Do-it-yourself interior sliding doors. Instructions for assembling and installing sliding interior doors. Differences in sliding mechanisms

In an effort to make your home more comfortable and cozy, you often come up with the idea of ​​replacing conventional swing doors with sliding doors (they are also called sliding, sliding, hanging). The good news is that install sliding doors you can do it yourself without any problems. The bad thing is that a normal mechanism costs about the same as a high-quality blade. What is captivating about them is that when open they hardly “eat up” space. They either hide in the wall (a better, but more difficult to implement option), or move along it.

All this is true, but there is a significant drawback - a very low degree of sound insulation, especially in the sliding door version. When the canvas simply covers the opening. When installed in a pencil case (in the wall), the situation is a little better, but the degree of sound insulation of a swing door cannot be achieved even with this installation method. If all this doesn’t scare you, you can start studying the systems, selecting them, and then installing them.

Sliding door systems

There are two types of mechanisms: suspended and rail. Neither is perfect. Briefly about their advantages and disadvantages below.

Top rail suspension system

The suspension mechanism is a supporting beam to which is attached a guide in the shape of the letter “P” with “legs” bent inward. The rollers to which the door leaf. In technical terms, it is a hanging door on a top rail.

When installing such a door, the floor under the door remains smooth, only on the right and/or left in doorway the lower roller is installed. It slides along a groove made in the lower end of the blade. It is necessary so that when moving it does not deviate vertically. This design is the easiest to install. Installation is very simple and consists of several steps:


That's all. Doors on rollers are installed. But this system, in the form shown in the photo, has very low noise insulation characteristics. They are practically zero: the passage is simply blocked.

Rail sliding doors

This type of door has two rails: top and bottom. Rollers are also installed at the top and bottom. Thanks to this design, the system has high degree rigidity: it can be shaken, and this will not cause much damage.

The disadvantage of having rails in the floor is known: they are difficult to clean. Debris and dust constantly get into the grooves, so you have to keep them clean. This type of door is most often used in cabinets. As interior doors They are placed if there are active children growing up in the family. Then safety is more important than difficulties with cleaning.

Mounting options

Regardless of the sliding door system, installation methods can be:


The simplest installation option is sliding doors. They can be installed independently, not only at the repair stage, but also after it. It is only important that the opening is smooth and the wall has normal load-bearing capacity. The disadvantage of such a system is that you cannot place anything close to the wall in the place where the door rolls back. There is one more thing: very low sound insulation. This is easy to explain: if you look from the end, there is a gap of several millimeters on the sides. It is necessary so that the canvas does not “shuffle” along the wall. And all sounds penetrate perfectly through it, becoming only a little quieter.

Cassette doors are good because when open, the door leaf is located in a niche in the wall and does not interfere. The second advantage is that seals can be installed around the perimeter of the opening, which provide much higher sound insulation performance. The disadvantage of installing a sliding door in a niche is that it can only be done at the renovation stage. The second drawback: to make a pencil case for sliding doors, they usually install a false wall, and this means stolen centimeters of space.

Cascade doors are one of the types of sliding doors. It simply has a larger number of guides: according to the number of movable door leaves. Installation is perhaps the most difficult: there are many parts and high installation accuracy is required. The systems belong to the elite category, and they rarely save on installation: repairs will cost more.

Features and installation procedure

You can install sliding doors yourself even without much experience. It is quite possible to do without installers. It will take a little time, and also installation instructions. We will try to give detailed description process with photo and video materials.

Self-installation of sliding interior sliding doors

Systems may vary slightly, but general rules remain the same. There are several requirements that must be met before installation:

  • The opening must be level, otherwise you will have to take a canvas that covers all deviations with a margin.
  • The load-bearing capacity of the sides of the doorway should be high, as should the wall above it.
  • The opening must already be finished: plastered and painted, covered with wallpaper or decorated with decorative panels.

Next we proceed to assembly. First you can attach the rollers. U different manufacturers There are some recommendations. Some recommend retreating 1/6 of the width of the door leaf from the edge, in other systems they are attached immediately from the edge, and the indentation is provided mounting plates. This is the system we install: in it, roller platforms are installed immediately from the corner.

Marking the installation location of the rollers

We center them, measuring so that the distances are the same. Having positioned the plate, use a pencil or marker to mark the locations for the fasteners. Drill holes in the marked places. The diameter of the drill is 1 mm less than the diameter of the screw.

We set the plates and screw in the screws. The length of the fastener depends on the weight of the canvas, but not less than 70 mm. We twist them exactly perpendicularly, otherwise unnecessary stress will arise.

Installation of rollers

Supports for the rollers are inserted into the installed plates. They are fixed with a lid on the side surface. Next, roller platforms are screwed onto the threaded pins.

It is also convenient to install handles and locks before hanging. They need special, mortise ones. If you bought ready set, the required holes are available. If you have used a regular canvas, you will have to trace the outline with a pencil and remove the excess with a chisel. After the handle or lock fits into the recess, the attachment points are marked, holes are drilled for them and the fittings are installed.

Most convenient way- hang the sliding doors on a dry wooden beam. Its cross-section is less than 50*70 mm, its length is twice the width of the door leaf + 5 cm. We cut the guide to the same length.

Having aligned the guide along the beam, it is attached to the beam with self-tapping screws no less than 8 cm long. The number of fasteners is at least three, departing 10 cm from the edges and in the middle (more often is possible, less often - not).

Now you can measure at what height to mount the timber. On the door with installed rollers“roll” the guide with the beam. This way you can accurately note how tall the doors are. We drill at least four holes in the side edge of the beam for mounting to the wall.

The guide with the beam “rolls” onto the rollers on the door

Add 7-10 mm to the resulting mark - the doors should hang and not shuffle along the floor. 7 mm is the minimum gap, which is sufficient if there is no floor covering in the opening. If they are planned (later to lay laminate, carpet, linoleum, etc.), then the thickness of these coverings must also be taken into account.

To prevent the canvas from “walking” during installation, it is wedged with small wooden wedges. At least two stops are required - near both rollers.

Having placed the beam against the wall and adjusted its position using a level, we mark its position with a pencil. If the wall allows, you can fasten it to the wall through and through, but for this you need to use self-tapping screws at least 120 mm long, or better yet, place it on anchor bolts.

If the wall, for example, is concrete, the installation of dowels is required. To do this, you need to transfer the marks for the fasteners to the wall. This can be done using a thin and long drill, the diameter of which is smaller than the drilled hole.

An even simpler option: a long thin nail. It is inserted into the hole and a mark is made on the wall with a couple of blows. The following procedure is known: drill holes for the dowel plugs, insert the plugs, hammering them in if necessary. Then we install the doors.

Attaching sliding doors to the wall

Stoppers must be secured along the edges of the guide. They are inserted from the sides, the required location is established experimentally (so that the canvas covers the opening completely when closed, and rolls back sufficiently when opening. They are fixed using clamping screws.

Having opened the doors, we install the flag roller on the floor. It fits into a groove cut into the bottom of the blade. It is necessary to ensure that the doors do not deviate vertically.

First, we insert it into the groove, mark holes for fasteners, drill, then secure with short self-tapping screws (length about 15-20 mm).

At this point we can assume that the sliding doors have been installed. They are already fully functional. Remained Finishing work. The mounting beam with the guide is covered with a decorative overlay, matched to the tone of the door leaf. It can be nailed directly to the timber with finishing nails.

Only when you put it out, make sure that the wheels are closed. It’s much more beautiful this way)) Now that’s it, you’ve installed the sliding doors with your own hands.

A video tutorial on how to install such a door is shown below. There are several installation options.

We install cassette-type sliding doors (in a pencil case)

The process of installing the guide and hanging the door leaf is almost identical to those described above. There is no need only for finishing, but all other stages are necessary. Instead of installing a decorative strip, a false wall is mounted at a distance of at least 10 cm from the wall. It is usually made from plasterboard profiles, which sheathe wall plasterboard. But this is not important - you can use gypsum fiber board or plywood, or any other suitable material.

Where does the distance of 10 cm come from? The thickness of the door leaf and the gaps on both sides are 5 cm. At least another 5 cm is added to this for installation of the profile. So it turns out to be 10 cm.

Since the main load will fall on the wall, the frame made of profiles need not be reinforced. If such a wall does not seem very reliable to you, you can insert wooden blocks, which are screwed with self-tapping screws. This will make the structure very rigid.

The basic principles for calculating a pencil case for a sliding door, as well as marking features and principles for preparing a doorway for installation, see the video.

Homemade sliding doors

Any door leaf can be installed on rollers and will work as a sliding door. The guide and all other components - rollers (carrying and flag), stoppers, stops - can be purchased. Hang on them at least a piece of plywood or a door assembled from several boards. This will be the simplest and cheapest option. But making the mechanism yourself is a more difficult task. One of the options for a sliding door mechanism made from scrap materials (from round pipes different diameters) in the video. The system was supposed to be installed in a closet, but, judging by designs, easy can even withstand a solid oak door.

Modern materials make it easy to make sliding doors with your own hands. This is much more profitable than buying ready-made ones, which in most cases have high cost. If you make it yourself, you can make a design custom size for any doorway, you can make several separate zones out of an ordinary room, a sliding partition can separate a dressing room, highlight a small balcony greenhouse, and so on.

Sliding doors have many advantages:

  • significant space savings due to movement not inside the room, but along the wall.
  • very simple installation,
  • they do not open by air flow, draft,
  • a wide range of materials used for manufacturing,
  • You can make sliding doors yourself.

What kind of sliding door can you make with your own hands?

There are several types of sliding doors, but if you have no experience, you should start with the simplest one - a compartment mechanism, when it consists of one part and moves to the side, or of two parts and moves on both sides. Having learned enough, you can try to make cascade or radius structures with your own hands. The principle of operation is that the door leaf, mounted on rollers, smoothly slides along the wall along the guides.

The material from which the product can be made is:

  • tree,
  • glass,
  • polycarbonate

The most practical and unpretentious are sliding interior doors made of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is lightweight and reliable material, which is suitable for any conditions of use, is not fragile and completely safe, even when cracked, it does not produce sharp fragments. It does not deform from moisture, does not burn, has a wide variety of colors and levels of transparency, is slightly scratched and is very easy to clean. Installing a new or replacing a regular door with a polycarbonate sliding door will make the interior attractive and extraordinary.

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate interior doors can be framed or frameless.

  • Frame - involve placing small fragments of polycarbonate in a special frame, the advantage is low cost. The frame can be made of plastic, metal, wood.
  • Frameless ones will cost more, but will also look more decent. Made from a single piece of polycarbonate. They will add mystery and elegance to the entire room.

To make sliding doors from polycarbonate with your own hands, you can look at examples from catalogs posted on manufacturers’ websites. Having tentatively chosen a model, you need to buy necessary materials and immediately begin production. You will need the following tool:

  • roulette,
  • level,
  • screwdriver or screwdriver,
  • drill,
  • jigsaw, manual or electric,
  • self-tapping screws, bolts.
  • construction square.

Required material:

  • polycarbonate,
  • guide profiles,
  • roller carriages,
  • accessories.

How to make a polycarbonate sliding door with your own hands

In order to make sliding interior doors yourself, you need very little:

  1. Place the canvas in the frame; if the design does not imply this, the first stage is skipped.
  2. Secure the guides.
  3. Install the finished product.
  4. Hang the fittings.

Preparing the door leaf

First of all, you need to take measurements of the doorway where it will be installed directly. The second stage is assembling the frame - it should be slightly smaller than the opening, so its size should be reduced by 1-1.5 mm on each side. Prepared frame using construction square, is measured for the clear rectangularity of the structure to prevent distortion and only then fastened together. Polycarbonate fragments are attached to the frame with self-tapping screws or decorative fasteners. The frame can be made with your own hands, either from new materials or by cutting it out of an ordinary old door.

When making a frameless structure, the process is even simpler. The polycarbonate sheet is cut according to old door or clearly according to the size of the doorway.

Installation of guides

There are two types of guide systems - steel and aluminum. Steel is stronger, can withstand heavy loads, but is noisier and looks rougher. Aluminum - looks more aesthetically pleasing, the rollers move silently, but it is not as durable. The choice is yours, and do not forget that 50% of the smoothness and softness of movement depends on correct installation.

Interior doors move along two guides - upper and lower. There is also another type of structure - wall-mounted, where the guide is attached to the ceiling or top of the wall, and the canvases are suspended by rollers.

The length of the guide profiles should be twice the width of the door leaf.

Guide profiles are attached to the floor, ceiling or wall. The main condition is to set them absolutely level, otherwise the polycarbonate door will open or close on its own. You need to do this using long level. Another point is to clearly mark the vector of movement in space. Using a tape measure, you should make marks on the floor and ceiling, measure everything carefully, and only then screw it on.

Installation of door leaf

Depending on the size, you need to select the number of roller mechanisms. If the canvas is quite narrow, two are enough - top and bottom. For normal widths, use two at the bottom, two at the top. With a hanging system, you need to use at least two.

The order is as follows:

  • a mounting bolt is inserted inside the roller carriage,
  • insert the roller mechanism into the guide,
  • on top of the polycarbonate door, you should install brackets for roller carriages, 4-5 mm away from the edge.
  • The sliding door on rollers is directly installed. First, the bolts are screwed into the brackets at the top, then into the bottom ones. Without experience, it is quite difficult to do this yourself; outside help will not hurt. If necessary, adjustments are made; this can be done by tightening the bolts.

There is a second way:

  • the rollers are immediately screwed on top and bottom,
  • inserted top part into the guides,
  • Having slightly lifted the door, you need to insert it into the lower profile.

The option is selected based on the characteristics of the roller mechanism. You can check the quality of the installation by driving to the right and left several times. If there is no noise, jerking, the structure does not cling to anything, moves softly and smoothly, then everything is done correctly.

After completing the installation work, stoppers are installed along the edges, then handles, decorative strips, locks and other door fittings. If you wish, you can replace ordinary interior doors with sliding ones made of polycarbonate with your own hands, thereby gaining an opening radius area. To do this, you need to replace the blade and install guides in exactly the same way.

The cramped conditions of standard city apartments force their owners to use a variety of devices and structures, the use of which will help save precious living space. By making sliding doors on rollers with your own hands and installing them instead of traditional swing doors, the owner will be able to free up space for installing pieces of furniture or simply increase free space premises. In addition, sliding structures are often installed in large openings between rooms and become a kind of mobile, allowing, if necessary, to divide them into different rooms or combine into one large hall.

Having understood the principles of installation of such a structure, it is quite possible to assemble and install sliding doors yourself, saving on the involvement of craftsmen, if you have one at hand necessary tools, and the owner himself has strong carpentry and plumbing skills and due care.

Advantages and disadvantages of sliding door structures

The choice of specific models of sliding doors depends on the layout of the apartment, as well as design design rooms. But before purchasing interior sliding systems, you need to learn not only about them positive qualities, but also about their weaknesses.

So, sliding doors have the following positive qualities:

  • They provide significant space savings.
  • Unlike a swing design, a sliding door will never open and close chaotically due to drafts.
  • Such doors even help to visually expand a small apartment space.
  • The advantage is the absence of thresholds in some types of similar designs, which is extremely convenient if the apartment is inhabited by elderly people or people with disabilities, as well as small children.
  • A sliding double door can divide a room into separate zones, which helps to optimally use the space of a one-room apartment.
  • With the right approach, a sliding door is not so difficult to install and is easy to operate.
  • A sliding design can add individuality to a standard apartment layout and transform it aesthetically.
  • Thanks to modern technology, sliding doors are easy to automate, and this distinctive feature can be called one of the key advantages over swing structures.

However, it is equally important to know the “cons” of such doors, since, having installed them, you will need to comply with some conditions for their operation:

  • The roller system and the guide rail along which the door leaf will move must always be maintained in good and clean condition, otherwise they may fail, and one day the door will jam in one position.
  • Typically, a standard sliding design, unlike a swing design, is unable to qualitatively soundproof separated rooms, since at least small gaps will remain between the door frame and the door leaf.
  • The door will not be able to contain odors from cooking if it is planned to be installed at the entrance to the kitchen area.
  • All parameters of the structure during its installation must be well measured, and its elements must be installed perfectly accurately vertically and horizontally, otherwise the door may jam. However, this requirement probably applies to any type of door structures.
  • Installing a double-leaf door is a more complex process than one consisting of a single leaf, since the moving leaves will need to be very precisely adjusted not only to the doorway, but also to each other.
  • The high cost of sliding structures also cannot be considered an advantage.

Types of sliding doors

There are several types of sliding doors. They differ from each other in design, appearance and installation of the working mechanism.

All types of sliding doors have general principle work, which distinguishes them from swing structures - they move along a horizontal line, along the door and wall. But these systems are divided among themselves into Various types and could be:

- traditional sliding;

— cascade;

— folding - “accordion”;

- radius sliding.

Any of the existing structures can be single-leaf or multi-leaf. Thus, a multi-leaf system can include from two to four door leaves.

If the door has not yet been selected, then it is worth considering the features of each type, and only after that decide on the design.

Traditional sliding doors

Traditional sliding doors are divided into hanging, cassette hanging, and having two guides - upper and lower.

  • Bottom and top guide design

This type of sliding door is the most common and is most often chosen for installation in apartments, as it is considered the most reliable, of course, with the guides correctly positioned and secured. In this design, one or more doors move along upper and lower rails.


It should immediately be noted that this type of sliding doors is quite complicated for self-installation, since it is necessary to perfectly match the upper and lower guides to each other.

Find out a completely doable task from a new article on our portal.

The disadvantage of this system is the fact that the bottom rail is mounted on the floor surface, that is, either a threshold will be formed, or a recess will have to be cut out. In the guide profile, which is installed in the floor, dust and small debris will certainly collect, which can hinder, slow down, and sometimes even block the movement of the door leaf, so you will need to constantly carefully monitor the cleanliness of this unit.

  • Hanging sliding doors

Suspended structures are also quite popular, since they do not require the installation of a rail in the floor and do not have a threshold, but move only along the upper guide.

The rail is fixed to the wall above the doorway or to the ceiling, depending on the height of the selected door and room. The guide can be located openly or covered with a masking or decorative casing.

The door leaf in this design option will be in a suspended state, at a distance of 10–15 mm from the wall, so you need to take into account that it will not be possible to place one of the pieces of furniture against the wall towards which the door will open.

Depending on how the interior will be decorated, the false panel that will cover the upper guide can be fixed only on the segment of door movement or from wall to wall, and sometimes a similar “border” is placed along the entire perimeter of the room. In the latter case, she will fulfill the role decorative element interior and will also serve as a disguise for curtain rods. The option of attaching a border along all the walls of the room is possible if the door guide is located high enough on the wall.

  • Hanging sliding cassette doors

This version of sliding doors can have a suspended structure or move along two guides. Its main difference from previous varieties is the location of the rails and canvas inside the doorway. That is, when the door moves along the guides, it will go into a niche built in the wall specially for this purpose.


If a similar design is chosen in a private house, it is usually provided for in advance, when constructing walls or partitions. Well, in an apartment such a niche is formed from a plasterboard structure, but in this case, you need to take into account that the size of the room will decrease by about 100÷120 mm.

The advantage of this option is a tighter fit of the end side of the door when closing it and the absence of an open gap between the wall and the leaf, which means that the sound insulation of the rooms will be an order of magnitude higher than in any other sliding structure.

In addition, by installing this type of door, you can free up the wall and the space in front of it, adding aesthetics and comfort to the interior.

However, considering all the alterations that will need to be made when installing cassette sliding doors, it is clear that total costs for their installation will be quite high, even if you do all the work yourself.

Cascade sliding structures

The cascade version of sliding doors is designed on the same principle as the traditional one, with upper and lower guides, but differs in that it consists of several panels, each of which moves on its own separate rail. Therefore, such a system can be moved apart in the form of a partition, dividing the room into two zones, or it can be assembled near one of the walls and cover the room only by the width of one panel.


Such systems are usually used as partitions, but they can also become a wall with a door if only one of the panels is moved. Such sliding structures are most often made from natural or polymer glass of different shades, and have a height from ceiling to floor, so the lower rails are built into the floor, and the upper ones are fixed to the ceiling.

Very often such systems are used to create glazed verandas or terraces - there is always the opportunity to turn the room into an open summer recreation area.

How can you rationally use a veranda or terrace?

Modern window and door designs allow full use of the premises of the house or outbuildings in winter time, and in the summer turn them into open cozy recreation areas. An example is, which is described in a special publication on our portal.

Sliding design - “accordion”

The accordion sliding system can serve as a partition or door. It consists of several canvases connected to each other by end loops.

Sliding folding door design - “accordion”

This is a rather complex design for self-made, and assembly is best carried out with the invitation of an experienced specialist.

The width of the door leaves can be different - it depends on the size of the opening and the free space that can be allocated for the structure when folded.

The accordion system can be installed in a standard or wide doorway, and also as a partition dividing a room into zones. When installing it to act as a partition, the guides are mounted on the floor and ceiling.

The characteristic disadvantages of this design include the almost complete absence of sound and heat insulation.

Radius sliding structures

Sliding radius systems add a special charm to the interior of any room, but to install them you will have to create a plasterboard semicircular wall. This type of structure can be used for installation in a doorway or serve as a full-fledged room partition, installed from ceiling to floor.

The radius version is mounted on the upper and lower guide, and can run on the outer or inside walls, and also be built into it, that is, the empty walls inside will become a cassette in which the door leaves will be hidden when they are opened.

Well made and correct installed structure This type can create sufficiently high sound and heat insulation. However, if there is no experience in installing a radius sliding door system and plasterboard structures, but there is a great desire to have such a decorative and functional element in the interior of your apartment, then it is better to entrust its installation to an experienced craftsman - self installation will be extremely difficult.

Manufacturing and installation of sliding doors on rollers

Materials for assembling a suspended door structure

The suspended structure is the most simple option for self-installation, therefore it is worth considering how all the work is carried out and what materials will be needed for it.

  • Depending on the size of the doorway, one or two door panels will be required. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the massiveness of the canvases, since this parameter will be used to select the fittings that should hold them suspended.

For a suspended structure, the canvas must have larger size, rather than a doorway.

  • The upper guide is a rail along which the door leaves will move using roller mechanisms attached to them. The length of the guide should be equal to twice the width of one or two door leaves.

The upper guide is a metal profile. It requires a beam of the same length
  • A wooden beam equal in length to the rail and having a cross-sectional size of at least 50×50 mm - the guide will be attached to it.
  • A set of rollers and fasteners, selected according to the weight and thickness of one or two blades.

  • High-quality boards or panels for framing a doorway - making a frame.
  • Three trims - two vertical and one horizontal, for the doorway, and a false panel that will cover the beam and guide fixed above the doorway.
  • If desired, it can be built into the design; it is installed to make closing the door leaf easier.
  • One or two sets of door handles.

  • Anchors for securing the timber to the wall.
  • Self-tapping screws.
  • Fastening elements for installing platbands and false panels.
  • Mounting polyurethane foam for filling gaps between the door frame and the wall.

The table below shows the dimensions of the sliding structure with one leaf and the corresponding dimensions of the doorways:

Length of embedded beam, mm
without framewith frame
600×2000540×1975565×1975704×20422047 1300
700×2000640×1975665×1975804×20422047 1500
800×2000740×1975765×1975904×20422047 1700
900×2000840×1975865×19751004×20422047 1900
600×2100540×2075565×2075704×21422147 1300
700×2100640×2075665×2075804×21422147 1500
800×2100740×2075765×2075904×21422147 1700
900×2100840×2075865×20751004×21422147 1900
600×2200540×2175565×2175704×22422247 1300
700×2200640×2175665×2175804×22422247 1500
800×2200740×2175765×2175904×22422247 1700
900×2200840×2175865×21751004×22422247 1900

And this table shows similar parameters, but for a double-leaf sliding door:

Sliding door size (width × height, mm)Doorway size (width × height, mm)External size door block with platbands (width × height, mm)Height of fastening of the embedded beam from the finished floor, mmLength of embedded beam, mm
without framewith frame
600+600×20001143×19751165×19751304×20422047 2500
700+700×20001343×19751365×19751504×20422047 2900
800+800×20001543×19751565×19751704×20422047 3300
900+900×20001743×19751765×19751904×20422047 3700
600+600×21001143×20751165×20751304×21422147 2500
700+700×21001343×20751365×20751504×21422147 2900
800+800×21001543×20751565×20751704×21422147 3300
900+900×21001743×20751765×20751904×21422147 3700
600+600×22001143×21751165×21751304×22422247 2500
700+700×22001343×21751365×21751504×22422247 2900
800+800×22001543×21751565×21751704×22422247 3300
900+900×22001743×21751765×21751904×22422247 3700

If you are not sure that the door leaf will be manufactured independently with the required quality, then it is better to purchase it from finished form, since doors manufactured at professional equipment, will look much more impressive.

Tools for work

Now about the tools, without which it will not be possible to make a door system and install it.


The list of minimum necessary items includes the following items:

  • Electric drill (hammer) with drills for wood and concrete.
  • Circular saw, electric jigsaw and hand saw.
  • Screwdriver.
  • Building level, plumb line, 1000 mm ruler, square, tape measure, folding meter.
  • Electric or regular plane.
  • Manual milling machine with a set of necessary cutters.
  • Hammer, chisel, pliers.

Manufacturing of door leaf

If the door will be made independently, then you need to know what it can be made from and what models of door panels can be used in this design.

Hanging doors can be solid, paneled or using artificial glass installed in a frame with varying amounts jumpers. A solid canvas can be made from solid boards, chipboard or well-treated wooden beams and plywood. It should be noted that all these materials are quite massive, therefore ready-made options hanging door panels are often made using high-quality plastic or metal, which is used as a frame for installing transparent synthetic glass inserts into it.


In any case, whether the doors are purchased ready-made or made independently, the parameters of the door leaf should be selected depending on the size of the doorway. The exact ratios of these sizes can be found in the tables above.

For example, for a doorway with one leaf measuring 865×2175 mm, with a frame installed in it, you will need a door having a size of 900×2200 mm, and when installing a double-leaf structure in an opening measuring 1765×2175 mm, the leafs must have a size of 900+900 ×2200 mm.

If a chipboard panel of the required size is purchased as a blank for a door, it can be made lighter by cutting out one or more windows in it, then process their edges with a router and install thin plywood or glass in them.

The manufacturing process of glazed or lightweight chipboard is performed as follows:

  • To begin with, the panel is marked. In this case, the condition must be observed that in any case it is necessary to retreat at least 150 mm from the edges. Thus, the frame of a door leaf made of chipboard should not be narrower than this size.
  • After marking, the internal parts of the panel are cut out with an electric jigsaw. In order to carry out this process, a hole is drilled in one of the corners of the marking, then a jigsaw blade is inserted into it, and the marked parts of the panel are carefully cut out.
  • Next, you need to properly process the inner edges resulting from cutting out the openings, otherwise they will look sloppy. This work can be done in two ways - process the edges with a router or refine it with a relief glazing bead. The bead is cut to the size of the windows, then glued or nailed along the entire perimeter on one side of the panel.

  • Next, glass or a plywood insert is cut to the size of the window and installed in it, pressing against the fixed bead. After this, the inserts on the other side are fixed with a second bead.
  • The end surfaces of the chipboard door leaf can be decorated with a special decorative thermal tape, which is glued using a regular iron.
  • If plywood inserts are installed in cut-out windows, they can be matched to the overall color before installation by painting, staining or laminating. The glazing beads should also have a color that matches all elements of the door structure.
  • Doors can also be made of timber different sizes in cross-section, but the thickness of the frame frame should not be more than 30 mm.

The timber for the manufacture of such a door leaf must be of high quality and well processed.


The timber from which the internal frame lintels will be made must have less or the same thickness as the frame. The size of the bead and the thickness of the panels that will be installed in the formed windows need to be thought out in advance, since the first one should not protrude outward relative to the surface of the entire door leaf.

It should be noted that making a frame door from timber is a more complex process, since all frame elements are fastened together with extreme precision and reliability, otherwise the finished door leaf may “lead”, that is, its frame will be deformed.


  • There are several methods for connecting timber, but the most popular are “half a tree” and “in the paw”. They are quite easy to cut, hold the structure well from deformation and reliably fasten the elements together.

It is better if the bars are fastened together not with metal screws, or even more so with nails, but with special wooden dowels, which are driven into holes drilled through to the required diameter in the nodes of the adhesive connection of the bars. For each of these door frame units, it is necessary to use two dowels installed diagonally.


  • In the lower end part of the leaf, across its entire width, a groove is milled for the flag roller or, as it is called differently, the lower door lock.

Installation of suspension system

When the door leaf is ready, you need to attach fittings to it - these are roller mechanisms, special locks or handles that are different from those installed in conventional swing structures. In any sliding doors, the handles are recessed into the door leaf, as they should not interfere with its movement.

  • The first step is to mark the location of the handle on both sides of the door leaf. It should be located at a distance of 35÷50 mm from the vertical edge of the panel.
  • After this, the width of the nest and its height are marked from the marked line. Next, from the top marking point, a distance equal to half the width of the future hole is measured - this point will be the center of the circle, which is drilled using a core drill of the required diameter.

  • The same process is carried out on the bottom side of the marked socket for the handle. You should get two blind recesses, having a depth to which the handle will be recessed into the canvas.
  • Then, the wood between the two round holes marked by the crowns is selected using a router or a chisel and hammer.
  • Handles in sliding structures are fixed in cut-out parts using glue, for example, “liquid nails,” or snapped onto special fasteners that are pre-screwed into the resulting opening.
  • The next step on the upper end side of the door leaf is to mark and secure the roller mechanisms using self-tapping screws. Most likely, you will have to use a router (chisel) to select shaped grooves for them.
  • The rollers must be fixed at a certain distance from the edges of the door leaf. This parameter is indicated in the instructions included with the metal fittings kit.
  • Now you can put the finished door aside for now and start upgrading it, of course, if the door frame is not already installed in it.
  • Assembling and installing a frame for sliding doors is much easier than for swinging structures, since it consists of three absolutely even elements - two vertical and one horizontal boards (panels), fastened together using long self-tapping screws.

The box can be made from solid board or chipboard - this factor does not play a big role in this case, since no load falls on the mounted structure. Its only purpose is to give the doorway a neat and aesthetic appearance.


  • The fastened frame is installed in the doorway and wedged with wooden spacers, which are driven between its panels and the wall to achieve ideal vertical and horizontal walls.

The position of the box panels is controlled using a building level and a plumb line. When the structure is installed perfectly accurately, it is fixed to the walls. This can be done by drilling through holes in the boards of the box or by screwing metal plates to end sides boards and to the wall.

  • Next, a metal guide for the rollers is attached to the prepared beam, a length equal to twice the width of the door leaf, using self-tapping screws.
  • Holes are pre-drilled in the timber through which it will be fixed to the wall.
  • After this, roller mechanisms mounted on the door are inserted into the guide rail.

  • The entire structure is placed against the doorway, leveled, if necessary, temporarily supported with wooden wedges, and then the beam is “tightly” screwed to the wall.
  • Next, the door is moved to one side and the other of the guide to determine the places at the beginning and end of the rail where the travel stops or door stops will be attached. Stoppers in different models doors can have different designs.

  • The next step is in front of the open door, in the lower end part, in the cut-out groove, a flag roller is installed and screwed to the floor. It should be perfectly level under the top guide rail.

This lower stopper prevents the door leaf from moving to the side, that is, does not allow it to oscillate transversely.


  • Next, the gaps between the wall and the door frame boards are filled with polyurethane foam. After it dries, the excess that appears is cut off.
  • Then the beam and guide rail are decorated with a false panel, and the gaps between the door frame and the wall are decorated with platbands.

In the case considered, the installation of the simplest sliding suspended structure, uncomplicated by unnecessary elements, was presented. Therefore, the installation of such a system seems quite accessible to self-execution by any home craftsman, of course, subject to taking into account all the nuances and following technological recommendations.

Video: Another example of installing a suspended roller door structure

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Most consumers, when choosing interior doors, strive to combine aesthetics and functionality, affordable cost and low space requirements in these designs. These are the characteristics of doors on rollers. Such structures can be moved to the side in a vertical plane, saving as much space as possible in the room when opened.

Advantages and disadvantages of the sliding system

The design of interior doors on rollers is quite simple. During the opening process, the door leaf moves parallel to the partition along a special guide. There can be two of them - one at the top, the other at the bottom. In addition, there are models whose design includes only the upper guide. At the same time, sliding doors are divided into single-leaf and double-leaf. These interior structures on casters move along guides thanks to wheel hangers.

The advantages of doors of this type are obvious. Among them are saving space indoors. When opening the door leaf does not require additional space. This means that there is no need to provide additional free space near the door leaf. Another advantage of such doors is the possibility of installation directly in the doorway, above the opening and on the ceiling. The door frame in such designs is absent as unnecessary. It would be appropriate to say that installation and fixation in the ideally correct position is the most important and difficult stage in the installation of sliding doors.

Another advantage of such structures is the absence of a threshold when using suspended roller systems. With this configuration, the presence of a bottom guide becomes unnecessary, which makes it possible not to expose the floor covering to additional stress. It is also worth emphasizing that from an aesthetic point of view, sliding doors look more elegant than their swing counterparts.

At the same time, thanks to the wide range of materials used, choose sliding structure Can be used for any interior. In addition, it should be noted that such doors open and close almost silently, while eliminating strong blows about partitions. Such features increase the service life of sliding doors relative to swing structures.

Among the disadvantages of doors on rollers, we can highlight lower sound and thermal insulation rates than swing structures. In addition, the opening flap or flaps take up additional space at the opening, which should be taken into account when choosing and arranging furniture.

Interior doors in the interior

Sliding doors on rollers can be manufactured in different versions, which has its own significance for the interior of the premises in which they are used. If we are talking about performance, when the door is installed on doorway, then in such cases the structure is fixed with outside premises. In this case it should Special attention pay attention to the design of the doorway on the opposite side.

In addition, there are cassette interior doors, which also move on rollers, as in the photo below. This design has a kind of metal pencil case that is hidden inside the wall. When opening this interior design one or two doors are hidden in a false wall.

On this moment There are two ways to attach sliding doors. The first option is a hinged system that moves only along the bottom guide. In this case, the function of the upper guide is to support the sash in a strictly vertical position. These doors on rollers are the most common option.

In the second option, the hanging panels move only along the upper guide, and the lower rail is completely absent from the structure. It would be helpful to note that the soundproofing characteristics of a hanging sliding door on rollers are lower than those of a hinged system. This is due to the presence of an additional gap between the floor covering and the door leaf, which is clearly visible in the photos of such installed models.

Materials and design

In the manufacture of sliding doors, the same materials are often used as in the production of swing doors. Doors made from solid wood of various types and natural veneer are very popular. It is safe to say that these materials are the most popular in the manufacture of sliding doors. This is not surprising, because only natural wood can give the interior of a room a unique aura of comfort and nobility, which is an integral attribute classic solutions.

In addition, sliding doors made of MDF panels have become widespread. Also used for decoration glass elements. In this case, the glass itself is used different shapes and textures. It can be frosted glass, painting, silk-screen printing. With the help of such inserts you can get very original solutions for sliding interior doors. For example, wooden doors with soft pattern on glass will fit perfectly into Mediterranean-style interiors.

For design solutions Techno, hi-tech or minimalism are suitable for roller interior glass doors. Moreover, such doors can be frame or solid. Along with the listed materials, fabric and leather or glass are often used, processed in a special way. In addition, often the use artificial stone. In most cases, for such non-standard solutions, preference is given to aluminum or steel frames.

DIY installation

The main and, perhaps, the only requirement for the installation location of doors on rollers is the presence smooth walls, along which the opening and closing partitions will move. If the design provides for a lower guide, then it is fixed to the floor covering. The length of this element is chosen equal to two widths of the door leaf and plus 50 mm on one side of the opening.

A roller system, necessary for the operation of this type of sliding door, is mounted on the door leaf, and the door itself is fixed in the lower guide. After this, it is necessary to make markings to secure the upper guide. For correct and reliable installation for the top guide, use a wooden beam with cross section 40 x 40 mm. After fixing it on the beam, it, together with the profile, is fixed on the wall according to the previously made markings. Then you should install clamps that will limit the free movement of the sashes.

At the next stage of installing doors on rollers with your own hands, the doors are inserted into the upper guide and raised so that their lower part can be inserted into the lower guide. Now, using the adjustment screws, you need to adjust the position of the sashes (or sash). The position of these elements must be vertical and checked using a building level. At this point, the installation of interior doors on rollers can be considered complete.

Care and operation

In order for sliding doors to last a long time, they must be looked after and followed by several key rules for their operation. Firstly, you should avoid getting it on the door leaf. excess moisture. Otherwise, the structure may fail. This recommendation concerns, first of all, wooden canvases. Secondly, it is necessary to regularly monitor the condition of the guides. It is not allowed to operate doors on rollers if there is debris in the rails. This can lead to difficulty in closing and opening the door leaf, as well as premature failure of the system.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that technically competent installation of sliding interior doors on rollers, proper care behind the structure and timely replacement of fittings can guarantee long-term operation of the entire structure.

The doors should be closed smoothly and without significant effort. This will extend the life of the roller mechanisms. In the worst case, when the door is opened strongly and vigorously, the latch may fly off, which will lead to the door “flying out” of the guides. In addition, it is recommended to periodically check the condition and functionality of the fittings. It will be much cheaper and faster to change the roller mechanisms in a timely manner than to later change or repair the guides. It would be helpful to note that when maintaining and cleaning roller systems, it is better to use specialized cleaning products. Then the doors on rollers will last longer and retain their attractive appearance.

An undeniable advantage due to which the installation of a sliding door system, this is a quick and fairly simple installation. This is due to the fact that retractable doors on rollers do not require hinges, a door frame or troublesome installation. In general, if you read about this type of door in more detail, then it is quite possible to find many advantages, thanks to which they will ultimately be preferred. Below is how to make sliding doors yourself and how easy it is to turn old swing systems into a room into the most suitable sliding doors for use.

Before you visit a specialized salon and buy everything you need to make the doors yourself, you should take a construction tape and take a series of measurements. You will need to find out the exact width and height of the existing wood panel (the height, usually according to the standard, will be 2 m, and the width can be 60-80 cm). Once you figure out these parameters, you can easily find everything you need.

More specifically, in order to assemble and install the door structure, you need to purchase the following:

  1. The main device, without which operation is impossible, is the sliding mechanism. In principle, if the width of the blade is known, a specialist will be able to suggest a suitable mechanism, but it will not be superfluous to know that the length of the device should be 2 times greater than the blade. The design could be a little longer (the mechanism can be trimmed).
  2. Accessories for sliding door structures.
  3. A lock of a special design, if it needs to be installed.

In general, these elements are already enough to remake the old one. swing door, and make unusual sliding canvases for the kitchen, bathroom or other room. However, it is clear that you need to do it correctly, as the instructions suggest.

In addition, you need to think about the design of a new door frame (it will need a rail with a width equal to the thickness of the partition in the doorway), a trim, a strip, and a thrust rail, if the interior door structure is intended to be locked. And, naturally, you will need a new wood panel - only in this case will it be possible to install an aesthetic doorway.

You can select and purchase everything, both on the construction market and in large specialized shopping centers. The cost of building materials is affordable - at least lower than spending on new hinged swing doors.

Tips: how to make sliding doors with your own hands

The production of sliding door door leaf must be carried out according to technology. You need to prepare a drawing, as well as a milling machine, an angle grinder, an electric drill, a hammer and a chisel.

So, the preparatory stage before mounting the canvas will be like this:

  1. A groove must be cut from the bottom of the end part of the door leaf, exactly in the central area. Its width should be 3 mm - it is needed for the operation of the guides from below, which act as a stop and prevent the canvas from loosening to the front and back during operation. This work can be done correctly using a hand router, but if you don’t have one, a grinder will do. For an angle grinder, you need to use a special wood circle with fine teeth.
  2. Next, you need to print out the sliding roller mechanism for future sliding doors, and prepare a couple of rollers and brackets. The first step is to connect the rollers with the brackets along the guide. To do this, there are holes on the brackets in which the rollers are attached, with 2 nuts and washers. Next, the nodes must be arranged at the end located on the top of the door leaf and traced around them. Then you should select a groove depth that is equal to the thickness of the metal of the brackets. And then, using a screwdriver and fasteners, you need to screw the rollers to the canvas. It is quite possible to do without inserting staples into the end - if you perform a simple fastening to the end, the aesthetics of the door structure will suffer less than if grooves are cut.
  3. Next you need to install a lock. Installing a lock on an interior door is done according to the instructions. The scheme is not complicated. A sliding door on rails may not have a lock.
  4. The next step is to install the fittings, without which the sliding door cannot be considered complete. For the handles, you need to cut 2 grooves on both sides of the door, or 1 through hole. The second option is easier - you need to drill a through hole in a medium-sized door, insert a jigsaw into it and cut out appropriate place, in accordance with a pre-defined contour.

Naturally, it’s up to the master to decide what homemade lightweight doors will be used to make, but it’s worth adding that using a hand router, all the work can be done more accurately. The work with the canvas is completed, now you can proceed to the sliding mechanism and installation of sliding doors.

Convenient doors on rollers

Hanging the sliding mechanism is not difficult - all that is necessary is to strengthen the guide profile into the wall according to the horizon level and the location of the door opening. It is possible to highlight just a few important points here.

Namely:

  1. The edge of the guide should extend beyond the limits by 5 cm (from the side where the blade will extend), the profile should fit exactly along the width of the blade. This nuance must be calculated and the guide trimmed if necessary.
  2. Mounting height of the sliding mechanism - calculations will also be needed here. The size consists of 2 values ​​- this is the height of the door leaf together with the rollers plus the gap under the door structure, which is 1-2 cm (it all depends on the evenness of the floor surface).
  3. The installation of a regular door on wheels (rollers), or rather the distance of the guide from the vertical surface, is not difficult.

In the last point, again, you need to take into account the curvature of the walls - if they are smooth, then the guide can be easily installed directly on the wall through holes previously made in it. If the vertical surface is not level, then you may need to move the guide from it a few millimeters - in this case, the first step is to strengthen the rail to the wall, and then fix the guide to it.

The doors need to be placed on a guide; this is not difficult, since the rollers can be wound from the side.

As soon as the door leaf is positioned correctly, you need to attach a stop to the floor, for which a long groove is selected at the bottom of the door. Next, you need to open the door as much as possible so that they don’t fly out. Next, from the inside of the guide onto the metal fastener, the first thing you need to do is attach a rubber cushion, this is a limiter, and then you need to insert the stop halfway into the groove from below, and secure it to the floor with dowels on one side. Then the door must be moved towards closing, its correct position must be selected and the travel stop must be secured again at the top, and then the floor stop must be secured with 2 more dowels.

Compact sliding door

Standard sliding door designs are presented on the market as a product that fits into the door opening. The doors in this case are not hinged, but slide to the side and are fixed near the wall. Sliding doors Standard come in 2 main types: single-leaf, double-leaf. 1-leaf suitable for small rooms with small doorways.

If you want to install a door between two small rooms and a hallway, where square footage matters, then single-leaf sliding systems are an excellent solution.

2-leaf – perfect option for spacious rooms with free doorways. Thanks to this system, you can independently adjust the size of the door opening. Types of interior doors, which, by the way, can be made not only from wood, but also from plexiglass, plastic, and polycarbonate, are presented in different models on the market.

Namely:

  1. The radius system moves apart not in a straight line, but in a circle, reminiscent of the doors of a modern corner cabinet, dressing room. This solution will fit into the original layout of the room, which has round or curved vertical surfaces. The systems will ideally cope with the role of a false partition, with which you can zone the space. This will be especially appropriate when decorating the interior in modern style directions.
  2. Accordions or folding systems are a structure of several narrow canvases that do not move apart, but are superimposed on one another. The advantage of an accordion lies in the fact that the width of the doorway can in this case be either very small or quite large, it does not matter.
  3. Sliding sliding doors differ from conventional ones in that the system occupies not only the door area, but the entire wall. On the one hand, depending on the materials used, this makes it possible to divide the room into 2 separate functional areas, and on the other hand, to create an individual place for each relative living in a studio apartment or 1-room apartment.

Also on the market you can find cascading ( suspended structure) doors. Suitable for use in small rooms, they open upwards. The frame of this design can be made of plywood.

Modern hinged doors: advantages

Hinged sliding doors open using a special mechanism (rails), which is located along the vertical surface, which, in turn, makes it possible to organically use the space in the room to the maximum, arranging interior items almost anywhere, without thinking about the doorway. Due to the fact that there is no rail at the bottom, hinged sliding doors eliminate the inconvenience of stepping over the threshold.

The advantages of the design are as follows:

  • Saving precious meters;
  • No effort when opening doors;
  • Doors do not slam or become deformed due to a draft;
  • Easy maintenance, simplicity and comfort, unpretentiousness in terms of use, no need for frequent repairs;
  • Installing an automatic door opening system makes the operation process easier.

There are wrought iron barn retractable doors on the market today that can have Japanese or classic elements as desired, as well as a few wrought iron parts. It is beautiful and fashionable, suitable for terrace decoration.

Choosing retractable doors: some practical tips

Professionals recommend paying attention to some other points. It is important to install the fittings and strips (decor) that disguise the sliding mechanism carefully and correctly. When choosing a system, you need to take a closer look at the length of the guide, which should be at least 2 times longer than the blade itself.

If the size is smaller, the door will slide off or not open all the way. And if the size is very large, you will have to spend more money. You also need to pay attention to the distance of the canvas from the wall. The slightest gap can cause the wallpaper or enamel to peel off. This problem can be solved by using a lining.

How to make sliding doors with your own hands (video)

Put sliding system not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is important to follow the technology and take into account all the subtleties of installation.