A sliding door is not a new invention, but, despite its ergonomics and rational justification, such a design has not yet received due 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 wing. Some owners do not install retractable structures at home because of the opinion about the complexity of installation, but this idea is not true.
Door Materials
The principle of operation for all sliding and sliding doors is the same, but the material of manufacture and the mechanism of movement may differ slightly.
Actually, for the manufacture of door leaf sliding doors use the same materials and technologies as for traditional swing. The most common among them:
- Combined wood materials.
- Natural wood.
- Artificial materials (MDF, PVC, etc.).
- Glass doors. They are made of safety tempered glass, the thickness of which is 8-12 mm. The canvas can be transparent, fully frosted, with an artistic pattern. Glass doors can be supplemented with a dull fragment. It is possible to manufacture them in non-standard sizes and with different opening methods.
Sliding interior doors: mechanism
To decide on the choice of a moving mechanism, it is necessary to clearly imagine all the conditions for installing a future door. Important place, direction of movement and weight of the door itself. Today, there are various sliding mechanisms for interior doors on sale, as well as accessories 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 on 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 enough, and for a more massive one, the upper and lower rails are needed. 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 one opt for a single-rail design? The unaesthetic look that gives the lower rail a room threshold. In terms of running characteristics, the two-pivot sliding interior door is superior to the one-pivot door.
If you still decide to install the rail only from above, then you need to equip the door with a guide corner or a leash in the lower part so that the canvas does not deviate from the correct trajectory of movement.
Track
Usually they use a track in the form of a pipe - shaped, in section representing a circle or square. It is either hidden behind a cornice or bought 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 gear
When choosing rollers, focus on the material and weight of the door, as well as the chosen system of movement of the door. They are divided into two main types: rollers that slide along the track, and those that are designed to suspend the door. Most often, rollers, but sometimes tracks, are equipped with stoppers to stop the sash.
Brackets and cornice
Brackets for attaching sliding doors are mounted to a wall or ceiling. 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 wing 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, drives off into a niche in the wall. Such a niche may be part of the door structure and is intended for installation inside the partition.
Double-wing model and complex designs
- Two wings can move on separate guide rails. In this case, they are called parallel, and when closing the door halves obscure each other partially or completely.
- If the sliding interior door consists of three leaves, or a larger number of movable partitions, then they either all move along parallel guides, or are arranged in pairs on the rail and open in turn, respectively.
- A more complex design is also possible, including a combination of different mechanisms. The shutters of the closed door are located in the same plane, when you open the doors, they first move forward, and then move to the side (like doors in a tram or train).
- A double-leaf sliding interior door is often done on the principle of synchronous sliding. The name speaks for itself: the flaps are located on the same rail and move simultaneously in both directions or towards the center with equal speed.
- Accordion doors - folding design, a type of sliding door. Their wings fold like a children's book or screen. At the ends of the doors, rollers are installed above and below, which move along the guide rails.
Installation of sliding doors
Having studied 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 phase is very important, as some models may require embedded fasteners or mounting a niche in the wall.
Most often for household use at home, they choose the option with a single-leaf sliding door moving outside along the wall. To install it with your own hands, you need:
- door movement mechanism itself;
- level;
- roulette;
- hammer drill or hammer drill.
The mechanism can be purchased at any home building goods store.
The first stage of work is the marking according to the scheme attached to the sliding door mechanism. After that, the brackets are fixed. Note: if the installation is supposed to be on a drywall wall partition, it is necessary to make a frame for the door structure, on which the guide is then attached.
Next, according to the scheme, assemble the moving structure, install it in the frame or doorway. Then you can hang the door. When these manipulations are completed, you can install a decorative cornice, if it is 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, and elite options worth under 100 thousand.
Interior sliding doors, the price of which is quite reasonable and depends on the material - this is an ideal solution for those who value free space and practical solutions.