Carpeting Over Closet Floor Rails ?

[Magnusfarce]

We're a few days away from having our new carpet installed, and I have a question about closet floors. This is a 25 year old house on concrete and the original closet doors were these sort of thin cheesy panels in light metal frames that hung and rolled from overhead rails. On the floor there is a metal track that serves as guide for the bottom of the closet doors.

Here's my question: In one room that I use as an office, the closet doors are long gone, and I don't intend to replace them. If I remove the track from the floor, should I have the installers just continue the carpet into the closet in one piece, or should I have them put a pair of tack strips down where a future door track would go, and then just carpet across them (with a strip of padding in between). I see this latter approach as making is easier to do a future closet door installation of without having to mess with the carpet too much. On the other hand, I don't even know what kind of set up is used for modern closet doors, that is, if floor tracks are even still used. Any suggestions on this?

BTW, the installers are a local sub for Home Depot, and are considered to be competent. What advice does anyone have for installation day to make sure things are done right?

- Magnusfarce

[mwlogs]

I'd say remove the track and carpet straight into the closet without the tack strip across the door opening. Even if these aren't walk-in closets, you're bound to at least step in the doorway when you're reaching in, and tack strip would eventually show a line where you tread on it, minimum, and step on it in a bare foot and you'd feel the tacks for sure.

If you ever decide to put a door on the closet, chose one that doesn't have any kind of track on the floor. Even if you decide on a bi-fold or sliding door, the most they should require is a small anchor that can easily be screwed right thru the carpet.