How to make a sliding door with your own hands. Instructions with photos

To make a sliding door with your own hands, you need drawings, a description of the work plan and step-by-step instructions, because this is a rather non-trivial task, especially for a beginner. At the same time, installing a sliding door is an opportunity to save space, which is especially important when the room area is limited.

In this way, you can still zone the room, without having to build durable floors. You can even make such a design with your own hands, using new materials or old fabric - you just have to purchase a special mechanism and components for it. Today we will dwell on this type of work in detail.

DIY sliding door

How do sliding systems work?

The compartment door is designed in such a way that its doors slide apart to the sides. This can be either one or two door leaves, moving parallel to the ceiling or sliding inward. And if the general operating principle of such doors is the same, then the installation and opening methods are different. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Table No. 1. Main types of sliding systems.

Table No. 2. Types of interior sliding doors by opening method

Design diagram with top movement mechanism

How to install sliding interior doors

In an effort to make your home more comfortable and cozy, you often come up with the idea of ​​replacing conventional swing doors with sliding doors (they are also called sliding, sliding, hanging). The good news is that you can install sliding doors yourself without any problems. The bad thing is that a normal mechanism costs about the same as a high-quality blade. What is captivating about them is that when open they hardly “eat up” space. They either hide in the wall (a better, but more difficult to implement option), or move along it.

You can hang interior sliding doors yourself

All this is true, but there is a significant drawback - a very low degree of sound insulation, especially in the sliding door version. When the canvas simply covers the opening. When installed in a pencil case (in the wall), the situation is a little better, but the degree of sound insulation of a swing door cannot be achieved even with this installation method. If all this doesn’t scare you, you can start studying the systems, selecting them, and then installing them.

What mounting options are there?

Depending on the type of structure, the following installation methods are distinguished:

1. With two guides. They are fixed on the ceiling to a wooden beam (which is previously installed there) and from below. Thus, the canvas is securely fixed, allowing it to move smoothly and without obstacles. The only disadvantage that can be highlighted is that for the lower profile in the floor you will have to make a recess in advance using the gating method. If it is not embedded into the floor, the structure will look unsightly and the profile itself will quickly become unusable. In addition, contaminants often accumulate in it.

   Doors with two tracks

2. With one guide. For canvases of this type, special fasteners are provided. They are installed in the opening and move along the profile, which is located on top. An additional rail is not installed at the bottom, because usually such doors have a small mass.

Some features of installing a pencil case door

Frame diagram for a sliding door.

The cabinet door is equipped with a mechanism with a roller suspension. Such a device does not require special attention and frequent maintenance and can last for a fairly long period. The ease and smooth movement of the door leaf is ensured by the fact that the rollers of this mechanism not only have a large diameter, but are also equipped with polymer tires and steel rolling bearings. Different models of this mechanism have different load capacity. Therefore, when choosing it, you need to know the weight of the door leaf in order to ensure high-quality and long-term operation of the suspension.

The roller mechanism has adjusting screws that allow you to change the vertical position of the door leaf up to 2 cm. Sometimes the cabinet door is installed before the floor is finished and the door may be too low due to its increased height. Then you can adjust the blade using the screws of the roller mechanism. If this does not help, then the door leaf needs to be filed a little at the top and bottom, but no more than 1.5 cm, thereby reducing its height. Otherwise, after laying the flooring, a significant gap may form between the door and the floor. If it cannot be adjusted with screws, then a block can be attached to the bottom of the door leaf and tinted to match the color of the door. The situation with a glass door is much more complicated. If its dimensions do not fit the opening and niche, then the pencil case will have to be completely redone.

If inexpensive thin profiles up to 0.5 mm thick are used in the manufacture of the frame, then they must be strengthened with bars. Otherwise, the movement of the door leaf may create vibration in the partition and also lead to sagging of the guide.

To prevent distortions and violation of the vertical position of the jambs during the installation process, temporary fixation of the doorway with a spacer tie is required. You can make it yourself from a steel profile or bar.

When installing the door, you should very accurately determine the width of the pencil case. If a niche is installed that is too narrow, the door will cling to the frame, and disproportionately wide gaps will worsen the insulating properties of the structure and spoil the appearance.

The door, when open, should not completely fit into the niche, otherwise it will be problematic to close it and the use of additional devices will be required. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the extreme position.

The pencil case is installed on a completely finished, perfectly flat floor. It is worth taking into account all the nuances during the installation of the structure before covering it. Because, after the work is completed, it will be possible to fix anything only by disassembling the frame wall again.

A pencil door is an excellent solution for rooms with a small area.

However, its installation requires some experience and a serious approach. By installing a pencil case door with your own hands, you can save a lot of money, make it stylish, in accordance with your preferences, and fit into any interior.

Source

Materials for making sliding doors

The reliability of the structure will also depend on the quality of the materials from which it is made, so special attention should be paid to this point.

The sliding system is a mechanism that consists of guides, rails and rollers. It can be made from various materials:

1. Steel. It is these durable mechanisms that are best suited for installing heavy interior doors. They securely fix the canvas and do not deform under load. The only drawback is the noticeable noise when the doors move.
2. Aluminum. Guides made of this metal should be chosen only if you plan to install a weightless canvas. One of the advantages of such a mechanism is the silent movement of the canvases.
3. Plastic. A mechanism made from this material is used only for simple hinged doors.

   It is recommended to use only durable, steel guides

Note! An equally important point is the choice of material for the canvas itself. In this case, the purpose of the structure will be of great importance.

Table No. 3. The most popular materials for making door leaves.

Glass doors are often used by designers to create respectable interiors.

If you have the desire and opportunity, you can combine the listed materials. Some craftsmen prefer to install glass or mirrors in wooden doors.

Important point! It is important to use only high-quality material in your work, otherwise the door leaf may become deformed. This especially often happens when natural wood is poorly processed and dried.

Doors for sliding wardrobes: recommended sizes

If we talk about strict restrictions on the size of doors for a wardrobe, then there are none. You can make any length and width. But there are recommended parameters determined based on operating experience:

• The minimum width is 50 cm. Nothing prevents you from making the canvas narrower, but when moving it will warp, as a result it may even jump out of the guides.
• The maximum width of the sash is 110 cm. In this case, considerable effort has to be made in order to move it.
• The optimal width is 60-90 cm.
• The profiles come from the factory with a height of 5.5 m, and in stores they are usually cut in half. So there is a real opportunity to make doors for a sliding wardrobe of the required height. At high heights, you just need to pay attention to the rigidity of the handle profile.
• The number of compartment door leaves is selected based on the optimal width. Choose them so that they do not block access to the cabinet contents.

  
  Almost no size restrictions

Making a sliding door

Even a novice master can handle a simple version of the sliding design. We will look at the main stages of manufacturing a sliding door.

Before starting installation, you must prepare all materials and tools

Materials and tools

During the work we will need the following devices:

• electric drill, screwdriver;
• chisel;
• electric jigsaw;
• Bulgarian;
• building level;
• roulette;
• Screwdriver Set;
• a simple pencil and a ruler.

In addition, you will need to prepare materials:

• chipboard sheets for door leaves;
• guide rails, rollers, fittings;
• bars with a cross section of 5×5 centimeters;
• anchor fastenings;
• decorative additions;
• self-tapping screws

Calculations and drawings

It is recommended to draw up a drawing of the door leaf with dimensions. To do this, we will need to first measure the doorway (it is necessary to take into account the distance to the ceiling in order to determine the method of installing the sliding doors). In addition, you should take into account the distance from the opening to the corners, because in all cases it is not enough for the sash to slide out freely.

If you decide to install a frame over a doorway, then first of all you need to take into account the thickness of the floors - if there are too crooked walls, the measurements may not match, so they will have to be double-checked several times. In addition, you should make sure that the floor is level and not sloped.

This is what the measurement diagram looks like

According to the standard, the canvas has the following dimensions:

• width – from 40 to 90 centimeters;
• height – 275 centimeters.

When making a door yourself, you should not make it too large, because the rollers may not withstand excessive load.

When choosing the classic version of sliding doors, you need to make a leaf that will be 20-50 millimeters higher than the opening. The width of these doors should be 20-30 millimeters larger on both sides.

The table shows the maximum dimensions of door leaves. The possibility of deviation from these values ​​is not excluded, but only to a lesser extent

In the case of installing a cassette mechanism, it is necessary to cut out the canvas exactly to the size of the opening, because first the mechanism itself will be installed, and only then the niche.

By combining materials, you can make the door leaf weightless. Here are some of the most popular lightweight design options.

If you think that it will be easier to make a door leaf from wooden blocks, then the following diagram of their connections will be useful in your work

In this case, you should use polished timber, which will not have to be further processed. In order to make the most accurate cuts, it is advisable to purchase specialized carpentry equipment.

The process of making a sliding door: step-by-step instructions

Step 1. First of all, we need to cut out a door leaf of the required size from a sheet of chipboard. This can be done at home, but it is better to turn to professional furniture makers. Next we need to process the edges. This is quite simple to do, using an iron or hair dryer with hot air, after which the edges can be cut off with a utility knife.

Treated and untreated chipboard edges

Important point! During work, you must use protective gloves for your hands and special glasses for your eyes.

Step 2. Now you need to take a wooden beam and measure the required length from it.

You should mark and saw off the beam using a jigsaw

Now, according to preliminary markings, we will need to fix the beam above the doorway (in our case it will be held on by four long screws)

Step 3. Now you need to measure the required length of the rails.

You can cut the metal guide using a grinder

Now you should make holes in the guide for the screws

It is necessary to place it on a chair, holding it with one hand, and drill through holes.

Step 4. Next you will need to screw the guide rail to the wooden block above the opening.

You need to hold it with one hand and screw in the screws one by one

Important point! If the guide is installed without a bar, then it is necessary to fix it a few centimeters further from the wall, otherwise the door will touch the trim when moving.

It is necessary to carefully check the correct position of the bar and the guide using a level, because the ability to freely open the door depends on this.

Step 5. Now you need to attach the metal fasteners from the kit to the door leaf.

We attach the hanging mounts for the rollers with self-tapping screws

Step 6. Now you should mark the location where the door handle is attached.

It is important not to make mistakes in the calculations and put marks on all sides

Now you need to make holes using a drill along the marking lines

This is necessary in order to place a jigsaw blade there and cut out a recess for attaching the handle.

You should also cut out the hole carefully, moving exactly along the marked lines.

Tips for choosing a jigsaw

It’s better not to rush here and, if necessary, make a few more holes with a drill on the other side.

The door handle mount should be installed in the resulting hole, after which you will need to insert the door handle itself

Step 7. The next step is to insert the rollers into the top guide.

You need to insert two rollers into the guide

Now you need to screw the door lock from below

The groove in the door leaf must be made using a grinder and a special circle.

Step 8. Next you need to hang the door leaf.

Using the screws located on the rollers, you should set the canvas to the optimal level, after which it can be secured with nuts

Next, you need to insert the clamps into the guide and wrap them up - this will be needed so that the door does not go beyond the rails

Step 9. The fastenings will need to be covered with decorative trim in the color of the door leaf.

First you need to measure the exact length of the extension, and then you will need to cut it to size with a jigsaw

The extension can be secured to small nails with decorative heads. It is important to carefully fix it on both sides. Now we need to mark and cut the side panels for our door. Then all that remains is to install them according to the same principle.

Upon completion of all work, it is necessary to check the functionality of the structure - the door should move smoothly along the guide without any obstacles.

Video - Sliding door from an ordinary one. DIY compartment door

This is the simplest option for making a sliding structure at home, which is suitable for beginners. If desired, you can also install a lower guide with rollers. In this case, it will be necessary to make a recess according to its dimensions in the floor. It is worth noting that this is a more modern option, because such a mechanism operates silently.

Important point! In this case, when hanging the door, the door leaf is first inserted into the lower guide, and then into the upper one.

Materials

1. Furniture panels made of pine: 1 piece 121.8 x 60 cm - bottom, 4 pieces 60 x 50 cm - shelves, 1 piece 104 x 50 cm - central post, 2 pieces 103.5 x 60 cm - doors.
2. Table top 122 x 60 x 2.8 cm.
3. 20 corners 30 x 30 mm.
4. 4 pairs of rollers, guides 2.5 meters.
5. 1.5 meters of kitchen corner in the color of the countertop.
6. Wood screws 50 pcs.
7. Plastic legs 6 pcs. adjustable 50-80 mm.
8. Sanding paper 120-180 grit.
9. Stain, varnish 300 ml.

Advantages and disadvantages of sliding doors

Before you start manufacturing sliding doors, you need to carefully study all the advantages and disadvantages of such structures. It is worth considering that sliding doors are also not suitable in all cases.

Interior sliding doors can be incredibly aesthetic

The following advantages of sliding doors should be highlighted:

• such doors take up minimal space compared to any swing models;
• you can open and close the canvas without much effort; even a child can handle such actions;
• even if there is a draft in the room, the door will definitely not slam or open from it;
• this is the best way to divide a room into several zones, because glass sheets are often used as decorative partitions;
• some door designs do not provide for a threshold, so this option is suitable if disabled or elderly people live in the apartment;
• the design is perfect for any room, including the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom;
• If you have additional funds, you can install an automatic door opening mechanism.

  Installing this design allows you to visually expand the wall

However, it is necessary to note the disadvantages due to which some people refuse to install interior sliding doors:

• if the canvas moves along the wall, then it is impossible to place furniture near it (it turns out that the design conceals useful space);
• poor sound insulation from extraneous sounds is often observed - this is due to the fact that there are gaps between the canvas and the frame;
• Because of such doors, heat in the room is worse retained;
• the cost of installing sliding doors will be significantly higher compared to the standard option;
• if you buy budget components, the door may fail within a few months;
• If you are going to install compartment doors with two leaves, then it will be more difficult to cope with this process, because these parts should be perfectly matched to each other, so you will have to involve a professional craftsman in the work.

Video - Installation of sliding doors in thin ceilings

Only if it is assembled correctly will you be able to evaluate the ease of use of sliding doors, so when installing it yourself, you must carefully take measurements. Even minor deviations will lead to the design not functioning properly. The work must be carried out slowly and carefully, then the result will definitely please all household members.

You can learn more about how to make sliding doors with your own hands by reading our article.

Create a drawing

The production of sliding doors for furniture begins with the selection of their sizes. At this stage, you can use ready-made sketches (provided that the dimensions of the room and the design of the cabinet completely match), the calculation results of online calculators, or make the drawings yourself. The initial data are the dimensions of the doorway, the number and method of arrangement of the leaves, the type of the selected system and the width of the guides. Detailing that takes into account the exact dimensions of the components used helps to avoid errors.

The height of the sash, as well as the length of the side profile, are calculated simply: 40–45 mm are subtracted from the height of the cabinet opening (the exact value depends on the type of profile). Several factors are taken into account when calculating width, including:

1. The need for a sufficiently tight connection of the sash - when the doors are closed, only one handle should be visible, without overlapping adjacent leaves.
2. Correct placement of doors - the doors should not overlap shelves and drawers. With the right approach, the width of the doors is selected taking into account the internal layout of the wardrobe.
3. Compliance with the optimal width ratio ranging from ¼ to ½ of the door height. Ignoring this requirement has a negative impact on the stability and reliability of fastening the door leaf.

The optimal sash width is calculated using the formula: (cabinet opening width + number of overlaps × handle profile width): number of doors.

At least 100 mm is allocated for the placement of the sliding system in the depth of the cabinet; the exact value of this parameter depends on the type of guides, the number of sashes and their layout. Special attention is paid to the method of installing the bottom guide; in mortise-type systems, the height of the door leaf is calculated differently; simply subtracting the height of the guides is no longer enough. The same applies to prefabricated structures; the height of their individual elements is calculated minus the dimensions of the connecting profile.

Parameters to measure

size table

Possible options for placing sliding doors

Nuances of installing the structure

Fixing the gate begins with carefully moving the previously installed gates into the fence opening. First, the far leaves are inserted and placed on the rear guides, and then, after checking their movement, the near leaves are installed. When installing rail systems, the work is performed according to a simple scheme:

1. The upper part of the sash with pre-installed rollers is located in the grooves of the upper profile.
2. The door leaf rises so that the rollers finally fit into the groove.
3. The wheels of the lower rollers are lightly pressed with your fingers.
4. The sash rises again and is fixed in the lower profile, the roller mechanism is released and finally fixed. Then repeat the operation with the second lower corner.

Installation of roller cabinet doors is completed with adjustment. This is done by using a hex wrench to turn the adjustment screw. By turning it clockwise, the roller comes out and raises the door leaf, and counterclockwise lowers it. Properly installed doors are aligned with the bottom rail. It is also important to ensure that there is no skewing or vertical movement of the side rails.

On the one hand, it is easier to install a hanging system: at least 2 double rollers are fixed in the upper part of a special profile (such doors are more reliable and can withstand more weight), after which the door easily moves in the desired direction. When the number of leaves is more than 2, it is necessary to install a cap - a plastic corner cap attached to the inside of the outer door to control the width of the door opening.

Regardless of the type and configuration of the sliding system, before installing the cabinet door, it is worth checking the geometry of the door opening. . Any deviation from level must be corrected before fixing the rails. This rule should not be neglected, since the denser the cabinet itself, the longer the structure will last.

How to calculate sizes?

There is no need to say that the result of the work depends on this stage, this is clear to everyone. Therefore, the master has two ways to solve the problem. The first ensures quality, the second is more thorny.

1. Help from experts. If the doors are for a closet that will take up all the space between the walls, then you can go simple. In this case, owners need to measure the opening, decide how many doors there will be in the closet, and then contact a company that manufactures the doors. It is best to trust an organization that will sell the kit without including the cost of assembling the structure.
2. Self-employment. Contacting one company seriously limits the range, since you will only have to choose materials and components from what that company has. Self-sizing, on the other hand, will allow you to source materials from different companies, ensuring that you not only buy what works best for your decor, but also buy it at the best prices.

The second method is more complex, time-consuming and expensive. However, those who are more interested in being able to “choose from many” will probably prefer this solution.

Tool

If you decide to make the doors completely yourself, you will need to prepare the following tools:

• tape measure, metal ruler and angle,
• drill with screwdriver,
• electric hacksaw,
• metal hacksaw,
• Screwdriver for self-tapping screws,
• straight and plumb
• scissors and cutter (construction knife).

Sources

• https://stroychik.ru/mebel/dveri-dlya-shkafa-kupe-svoimi-rukami
• https://mblx.ru/shifoner/razdvizhnye/434-dveri-dlya-shkafa-kupe-svoimi-rukami.html
• https://dom-i-remont.info/posts/mebel/dveri-dlya-shkafa-kupe-svoimi-rukami-sborka-i-montazh-udobnoj-sistemy/
• https://mebel-sovet.ru/shkafy/kupe/616-dveri-svoimi-rukami
• https://made-box.ru/samostoyatelno/dveri-dlya-shkafa-kupe-svoimi-rukami.html