying how to install a sliding interior single-door door with your own hands, you must remember that the stability of the structure mainly depends on the stability of the guides and roller mechanisms. To add reliability, for example, for glass doors, sometimes several rails are installed at once, from above and below.
What should be envisaged?
If you make the doors yourself, you will need to separately look for a sliding mechanism. In this case, consider the total weight of the door leaf. Based on this, you can calculate the minimum number of rollers - the key components of this design. They bear the brunt of the door leaf and enable it to move unhindered.
For the canvas, the weight of which is 30-35 kilograms, it will be enough to put 2 rollers, which will perfectly cope with their purpose. For larger designs, the number of rollers is recommended to be increased.
If you are interested in how to make sliding interior doors with your own hands inside a drywall partition, then at the time of arranging the opening inside the partition you need to lay a strong wooden beam over it. It is on it that guides will be placed in the future.
An important point! Installation should only be carried out after all rough work has been completed and the floor has been laid. If you will equip false walls, then metal guides must be installed to them until the moment of facing with drywall.
Preparing for installation work
Before you install sliding interior doors with your own hands, you need to accurately understand their sizes. Using a tape measure, you need to make measurements of the opening, its width and length, and also add 5 centimeters to the resulting numbers as a margin.
Note. During installation of the doors not inside the opening, but as a sliding partition between rooms, the height of the canvas will need to be calculated based on the height of the ceilings, minus the thickness of the load-bearing beam and the sliding system.
Of course, if you yourself are engaged in the manufacture of a sliding one-door interior door with your own hands, then you first make a measurement of the future opening, after which you can make the canvas the size you need. It will also help you determine the required number of clips for the system.
To work, you need the following components:
- rail guide, the size of which will be the same as the double width of the entire opening (you can take with a small margin);
- carriage rollers;
- plugs or rubber shock absorbers that are placed inside the ends of the guide;
- anchor bolt for mounting to the wall of the load-bearing beam;
- a pack of screws;
- necessary accessories, like handles and a lock.
All presented items can be bought in one set or dialed separately. They are presented in a wide range in various construction stores and hypermarkets.
There you need to purchase everything you need for decorative finishes, such as platbands, racks for boxes, finish nails, extras and much more. Moreover, you will also need to find a strong beam with a square section, 50 to 50 millimeters in size. Its length will be equal to the length of the guide rail.
What tools are needed?
- Roulette.
- Drill or screwdriver.
- Milling machine or chisel.
- Plumb and construction level.
Now you only need to check that the slope of the opening was vertically installed, and proceed to the step-by-step installation of sliding interior doors with your own hands.
Markup
If you want the installation of doors to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to approach all construction processes with great responsibility.
The markup is carried out by two different methods:
- The height of the doors is measured using a tape measure. To it is also added the parameter of the gap between the floor and the door leaf (not more than 15 millimeters), as well as the height of the guides along with the installed roller mechanism. The obtained value must be measured on the wall above the opening at several points. Then draw a straight horizontal line through them.
- Attach the door leaf to the future opening, placing a lining of the required thickness under the bottom. Next, draw a line on the wall along the entire top edge of the door. Set aside the height of the sliding mechanisms, as well as the guides, from the received line.
Note! To ensure that the doors do not move independently in different directions after installation, you must also make sure that the marking line will be located exclusively horizontally. The construction level will help you with this.
Rail mounting
Depending on the characteristics of the entire structure, the guides are installed in various ways:
- with dowels directly to the wall;
- on the lower edge of the wooden beam that is installed in the wall;
- using special brackets;
- directly to the ceiling.
Regardless of which type of installation you decide to choose, the upper plane of the guides is located directly throughout the marking line. The gutter must be placed so that it moves away from the wall. Thus, the canvas during its movement will not touch its protrusions, any irregularities or finishing components for the opening.
Note! The size of the guide is taken two times longer than the size of the entire opening. Additionally, it is recommended to add a few centimeters for stock.
Installation of sliding systems
As soon as you finish fixing the guides, you need to assemble the roller carriages, place the bolts for fastening in them. With their help, they will combine with the door leaf. After that you can bring the assembled mechanism into the guide.
Place the staples on the upper end of the canvas, stepping a couple of millimeters from both sides. The number of brackets should be equal to the sum of all used roller mechanisms. For an ordinary wooden door or MDF panel, it will be enough to take about two pieces.
Door mounting
Place the door under the guides, slightly lift it to screw the bolts of the carriages for fastening into the brackets. It's best to find a partner, because it will be more difficult to do such a job alone. Make sure that the doors are installed in a horizontal position. To do this, you can tighten the bolts, observing the level.
To fix the sliding doors in an upright position, a leash must be screwed onto the floor to one of the walls of the opening. This is the lower guide, which is made in the form of a knife or roller. It must be placed in the groove of the lower end on the door leaf. Due to this, it will not deviate to the sides during movement. If you work with glass doors, then their lower guides may have a slightly different shape.
Finishing process
The final step in the process of installing sliding doors is the installation of door hardware, the fastening of decorative strips that will mask the sliding mechanisms. There is also a design of slopes.