Sliding doors and tracks.

[Peter Hamilton-Scott]

Having built a wardrobe into the alcove in our bedroom using a bifold door, Mrs Wifey wants me to do something similar to the alcove in the smaller bedroom but this time using a sliding door as opening space is rather limited. There are all sorts of mirrored sliding doors in the UK but a local DIY shop (Homebase) has some off-the-shelf sliding doors in plain wood-cum-MDF which is about the best we need. Obviously, the Festools will be dusted off and once more into the breech dear friends (yay!)...

From what I can see, the door is but one part and I'm wondering how to approach the track set angle? Short of seeing a mechanism in place do you typically use a track set top and bottom; or is it fitted to the top only with a guide track on the bottom to stop the door swinging outwards? Can you choose the track set you want or must it be something compatible with the opening, height, weight limits, that sort of thing? I reckon an off-the-shelf door will be okay for us so some trimming might be needed to completely square it. The track set is my main concern as I don't know if I need to source individual components or whether you can buy a complete kit which you cut to length?

Anyway, I can source information from elsewhere and possibly in the shops themselves but there's nothing like hands-on experience so if you have any wisdom or advice to give I'll appreciate it.

Many thanks, chaps.

 

[tjbnwi]

You do need to consider the weight and thickness of the door. All of them use some type of bottom anti swing system. On a 2 door bypass, there may be just some type of floor mounted center bracket to prevent the door from swinging.

On the Hafele the track is in the door, pin in the floor, the Johnson the pin is on the door, the track in the floor.

http://www.hafele.com/us/products/sliding-folding-french-door-pocket-door-hardware-barn-door-hardware.asp

http://www.johnsonhardware.com/sdindex.htm

The pictures are a Johnson install.

Tom