A sliding interior door is not a new invention, but, despite its ergonomics and rational justification, such a design has not yet received proper recognition and distribution.
Most often, the installation of sliding doors along the wall is resorted to if necessary to save space, or when it is not possible to install a conventional swing door. Some owners do not install retractable structures at home because of the opinion about the complexity of installation, but this view is not true.
Materials for doors
The principle of operation for all sliding and sliding doors is the same, but the material of manufacture and the movement mechanism may differ slightly.
Actually, the same materials and technologies are used for the manufacture of the door leaf of sliding doors as for traditional swing doors. The most common among them:
- Combined wood materials.
- Natural wood.
- Artificial materials (MDF, PVC, etc.).
- Glass doors. They are made fromsafety tempered glass, the thickness of which is 8-12 mm. The canvas can be transparent, fully matted, with an applied artistic pattern. Glass doors can be supplemented with a blank fragment. It is possible to manufacture them according to non-standard sizes and with different opening methods.
Sliding interior doors: mechanism
To decide on the choice of the driving mechanism, you need to be as clear as possible about all the conditions for installing the future door. The place, the direction of movement and the weight of the door itself are important. To date, there are various sliding mechanisms for interior doors on sale, as well as fittings specially adapted for such structures. In general terms, their device is similar, they all consist of the following elements.
Guide rails
The movement of the sliding door is always carried out along the rails, otherwise the canvas would lead from side to side, and the structure would quickly fail. For a light door, only the upper guide rail is sufficient, while for a more massive one, the upper and lower guide rails are required. The latter option is preferable, as it allows you to evenly distribute the load on the rails and gives the structure additional stability. What can make you opt for a single-rail design? The unaesthetic appearance that the lower rail gives to the room threshold. In terms of running characteristics, a double-support sliding interior door is superior to a single-support one.
If you still decide to install the rail only from above, then you need toequip the door with a guide corner or a leash at the bottom so that the canvas does not deviate from the correct path of movement.
Track
Usually they use a track in the form of a pipe - profiled, in section representing a circle or a square. It is either hidden behind a cornice, or they buy a decorative, eye-pleasing option that fits into the interior, then the installation can be open. The roller can move inside the track or slide on its surface.
Roller mechanism
When choosing rollers, be guided by the material and weight of the door, as well as the selected door movement system. They are divided into two main types: rollers that slide along the track, and those that are designed to hang the door. Most often, rollers, but sometimes tracks, are equipped with stoppers to stop the sash.
Brackets and cornice
Brackets for mounting sliding doors are available with wall or ceiling mounting. The cornice performs a purely decorative function - it closes the track from the eyes. It is selected for the overall design of the room.
Single-leaf sliding door
The simplest model is a single-leaf sliding door with a monolithic door leaf. In this design, the door simply slides off the rails to the side. There are more complex versions of the device, when the door, when opened, slides into a niche in the wall. Such a niche can be part of the door structure and is intended for installation inside the partition.
Two-leaf model and complex designs
- Two leaves can move separatelyguide rails. In this case, they are called parallel, and when closing, the halves of the doors partially or completely obscure each other.
- If a sliding interior door consists of three leaves, or more movable partitions, then they either all move along parallel guides, or are located on the rail in pairs and open in turn, respectively.
- A more complex design is also possible, including a combination of different mechanisms. The doors of a closed door are located in the same plane; when the doors are opened, they first move forward, and then move to the side (like doors in a tram or train).
- A two-leaf sliding interior door is often made according to the principle of synchronous sliding. The name speaks for itself: the leaves are located on the same rail and move simultaneously in both directions or towards the center with equal speed.
- Accordion doors - folding design, a kind of sliding doors. Their wings fold like a children's book or a screen. At the ends of the doors, rollers are installed at the top and bottom, which move along the guide rails.
Installation of sliding doors
After studying the existing conditions and choosing the appropriate type of door mechanism, you can proceed to such a stage of work as installation. Sliding interior doors can be mounted independently, without much effort. This preparatory step is very important, as some models may require embedded fasteners or mounting a niche in the wall.
Most often for domestic use at home chooseoption with a single-leaf sliding door moving from the outside along the wall. To install it yourself, you need:
- the door movement mechanism itself;
- level;
- roulette;
- impact drill or hammer drill.
The mechanism can be purchased at any home improvement store.
The first stage of work is marking according to the diagram attached to the sliding door mechanism. After that, fix the brackets. Please note: if the installation is supposed to be on a plasterboard wall partition, then it is necessary to make a frame for the door structure, on which the guide is then attached.
Following the scheme, assemble the driving structure, install it in the frame or doorway. Then you can hang the doors. When these manipulations are completed, you can install a decorative cornice, if planned.
Please note that the total cost of the structure will include the price of the sliding mechanism (1500-5000 rubles) and the door leaf. There are, however, elite options worth under 100 thousand.
Retractable interior doors, the price of which is quite acceptable and depends on the material - this is an ideal solution for those who appreciate free space and practical solutions.
