Sometimes it is interesting to make a change to the system of a door. Whether for simple aesthetics or necessity, converting a folding door into a sliding door is a project that we can do at home.
For the change some tools are necessary, but the process can be carried out in any home. Let’s go over the different options and see step by step how to do the conversion.
Advantages of changing a hinged door for a sliding door
Making this change has a number of very interesting advantages. Let’s go over them.
- You gain space: a sliding door does not need to interfere with the space of the room. The system is perfect to be able to open or close the door without running into any furniture.
- Improvement of the decoration: the folding doors are those that are always used in homes, so a change to sliding door will mean an improvement in the decoration of the home.
- Great utility in double doors: when the access to a room is through a double door, it will improve by changing it for folding. The system and decoration are more interesting.
- Possibility to keep the door open constantly: forget about slamming doors because of drafts. With sliding doors it is very comfortable to leave free access without the complications of folding doors.
- Option to reuse the door: a very interesting aspect is that you do not need to buy a new door. You can reuse the hinged door, so the expense is minimal.
Types of sliding doors
There are different types of sliding doors. Each one has its peculiarities, so it is convenient to know each of them.
- Recessed doors: when the sliding door slides it is inside the wall.
- Exterior doors with guide: The door will be found hanging from a guide that is placed on top of the wall. When moving it will be visible next to the hole.
- Folding doors: it is a somewhat different version, since the door folds in on itself. In this case you can not recycle the old door, as a special design is needed.
The advantage of the built-in door is that you can use the same door you had before. The size of the gap will be perfectly covered. In addition, it provides better results in terms of sound insulation.
On the other hand, the exterior door with guide needs a small modification of the frame to cover the possible gaps that remain. When going outside it is easier for there to be a slit. The biggest advantage of this system is that it is easier and faster to implement.
Steps to change the normal door for another sliding door
Let’s go over the process to change the normal door. The new door that we are going to place will be the exterior model with guide, since it is the simplest to make. They are also known as barn doors.
1. Remove the door and frame
First you must remove the door and the frame completely. Since we need a smaller hole to be able to reuse the door we will have to fill it.
To do this you must use the plackets. The good thing about this is that you can hold them simply with an adhesive. On this element we are not going to place anything of weight, it will be a visual finish.
2. Prepare the door
You have to transform the hinged door into a sliding door. To do this, the first thing will be to remove all the elements that are not necessary: hinges, locks, knobs …
Remove all the pieces and fill the gaps with some dough or a mixture of white glue and sawdust. Once this is done, you must sand the entire surface and apply a few layers of paint and varnish.
You already have the wooden door: now you have to make it functional. First you must look for a handlebar to be able to move the door and place it at the same height as the old one.
To make it slide you will have to install a sliding door kit. In them come two fasteners with bearings to hang the door of the bar. You will have to screw them on top of the door. When you have it you can move on to the last point.
3. Place the bar on the wall
Choose which side you want the door to be on and install the bar over the gap. You will need a bar twice as long as the width of the door so that it can be totally over the gap or totally displaced.
Set the bar to the exact height so that the door does not rub against the floor. You will have to pay close attention to the leveling, because if it is inclined the door will move by its own weight.
When you have it you can hang the sliding door.
As you can see it is a project that will take some time but does not have many complications. The result is very interesting, since you will give a different look to your home.