Stages of installing a sliding door in the wall. How to install sliding interior doors How to install a sliding door
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Recently, the trend of installing sliding doors at home has become increasingly popular. They prefer them to ordinary doors for a reason. In fact, sliding structures have a number of advantages, some of them: they open comfortably without creaking and other noise, they are not traumatic, simple and inexpensive.
Sometimes the main advantages include the fact that they allow you to save precious space in the room - well, one cannot but agree with this. Next, we will talk about how to install sliding doors with your own hands, the material will be built as a step-by-step installation instruction.
One important point must be noted. If you have irrevocably decided to install sliding doors with your own hands (videos and photos of an auxiliary nature can be found right on this page), then remember that it is best to entrust such work to professional staff, since only a masterful approach can ensure the highest level of installation, and therefore guarantee a long and trouble-free operation of door components. Talking about how to make a sliding door with your own hands is very complicated, therefore it is highly recommended to buy a ready-made kit.
Step-by-step installation instructions for sliding doors
It is necessary to imagine the moment that the door block is delivered to the apartment, where it will be installed later, in a disassembled state. He's going to the place. The door leaf, frame and casing are packed to avoid damage during transportation.
Consider the installation method when the door leaf has freedom of movement along the doorway. Here it is necessary to note the main possible options for finishing the doorway: these are tiles, a decorative false box and, at the simplest, ordinary wallpaper. We will not dwell on finishing with tiles or wallpaper, but we will pay special attention to how the sliding door is installed with our own hands using a false box.
The false box is installed in a previously prepared doorway and fixed with special wedges. In order to competently control the current installation, it is necessary to use a level and a plumb line.
An important point: rollers, which are the main components of the sliding system, are attached to the upper end of the door leaf. For this, a screwdriver is used. Holes are marked with a pencil.
There are special mounts for the rollers, which, like the first ones, come with the entire structure. Most often, a mortise handle is installed - so it will be more convenient to open the door.
The most important moment can be called the one when the rollers with the canvas are mounted in the guide. The canvas is adjusted according to the level using all the same pegs.
We must not forget that a special groove for the flag roller must be cut in the lower end of the door leaf, which, in turn, is designed to protect the door from transverse vibrations.
This roller is attached, of course, directly to the floor. To fill the resulting gaps, mounting foam is used, which serves as a good fixative.
We can conclude that assembling sliding doors with your own hands is a difficult undertaking that requires certain skills and the availability of the necessary tools. It is recommended to entrust the assembly to professional workers.
We will try to consider in detail all the nuances of installing sliding interior doors, starting from the simplest options and ending with more complex ones.
In general, the installation process itself is a little more complicated than. But for any apartment or house, sliding interior doors are a great way to save not only the free space of the room, but also create some charm.
Sliding doors blend perfectly into any interior. With their help, it is possible to beautifully and effectively divide virtually any space in a huge room.
Helpful information:
There are doors of all shapes and designs on the market. Having decided on their appearance, it is necessary to purchase all the necessary components: door leaf, fittings and decorative trim elements.
Video: How to choose sliding doors
Preparing for installation
Before you start the process of installing beautiful sliding doors, you need to tidy up. Be sure to decide on which side of the opening you will install the sliding door fastening mechanism itself.
According to aesthetics, it is better to install the mount from the side of the room. This applies to sliding doors, which in the future will not be hidden in the wall or behind a false wall.
At the same time, it is not recommended to occupy free space with things or furniture in the place where the canvas will be moved. If this option does not suit you in terms of design, then you can place the entire mechanism from the side of the corridor, in which you rarely see furniture.
Six steps for sliding door installation
In order to effectively fix the upper rail, it is necessary to use special brackets. If you have a solid wooden array with glass inserts as a sliding canvas, then the upper guide should be strengthened more carefully.
If your walls are made of drywall, then you also need to think in advance and install an additional profile at the place where the top rail is attached. In the event that the wall is made of brickwork, or monolithic, then the upper guide should be mounted on dowels.
2. Installation of fittings on the canvas
We fasten special brackets on the canvas itself, with the help of which the door will be held on roller carriages. They are installed in the upper end of the door according to the instructions, while stepping back one centimeter from the edge of the end. If the leaf of the sliding door is completely made of glass, then the kit should include metal plates with rubber inserts between which we clamp the upper edge of the glass. It is absolutely not necessary to drill special holes in the glass sheet.
If you install an accordion door as a sliding door, then brackets holders with swivel rollers are installed on each section. Further, all the necessary fittings can be installed in the door leaf: locks, handles, decorative elements. If the door is completely hidden in the wall, then all fittings should be internal, and should not protrude beyond the door leaf.
Seals are usually installed after you have already installed the doors in the tracks and completed their adjustment. Keep in mind that the door hardware for regular interior doors will be slightly different. Door hardware must be of high quality.
3. The installation process of the moving belt
After all the necessary fittings and guides are installed, you can proceed with the installation of the door leaf itself. This work is best done with two people, as the assistant will need to hold the sliding door leaf while you install the carriage with rollers in the upper and lower groove of the guides.
It often happens that sliding doors serve as a room partition and guides in this case are installed from one wall to another. In this case, the guides must have special holes for the free placement of the carriages.
4. Installation of closers and limiters
Limiters are necessary so that the door leaf does not fall out of the guides, as well as so that the carriages with rollers do not jump out. If the sliding doors consist of many sections, then it is very important to correctly distribute the limiters, because the multi-section sliding door will not be able to converge normally and the sectional connections may be damaged.
In the role of limiters, plugs can also serve, which are made exactly in the shape of the guide profile. End stoppers should be lined with soft materials such as rubber. This will soften the blows of the rollers when opening or closing the door, which will greatly increase the life of the moving mechanisms.
5. Installation of extensions and platbands during installation
The architraves serve primarily to prevent dust and dirt from getting on the moving elements of sliding doors, as well as to give the door an aesthetic appearance. If the sliding door is built into the wall, then the platbands are not relevant. It will be enough for you to install only the sealing corners together with the brushes. They will hide unnecessary gaps between the door leaf and the wall.
The platbands are mounted on special brackets screwed to the wall, or on the rails themselves using special latches. The second option is more practical, since after installing the platbands, no fasteners are visible at all.
Additionally, with the rest of the fittings, you must have a structural element against which the moving door leaf will abut when closed. This element is in the form of a wooden beam, which has a special finish, or it is a special door profile that comes with all the fittings. The lock itself will be different from the lock for ordinary doors.
This profile must be installed in a strictly vertical position. It is this structural element that contains the second part of the locking mechanism of the lock, and therefore the installation of this profile is carried out after the sliding door is fully installed and adjusted.
Sliding doors, namely the moving leaf itself, must evenly and at the same time fit snugly against its limiting profile, as well as move strictly parallel to the floor surface. After all the work on installing new sliding doors is completed, be sure to check for ease of movement of the rollers in the guides.
If everything works just fine, then congratulations - you have successfully installed sliding doors with your own hands. If the door gets stuck in the guides, then it is necessary to once again inspect all moving elements and, if necessary, eliminate negative factors in the operation of the mechanisms with the help of adjusting nuts.
Video on installing interior sliding doors
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Quite often we are faced with the problem of lack of free space in rooms. We can resolve this situation in apartments by installing sliding doors.
Even now, when planning an apartment, we always take into account our space and try to save space when implementing interior design ideas. You can install it yourself, without even involving expensive specialists in the work.
So, we will talk about how to install such a door, what they are and what is needed for this.
First choose the sliding door you like
Follow simple instructions to install such a door without special skills and tools.
What tools will you need?
You will need liquid nails, wooden blocks that we will use as spacers, (various sizes will be needed - 5 x 45, 5 x 80, 5 x 110), plastic dowels, and nails (40 mm size and small ones to complete the job) .
To install sliding doors, prepare the following tools:
- (size is better over 1.8m),
- hacksaws for metal,
- wood saw,
- do not forget a screwdriver (can be replaced with screwdrivers),
- wrench,
- hammer,
- as well as a hex key and a mallet with a rubber striker.
System installation, door installation
The choice of the design of your future doors depends on your preferences and wishes. Such doors look good in various interiors and rooms. Therefore, with their help, you can perfectly transform the room. Installation of such systems is quite simple and you can handle it yourself. However, for example, systems weighing more than 100 kg or glass doors are more difficult work and it is better for specialists to work here.
It is better to mount a sliding door in the finished version, rather than by individual components. So much more convenient and easier. Therefore, it is better to choose a ready-made design right away. And then we start the installation.
First you need to fix the top
We put the door leaf tightly against the wall next to the opening where we will install the sliding door. On the wall we draw a strip along the top line of our door with a pencil, for example. If the floor is uneven, then the line may “walk” a little. Therefore, we do re-marking after we have installed our door in the opening. We also mark the upper level of the sash on the wall.
It is very important to make sure that our line, which is drawn along the top of the door, must be strictly horizontal. After all, then we measure 7 cm from it and draw another strip - this is for the upper guide rail. If the lines are not straight, then your doors will warp and possibly stop moving smoothly over time.
Above our second drawn strip (which is drawn 7 cm higher than the first), we put a 50 * 50 mm bar and attach it to the screws directly to the base. The length of the bar should be 2 times the width of the opening. The bar should be pressed very hard against the wall. If the wall is uneven, then use a couple of extra self-tapping screws. Be sure to double-check the horizontal line with a building level.
The next step is to install the guide. It must be fastened to the bar from below. First, we calculate the place of fasteners on both sides. We divide the thickness of the door leaf in half + a small distance from the wall (this is no more than 3-5 mm). We mark these points on the bar and fix the guide with self-tapping screws on both sides. Do not clamp too hard so that during the final installation you can check the distance between the wall and the sash and then clamp it completely. The distance must be sufficient so that the door leaf moves freely and without problems along the rail. Otherwise, you will have to repeat everything again. I repeat once again that an important and main condition for installation is a perfectly horizontal and straight location of the guide, no matter how uneven the walls are. After all checks, we fix the guide completely.
After that, we assemble the carriages and try out the move. We fix the bolts in the carriages and rollers not completely, but so that they stick out a little from the hole. We put the carriages in this state into the guide and carefully check the progress. Whether it moves smoothly along the guide, whether it moves freely in the direction of movement. Nothing needs to be lubricated. After checking along the edges of the guide, we fix the limiters with rubber shock absorbers.
Next, we need to fix the bottom groove
We retreat from the edges of our sash by 15 mm and at this place it is necessary to drill a hole up to 2 cm deep and 7 mm in diameter. This hole is drilled from both sides. Strictly in the middle of the sash from the end side, it is necessary to cut a small groove for our lower guide. We cut the groove 2 mm wider than the guide itself and about 18 mm deep. To cut the groove, you can use a drill, parquet saw or router. At home, making a perfectly even groove is quite difficult, so you can use a U-shaped profile or a pair of rails as a guide.
Now we need to install the mount to the carriages on the door. We fix them in the middle of the door leaf, retreating 2 mm from the side end of the door leaf. It must be installed in such a way that the semicircular cutouts look towards the wall.
At this stage, you need to call a friend! We need to install the door leaf itself, so another person is needed. We substitute the door leaf to the rail, slightly raise it to combine the carriage bolt and the cutout on the bracket. We leave the washer for adjustment outside the bracket, and insert the bolt into the hole for fasteners. Do not fully tighten nuts on bolts.
Now we need to move the door slightly away from the wall, while holding it in order to install the bottom rail in the cutout we prepared in advance. We return the door to its original position, while moving the guide knife to the open position. We fix the position of the knife on the floor at its largest length. Now we begin to adjust the distance from the door and the wall - this is no more than 5mm. The door leaf itself is removed from the upper guide.
There is so little space in a small apartment that even an opening sash of an interior door creates inconvenience. They help to partially solve the problem, but the canvas that goes beyond the partition makes it difficult to install furniture. The best option is considered to be a cassette design, which provides for the rollback of the sliding door into the wall due to the pencil case.
According to the principle of operation, cassette interior doors are no different from structures that provide for the rollback of the sash behind the wall. The mechanism is rollers and guide rails. The main difference is the ability to hide the door leaf inside the wall. This design is called a cassette or pencil case. It is made in the form of a flat box that replaces part of the wall. In addition to the sash, guide rails and a roller system are hidden inside the cassette. 
Benefit from the case for sliding doors - this is the creation of free space inside the wall, the sash rolling back into the cassette does not interfere with installing furniture close to the interior partition. The case protects the door leaf from dirt, scratches by pets and other damage.
For normal operation of the sliding door, a wall thickness corresponding to the parameters of the cassette is required. The design should form a niche that does not protrude beyond the plane of the wall. In the sliding system, the thickness of the sash and side racks of the canister, as well as the gaps between the elements for free movement of the canvas, are taken into account. The width of the cassette is always made twice the size of the doorway. The half intended for rolling back the canvas is hidden behind a false plasterboard wall.
Varieties and features
By design, they are all the same. May differ dimensions, material, design of rollers and guide rails. They adhere to standards in size, which implies a canvas height of 1.9–2 m and a width of 0.6 to 1 m. Built-in double compartment doors are installed on large openings into the wall. If you need to deviate from the standards, the cassette is made to order in the required dimensions.
The factory design is supplied as a whole. The pencil case is already folded and ready to install. When self-manufactured, the cassette is assembled from a thick board, timber, galvanized profile. The door leaf can be adjusted to any suitable size.
Of the additional devices most often equip the system door closer. The mechanism creates a smooth closing of the sash. For complete convenience, a sliding interior door hidden in the wall is equipped with automation. The canvas opens when a person approaches, and closes after it passes through the doorway. The automation is triggered by sensor signals. The canvas is driven by an electric motor.
Automation is rarely installed in residential areas due to cost and impracticality. Autonomous systems are in demand in shops and other buildings where a large flow of people passes through during the day.
Main advantages and disadvantages
Having decided to install a sliding door in a pencil case, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of the design. advantage the following factors can be considered:
- Space saving. The absence of a hinged sash eliminates the formation of a dead zone. Furniture can be placed close to the wall and it will not interfere with the opening of the canvas.
- Decreases the chance of injury. A person walking in the dark sometimes hits the end of an open swing sash. Feelings are unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. With all the desire, it will not be possible to hit the end of the sliding canvas.
- Increase in service life. Due to the rollers, the weight of the door leaf is evenly distributed over the lintels of the frame. The box becomes more resistant to loosening and does not warp. The canvas hidden inside the pencil case is protected from pets and children will not smear it.
- Sliding design visually expands space, creates the effect of zoning, emphasizes the modern style in the interior.
disadvantage is high price. High-quality roller mechanism is expensive. Additionally, the cost of purchasing or manufacturing a pencil case is taken into account. It is difficult to install a sliding door cassette on your own. In the absence of experience, you will have to hire specialists.
one more minus is decrease in sound insulation. A gap is obtained from the bottom and top of the end of the door leaf. It will not work to ensure silence in the room. Additionally, odors will penetrate through the gaps from the kitchen. The problem will have to be solved by installing a powerful hood.
Do-it-yourself cassette door installation
Before proceeding with the manufacture of a case for a sliding door, determine the width of the opening. The design of the entire system will depend on this parameter. Cassette compartments are of two types:
- Single leaf. Door blocks are designed for standard narrow passages to the bedroom, kitchen,.
- Bivalves. Door blocks are designed for wide passages. Often such openings are equipped in the living room or when combining rooms. The design consists of two separate cassettes installed on opposite sides of the passage. Combined single-leaf systems are obtained, where each leaf rolls back in the opposite direction.
When making a case for sliding doors with your own hands, take into account the type of wall. The usual non-bearing interior partition is completely dismantled. In its place, a structure with a niche is erected. A sliding door with a plasterboard partition forms a false wall that is a cassette. The construction of a new wall saves usable space due to the preservation of the original thickness.
Cannot be dismantled. The frame of the pencil case will have to be attached to the surface, and sheathed with drywall on top. You will get a double thickening of the wall and a decrease in space, but there is no other way out.
Install the cassette compartment door after arranging the finishing floor. By this time, the final leveling should be completed, and the thickness of the flooring should also be taken into account.
Installation procedure
They try to roll the hinged door on rollers. The movement should be smooth, light, without rumble and jumps. It is important not to forget about the limiters that serve as an emphasis on the rolling sash.
After a successful test of the sliding structure, the niche frame is sheathed with drywall sheets. Further actions are directed to the decorative trim of the false wall and the framing of the ends of the cassette, which form the door frame.
Sliding door systems occupy a special place in the design of premises. Their functions combine several advantages at once - convenience, efficiency and originality. The installation of such doors is significantly different from the installation of the usual swing models. You can get acquainted with the principles and features of the installation of sliding systems by reading the section - installing sliding interior doors with your own hands: assembly video for non-professionals. 
Do-it-yourself installation of a single-leaf sliding door
Types of sliding doors and their equipment
Designers do not skimp on ideas, developing new models of sliding interior systems. They may differ in the following ways:
Translucent glass double sliding doors between kitchen and living room
Compartment doors, the upper guide of which is attached to the ceiling, visually increase the height of the room. Structures that do not involve the bottom rail will maintain the unity of the floor covering of the entire room. 
In the open position, the leaf of the cassette sliding door is in a niche inside the wall
When purchasing sliding interior systems for do-it-yourself installation, check for the availability of standard equipment. It includes:
Double-leaf sliding doors with double row of top rails
The model of roller mechanisms and their number depends on the weight of the door leaf. If you purchase a door without a set of fittings, ask what is its weight.
Do-it-yourself sliding door installation tools
To install sliding interior doors with your own hands, there is no need to have a special tool. For do-it-yourself installation, you will need the usual "duty" set:
White wooden sliding doors with glass inserts
From the fixtures - you can stock up on a certain number of wooden wedges and a square bar measuring 50 or 40 (mm) for attaching the guides.
Do-it-yourself installation of sliding interior doors: a video lesson for non-professionals
To install a sliding interior door with your own hands, as can be seen from the video, even a non-professional can. As soon as the desired door design is selected and the appropriate components are purchased, installation can begin. 
Sliding doors as an element of space zoning in the interior
The most popular models for do-it-yourself installation are sliding interior single-leaf doors. The assembly and fastening of such doors is relatively simple, and at the same time they have common installation features with other types of sliding doors:
Step 1: taking measurements of the doorway
Step 2: assembling the door structure and pseudo box
If you decide to install a door model that moves along the wall, plan the arrangement of furniture and accessories so that they are not in the door's movement area. 
Schematic representation of the movement of the sliding door along the wall
Step 3: installing the pseudo-box in the opening, aligning it vertically and horizontally
Step 4: Attaching the Top Rail
Step 5: fixing the brackets on the upper end of the door leaf
Don't skimp on accessories! When choosing a sliding mechanism for an interior door, make a choice in favor of quality products. It depends on how softly, silently and for a long time the mechanism will function. 
Step 6: Installing the Roller Carriages into the Top Track
Step 7: Adjusting the Position of the Roller Carriages
Step 8: Attaching the bottom guide
- it remains with the help of a decorative strip to hide the beam with the guide rail, attach the trim and plugs at the attachment points.
Sliding systems with a sliding door inside the wall. Do-it-yourself installation specifics
For interior sliding systems, the doors of which “hide” into the wall, the installation technology is somewhat different. This does not apply to the basic principles of assembling and fastening the sliding mechanism, but rather to the calculations and preparatory work on the installation of a false wall. A door will be rolled back into the niche of this wall or a cassette will be installed (if you purchased a door with a cassette block):
Step 1: Arranging the frame for the double wall partition
Step 2: designing a place inside the wall for the movement of the sliding door
Step 3: sheathing the false wall with drywall and finishing
When determining the installation location of the limiter on the upper rail inside the cassette, do not forget to take into account the thickness of the decorative trim that will frame the opening. 
Schematic representation of the location of the door leaf inside the wall partition
Step 4: Sliding Door Sliding Into Wall
Do-it-yourself sliding door installation is a process that does not require professional skills and effort. It is enough to have the necessary minimum of tools and feel free to proceed with the installation with your own hands. Accurate measurement, following the recommendations - and your room will be transformed by a functional and stylish sliding door. In addition, self-assembly will "balance" the cost of acquiring structures that are more expensive than swing counterparts.
