Sliding doors are not only stylish, but they manage to save a lot of space in your home. If you have recently bought a sliding door and want to install it, you’ve come to the right place. Sliding doors come with all the tracks and gear you need to install them, but there is more to the whole process. Before installing a sliding door, it is essential to measure the space, cut the tracks and screw them in place. Read this article to learn all about how to fit a sliding door.

Prepare the Space

One of the very first steps to install a sliding door is to make space for it. Once you decide where you want to fit it, start by removing all the tracks and old doors from that space. You can do this by lifting up the old doors and removing the rollers from the track. Make sure to angle the old door towards you when removing it and keep it away from the tracks.

To remove the tracks, you may have to unscrew them and pry them off. You can use a knife to do this, but make sure not to chip the paint off. Before fitting in a sliding door, don’t forget to clean the leftover debris that is there once you remove the old door.

Install a Floor Liner

After you have prepared the space, the next step is to install a floor liner. You will only need to install a floor liner if the space has a rug or carpet. Floor liners are cheap, can easily fit at the bottom of the tracks, and prevent the carpeting from sticking the door rollers.

Measure the Space

Before fitting the door in, it is vital to measure the space to reduce the chances of errors and save time. Not all doors are the same size, and this is why you need to measure the door space from each side. First, take a measurement horizontally – from the left side of the wall to the right. Then, take a measurement vertically, from the top to the bottom of the floor.

It is a good idea to measure the space a few times to reduce the chances of error. Don’t forget to write the measurements down so you don’t have to take them all over again if you get distracted doing something else.

Buy the Doors and Tracks

After you have measured your space, it is best to get a sliding door that fits in this particular space. Most sliding doors come with tracks that are usually made out of aluminum. Tracks can be cut according to the size of your space and the rollers on your door can be adjusted since they come with screws that can change the lift of the sliding door roller.

The width of the sliding doors should be equal to the width of your space to avoid overlap and make sure there is no additional space between the sliding doors. If your sliding door is thick, it may need special-sized tracks.

Cut the Tracks

Before cutting the tracks, measure your door space to see how much you need to cut in order for your sliding doors to fit right in. Since the tracks are most likely going to be bigger than your space, you will need to cut them so they can fit right in. Make sure to measure how much you need to remove and use an electric saw to cut the track down. If you keep cutting, you may cut too much and will have to start all over again.

Install the Tracks

The next step is to simply install both the tracks. The top track will have to be installed a little farther back since the rollers on the sliding doors will not fit in perfectly. Not every sliding door has a bottom track but if yours does, the first step is to keep the track in place. You can drill holes for screws to make sure the track stays attached to the floor. If your sliding door is on top of a rug or carpet, make sure to cut out a section of your carpet or remove the rug entirely since the drill can damage the whole thing.

Install the Sliding Doors

Your sliding doors will overlap, which means you will need to set the rear door first. To fit it in, simply lift the door and place it in the rear track at the top. After it fits in from the top, tilt the door and then place it in position at the bottom. Make sure to slide it to check if the rollers are properly aligned before installing the front sliding door. The front sliding door will be placed the same way the rear sliding door was placed.

Adjust the Rollers

After you’re done fitting in the sliding doors, make sure to adjust the rollers at the bottom of both doors. These doors have screws that can be easily adjusted if you want to raise the door. Raising the door will prevent the wheels from hitting the carpet every time you open or close the door.

What Are the Benefits of Sliding Doors?

Energy Efficient

Sliding doors don’t only look good in your homes or workplace but they are also excellent insulators. Despite the weather conditions, you will never feel too hot or too cold since your sliding door will keep the room insulated. Most sliding doors are also sound proof, which makes them a good choice for an office space or a study.

Space Saving

Another reason why sliding doors are useful is that they save tons of space. Unlike traditional doors that need space to operate, sliding doors can easily slide on a roller track and will not require any extra space.

Conclusion

Sliding doors are great as they save space and are energy efficient. Installing sliding doors is very easy and will not take too much time as long as you make sure to take the measurements a few times before cutting the tracks and fitting the doors.

Good Luck!