Sliding doors for wardrobes

[Chris Skrimshire]

I would like to create two new wardrobes built into alcoves, using two sets of made-to-measure sliding doors. There is a local firm who make and fit, and their stuff is good - the sliding gear is German and seems very good quality.

However, the prices are a bit exhorbitant (~£1200 per door pair without any interiors) and I fear this has stimulated the challenge juices. I wonder whether sliding door mechanisms can be readily obtained at reasonable cost and whether I could get a local cabinet maker to make some doors. [These woud be a mainly wood design, with some glass and mirror panels.]

Has anyone been down this road themselves, or had the same thoughts and given up, or knows of suppliers/tips/pitfalls etc.

Many thanks in advance.

[Lobster]

Have you looked at off-the-shelf stuff, notably Stanley doors. Stocked by Focus, and there's (ISTR) an own-brand version at B&Q.

If the standard sizes aren't any good, you can (or at least could, a couple of years ago) get bespoke ones made up at the factory at a reasonable price - ISTR not massively more than off-the-shelf. Tel 0114

276 4099.

David

[A.Lee]

As it happens, I'm fitting a pair of sliding doors from B+Q tomorrow. The size of opening was 6'8" wide , and from floor to ceiling 90". The owner wanted bifold doors, but these are not ready made in such a height, so she went for the sliding option. The doors were £120 each, and look good from the outside - an etched glass effect, with 5 6" square mirrors in a line in the centre. Not what I'd choose, but she likes them. They do a number of different designs, and some of them do look good. They are not the sturdiest of items though - it seems they are an aluminium frame, with either an aluminium laminate, or mdf on the surface. Wickes and Screwfix also do a very similar range, from viewing the options, it looks like they are from the same maker. Wickes are slightly cheaper than B+Q, but only keep a limited range in store, so they have to be ordered. Screwfix were quite a lot more expensive than B+Q for a very similar looking door - £158 compared to £120. I've read the instructions, and so long as the opening is roughly the right size, they look a doddle to fit. The running rails are sold separately, £26 upwards, depending on width. HTH Alan.

[Chris J Dixon]

One small problem using a pair of doors is that here is always one bit of the wardrobe (behind the overlap) you cannot access directly.

Chris

[LSR]

My dad, who was (normally) a pretty competent woodworker, did this many years ago. He measured the alcove at 7'2" wide, divided in half to get 3'6" for each door's width, added 2" for some overlap and cut the panels to fit. It took him ages to work out why they didn't overlap as intended.

[Eddy]

Hi Chris,

If you are able to come and collect from South Shropshire you can have the following all for £50.

2 floor-to-ceiling mirrored-doors in white metal frames, both in perfect condition plus the two rails (top and bottom) on which they slide.

We have inherited a DIY wardrobe, basin, and shower at the end of a bedroom and have decided to clear the lot out to create one large empty space.

If interested, email me direct, in case I don't notice a reply from you here.

Eddy.

[terry]

Bifold doors?????? Seems an excessive price! Here in Canada built in 'closets' (i.e. equivalent of wardrobes) are normal. We have nine bifold doors opening to our six closets (4 bedroom plus louvered hall closets). Total closet hanging space is about 25 feet. A daughter has a step in closet about eight feet square off main bedroom where the approx six foot wide bifold doors are ideal; very easy to get larger items such as suitcases in and out with both doors open. Bifold doors are an excellent and economical solution. Because although they fold out into the room to some extent (12 to 15 inches) they open to fully expose the contents with the doors when folded out on each side, without having to reach past the overlapped doors. Unless you opt for 'pocket doors' which require a wall width ether side of the closet door opening at least as much as one door; for the doors to slide into? Haven't bought foldinging closet doors for some 35+ years since we built this house; but even now I would estimate that two (plain) such doors with their accompanying and included hardware would cost no more than $400 Canadian. The wall would have to be bulit and the opening framed and finished off with trim etc. Maybe another $ 300? Doing the work yourself probably in region of $600 to $800 or roughly

300 to 400 quid, in place? Just an idea. BTW. Helping a friend install new bifold doors in a hall closet in a used house they had bought recently at a real bargain. The door opening was not square and the floor below not level! Looks like we may have to retrim the door and try to adjust for the not level floor by leaving a larger gap below doors!

[terry]

Bifold doors?????? Seems an excessive price! Here in Canada built in 'closets' (i.e. equivalent of wardrobes) are normal. We have nine bifold doors opening to our six closets (4 bedroom plus louvered hall closets). Total closet hanging space is about 25 feet. A daughter has a step in closet about eight feet square off main bedroom where the approx six foot wide bifold doors are ideal; very easy to get larger items such as suitcases in and out with both doors open. Bifold doors are an excellent and economical solution. Because although they fold out into the room to some extent (12 to 15 inches) they open to fully expose the contents with the doors when folded out on each side, without having to reach past the overlapped doors. Unless you opt for 'pocket doors' which require a wall width ether side of the closet door opening at least as much as one door; for the doors to slide into? Haven't bought foldinging closet doors for some 35+ years since we built this house; but even now I would estimate that two (plain) such doors with their accompanying and included hardware would cost no more than $400 Canadian. The wall would have to be bulit and the opening framed and finished off with trim etc. Maybe another $ 300? Doing the work yourself probably in region of $600 to $800 or roughly

300 to 400 quid, in place? Just an idea. BTW. Helping a friend install new bifold doors in a hall closet in a used house they had bought recently at a real bargain. The door opening was not square and the floor below not level! Looks like we may have to retrim the door and try to adjust for the not level floor by leaving a larger gap below doors!

[Chris Skrimshire]

Yes, I was aware of the B&Q range but they struck me as being a bit flimsy. It would be interesting if they sell the rails, wheels and guides separately, but I dare say they would be under-specced for heavier doors, e.g. wood, but I may be wrong. It might be worth enquiring.

Thanks.

[geoff]

The pitfalls of quaint imperial units eh ?

(having lit the fuse, retires to a safe distance)

[geoff]

In message , Eddy writes

There is no such thing as a large empty space in S Shrops

Sheep spontaneously materialise to fill it

[Chris J Dixon]

OK I'll have to bite.

3'6" + 2" = 3'8" 3'8" x 2 = 7'4"

Seems OK to me.

Chris

[Eddy]

Every time I hear a bleat outside the back windows from now on, Geoff, I'll be wondering if they've infiltrated into the big new guest-room!

Eddy.

[Autolycus]

I've just fitted two rooms with Wickes sliding mirror doors - one has four 3ft doors and the other has four at 3ft and one at 2ft6in. The are indeed the same as Stanley doors, as sold by B&Q, Homebase, and the rest - but much cheaper. For speed, I used the height reducing brackets that Wickes sell, but I was underwhelmed by their quality and ease of use. Apart from that, the doors seem fine for moderately gentle use, though not, perhaps, for a children's room. The 3ft doors roll extremely easily and smoothly, but the 2ft6in door has plain plastic wheel bearings, not the ball bearings of the others, and this door feels horrible by comparison. I'll have a chat to Stanley (or whatever they're now called) tomorrow.

They need some careful measuring, but that's about it - unless you're doing something clever above them, or your end walls are as far out of vertical as mine were.

[geoff]

I think that the mental process was 72 / 2 = 36 add two for the overlap

[Mike Barnes]

I think the clue is in dividing 7'2" in half and getting 3'6" rather than 3'7". Clearly he expected a 2" overlap but he got only 1".

[Cicero]

=================================== Sliding door gear is widely available and weight isn't usually a problem unless you intend using very heavy doors. This will carry up to 35kg:

[Autolycus]

To complete the tale: Wickes (Stanley) doors now seem to be made (or at least marketed) by Home Decor, of Sheffield. They were extremely helpful, and sent me a couple of ball bearing wheel assemblies. These took seconds to fit, and have transformed the feel of the door.

One more suggestion: the instructions tell you to fasten the bottom track directly to the floor, but by mounting it on a length of 4x1 PAR, fitting carpet up to it was greatly simplified. Given enough time and patience, you could even plane or pack the timber to give a level top surface - it's surprising how much an apparently level floor can dip in the middle.

[Lobster]

Absolutely - I really don't understand why the instructions IIRC specifically advise *against* doing this; I've used a 4x1 plank every time. The only thing I can think of is that it makes it 'easier' to fit the bottom track directly over the carpet, ie, you don't need to interfere with the carpeting at all. I've only ever fitted them when I was going to be recarpeting anyway; plus it would be very awkward recarpeting *after* having installed the track over an old carpet.