Sliding Closet Doors – Choose the Right Doors For Your Home
Building closets is a multi-million dollar industry. Homeowners spend hours combing through magazines, catalogs, and websites to find the perfect closet designs for their house. But those sliding closet doors are often overlooked.
Don’t make the mistake of ignoring your closet doors in your home improvement project. Spending time and money on a perfect closet makes little sense if the doors are dated and impractical.
As you consider whether to update your closet doors, there are several questions you should ask yourself. The first is whether you currently have the right style of door in your closet.
Depending on the size of the closet, you may find that a different type of door works best. You should also consider your door’s color as well as whether you prefer wood, vinyl, or a different material.
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Finally, there are many decorative options that you can consider depending on the door type.
To get your closet project underway, the first step is to take some time to consider the type of doors you want to use for your new, organized closets.
Most closets use one of four types of doors: swinging, bifold, sliding, or accordion. Each type of closet door has its benefits and its unique uses. A swinging door is the basic panel door that you open outward for access into your closet.
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A bedroom or closet door replacement averages $100 to $300 in labor with door costs typically range from $50 to $500. High-end wood French doors can cost $4,500 or more. Interior doors serve a variety of important purposes including room division, privacy, noise reduction and even fire safety.
The price of a bi-fold door can vary depending on material and size but because of the way they operate, there is more complex manufacturing involved when compared to other types of doors, which adds extra costs.
Cost is roughly the same unless the doors get big. If they get really big, sliding doors in few panes become significantly more expensive because big single units of glass are very expensive.
Sliding Closet Doors Choose the Right Doors For Your Home
While a versatile door, it can also take up a lot of space when open, making it fairly unpopular except when used in rooms that have large spaces to allow for the opening doors.
Bifold closet doors are actually two narrow doors that are hinged together. When open, they fold against each other. Although space-saving, they commonly are made with lower quality materials and are prone to warping.
Accordion doors have fallen out of favor and for good reason. When open, these doors fold up like a fan or an accordion.
To create the flexibility needed for the door to open in this way, flimsy materials are generally used which make accordion doors unattractive and easily broken.
Of all your choices, sliding closet doors are the most popular. They are also the most expensive, but most homeowners agree that they are well worth the money.
If you are planning to invest in custom closets, it only makes sense to spend the extra money for high-quality, attractive closet doors as well.
Sliding doors move on a track that is fitted into the wall that allows you to have easy access to the entire closet without the need for a large room to open a door outward.
For many homeowners, ease of access to the items inside the closet as well as attractive appearance is a primary consideration in selecting a closet door, making the sliding doors a very popular choice in custom closet design.
After you have selected the type of closet doors that are best suited to your budget, style, and needs, whether you choose bifold doors, sliding closet doors or another type, you need to decide on the color.
Sliding Closet Doors Choose the Right Doors For Your Home 2021
This is also a good time to consider your door material options. If you would like colored doors that either match or contrast with your room, you may want to select wood that can be painted.
Vinyl doors are also available in a variety of colors but you are generally locked into that color for the life of the door. Paneled doors can have fabric or stenciling on the panels while other homeowners preferred mirrored doors to make their room look lighter and bigger.
Whatever you decide for your doors, don’t make it an afterthought in your closet system design. Quality sliding doors can create a whole new look and feel to your room.
In addition, after you have spent the money to redo the interior of your closet, you want to be able to easily access it.
The right doors can make all the difference between a boring closet and one that makes you excited to get ready each and every morning.
No matter where you are in your custom closet organizers, it is never too late to start thinking about updating your doors.
For more information on how to make the right choice for your home, visit sliding closet doors. You can check out the different options and compare your choices. Never have a boring closet again!
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The average closet door has a width of 30 inches and a height of 96 inches, though sizes can vary widely. Bi-fold doors are common closet door types, which have two panels for a single door and four panels for double doors.
But, if we talk about one standard size, then the width of the door can be anywhere between 24 inches, 28 inches up to 32 inches. The height of the door is 80 inches usually. So that even a person with a tall height can pass through easily without having to stoop.
Whether you’re renting a place or you’ve bought your home, perhaps you’ve come across sliding–mirror closet doors. In fact, often this feature is seen as outdated–a holdover from the glory days of ’80s design.
In the real estate world, a space can be considered a bedroom if it has a door that can be closed, a window, and a closet. The closet requirement is not covered in the IRC and is instead a bedroom feature more related to comfort and livability than safety.
Sliding Closet Doors Versus Bi-Fold Closet Doors
Choosing the right door for your closet will depend on the type of closet you have. In many cases, you may find that you do not want a closet door at all. There are lots of closet ideas that will help you choose the right door.
In terms of built-in closets located in a home or business, you have two basic choices. These include a walk-in or a reach-in design. If you have a standard walk-in closet you have a lot more door options compared to the reach-in closet.
Walk-in closets by their design require more space and are in general U-shaped giving you more door options. In some cases, a walk-in closet may not even have a door as part of their design.
A standard interior door may be used as a walk indoors. Classic mirror closet doors are frequently used to increase the functionality of the closet door.
Reach in closets is probably the most commonly used storage design in home construction. More or less obviously the “reach-in” design got its name from the fact that one stands outside of the closet and reaches in to insert or remove items without physically entering.
In most cases, the reach-in design is used where space is a concern. In most cases, they are 3 to 10 feet wide and average 30 inches in dept. Considered by many builders and architects to be very efficient was to maximize storage space.
Selecting the best door depends on the size of the closet.
Long closets are best suited to sliding closet doors as opposed to bi-fold closet doors. Wide sliding doors allow you to have access to about ½ the length of the closet and give good access to the ends of the closet.
In addition, if you are interested in mirror closet doors the sliding design will facilitate their installation. In addition, large mirror surfaces will give the room a more open appearance.
bi-fold closet doors allow you to have better access to the center of your closet. They are in general lighter and frequently design to will washboard slat openings that allow air exchange in and out of the storage space.
One disadvantage of the bi-fold door is that when it is open the hinged portion extends out into the room. This can in some circumstances interfere with the placement of furniture or beds.
Both designs require the installation of top and bottom tracks to hold and guide the doors as they move. The type of bottom track installed is important if you are installing carpet within your closet.
Some designs have only a center bottom guide track that is relatively short thereby allowing you to use your vacuum cleaner within the storage space.
In general, we favor sliding closet doors as opposed to bi-fold closet doors. They allow more access to the storage area and allow mirrors to be installed on the doors. bi-fold door operation requires space for the hinged portion of the door to project out in the room when opened.
Bi-Fold Closet Door Design Selection Tips
Bi-fold closet doors dress up your closet space with fine lines, unique configurations, and ea of use unlike any other replacement door you may be considering.
Interior designers always make them an integral part of remodeling because they know that with the right door hardware and a small investment they can easily fit them into the makeover budget.
Homeowners have picked up on this trend not only because it is inexpensive, but also because the average person will have great success designing a new wardrobe replacement for those old worn outdoors.
It really doesn’t matter whether you are tackling a large walk-in closet space or just trying to spruce up the average room for arriving guests.
If you’re stuck in a non-creative mode, just visiting showrooms or online company displays will get you on the right track and before long your creative juices will be flowing with all the possibilities.
The creative side of you will marvel when you discover the functional aspects and budget-conscious inspirations you’ll have that transform a room from a boorish area to a centerpiece of visual appeal.
The simple way to make any room shine, multi-fold closet doors are a fashionable trend in the U.S. and many other countries where the home has taken center stage to lifestyle.
The design options are nearly endless when you consider the many door track and hardware accessories you can combine with materials that come in acrylics, wood, metal, molded inlays, and other features that bespeak luxury in the simplest designs.
Sliding Closet Doors Choose the Right Doors
For a more sophisticated home, you can add to the design mix mirrors that reflect the inside of the room or bring light into areas once unusable. The architectural designs, the framing, and tin etchings are so easy to install that you won’t believe the results yourself.
Pre-assembled kits are available with pre-drilled holes, and standard fits for easy replacement and custom designs that are commonly sold today even though the market is more tuned to the standard configuration.
Getting that sleek look is readily available as manufactures have realized that home improvement can be done in stages if the right products are available for the do-it-yourself remodeler.
When you stop and think, closet doors are probably the most used door in the home. Casual viewing of personal items is never a desire when guests arrive.
We want these items readily available, but not open to public view. This may include items such as clothes, shoes, linen, toys, exercise equipment, and a host of other things common to the home.
The once-forgotten closet door has evolved to become a part of the overall home decor. We want them to reflect the beauty of our home, create a mood within a room, and represent a piece of part of our personality just like the rest of the house.
As you review the multi-hardware kit options, systems, pulls, and sets available consider the following:
- Size should be the first consideration. Depending on your skills this can destroy the DIY project faster than anything else. Ideally, you want the same size replacement.
- It is easy to replace a few panels that are pre-measured and are basically remove and drop in. However, if the closet is walls length then you’ll need to take a few extra steps with cascading tri-folding doors, so everything lines up properly when the job is completed.
- As in real estate location is also important. A multi-fold door in an adult space would have different features than one placed in the children’s room or recreation area. So take into account safety, height, and hardware before deciding on a design.
- The next most important consideration would be what you plan to store in the space. Will the door be continuously opened and closed or will it be used occasionally? Whichever the case take this into consideration.
These four questions are a good start point. However, you’ll also want to learn how these doors operate.
Multi-fold doors are installed as panels. The materials are the same in all panels. Their interlocking nature is configured by hinging them together.
This allows them to operate like an accordion at the long edges. The louvers require near precise alignment when assembled. It’s a simple operation, but can be handy if you can visualize it before installing the doors yourself.
They stack against each other via door passing over door to neatly come together in a corner of the space. This allows them to fit better in smaller spaces than typical sliding closet doors.
The main advantages of these doors are they allow full view of the closet insides when they are opened fully. No more sliding doors from side to side to gain entrance into one side of the closet, only to realize that what you are looking for is on the other side.
And the middle part of the closet is almost inaccessible. Bi-fold closet doors solve this problem since you now have a full view of the closet just by pulling open one panel.
You can strategically place furniture in and around the doors since they don’t swing out and crowd the space. In urban areas, apartments, and smaller homes this is a big advantage and utilizes the space more efficiently.
Overall, these doors look great even when open. So you get to enjoy the aesthetics, functionality, and ease of use as these doors bring a fresh perspective to space.
Sliding Closet Doors Designs
The Japanese may actually be the first people to use what we refer to today as sliding closet doors. These doors essentially follow the commonly accepted definition of a door that moves sideways or in an up and down motion.
They still serve the same purpose as they did then, to manage space, provide ease of use, and highlight or disguise internal or external features of a structure.
The horizontal doors used on closet sliding doors move along a track mounted overhead and a floor guide for stability.
To manage the smooth movement they’ll have cushions and buffers on the ends to prevent damaging adjacent construction to ensure a smooth gliding motion when operated.
Closet sliding doors of the vertical variety are seated in a groove, much like dresser drawers to ensure they glide in one direction.
Once relegated to bedrooms, the versatility and creative use of sliding closet doors have found their way into many uses. Some include beautification of the exterior of homes, interior room dividers, decorative storage areas, and even garages.
The variety of finishes, colors, and configurations of closet sliding doors makes them even more useful when you consider the finishes and materials that are available for nearly every application imaginable.
Glass is one of the most popular materials used today because of its availability, versatility, ease of use, and cost. Simply panes of glass are often used as the sole material in some designs because it can be used safely and provides many of the aesthetic features that lend well to design. Glass can also be used for sliding closet doors that include some sort of mechanization inherent to the design.
Some of these applications found in modern construction include:
- Closet sliding doors consisting of glass panes, with different degrees of opacity for partition walls
- Automatic sliding closet door designs used as entry and exits for high traffic areas such as malls and hospitals where the hands are not always free
- Revolving circular doors which are merely sliding closet doors designed to permit hands-free entrance used at airports
- Composites such as aluminum, PVC, and wood used to create eye-catching designs for external entrances
- Kitchen options for commercial refrigerators and freezers where speed and accessibility are the key design features.
On a more practical level, most homeowners want to control light, dark, and other features while extending the living space.
Additionally, a homeowner may use sliding closet doors with mirrors to make the inside a room appear larger or create perceptions to control the ambiance of the space.
Closet door manufactures are becoming more in tune with the desires of the homeowner.
Glass closet sliding doors can be controlled with top-mounted hardware to help the user control track and hardware problems that seem to be a major concern with floor track-mounted systems.
The building industry has embraced this concept to the point that entire home designs are built around these concepts.
Homes today have a variety of materials used throughout. Manufacturers recognize this and have expanded options to include materials that fit nearly any placement.
Some of the more popular materials today include wood, metals, aluminum, vinyl, iron resins, and man-made surfaced materials.
- However, the challenge many homeowners have today comes down to which closet sliding door will best serve their purpose. Here are some rules of thumb to consider when selecting your sliding closet door. Victorian style closet sliding doors are best used when there is an existing style to the home. Contrasting styles is not very appealing.
- Stucco and masonry style homes can be defined by sliding doors. They are more open to installing contemporary style doors to help give the home a unique look or feel.
- Mediterranean style sliding closet doors work well in and on homes whose exteriors are constructed using stucco. The covered porch entrance would be well suited to this application.
- Farmhouses and ranch homes might benefit from a more country style of closet sliding door design. Traditional styles work well also.
The bottom line is knowing the type of home, room, patio, or porch you have will enable you to narrow the choices and choose the perfect door system.
You’ll also need to consider the climate where the doors will be installed. This will dictate material selection, how the door is hung, and the style suitable for that particular application.
Interiors of our homes are always susceptible to unwanted, heat or cold, or other weather that we prefer to control. With the choices available, you can easily match the windows, shutters, and exterior doors to achieve those objectives.
Closet sliding door systems can provide the consistent house design you are looking for. Security is built into the door designs as is usability, heat insulation materials, durability, and soundproofing.
When deciding which options to select, keep these criteria and you’ll successfully choose the right door for your design.
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Conclusion:
A door on every closet is a must unless you don’t care about wearing dirty clothes or, dusting off everything you take off the shelves!
I don’t like sliding and folding doors, because their mechanisms are too unreliable. And I don’t like thick heavy closet doors, because they’re excessive and a waste of space.
The combined width of the doors should equal the width of the opening plus at least 1 inch. This provides a 1/2 inch of overlap between the two doors when they are closed.
Plain or mirrored sliding closet doors in steel (less expensive) or aluminum can cost $50-$200, depending on size and style. For example, at Home Depot the Econoline 59″x80″ Painted Steel Aztec Gold Mirror Bypass Doors cost $97.
Solid core doors are heavier than solid wood doors so are the best choice for sound reduction for an inside door. They are also cheaper than solid wood doors but not cheaper than hollow doors but if sound reduction is what you’re after solid core doors are worth the money.
Pocket doors are making a comeback and their defining characteristics make them an ideal choice for bathrooms.
Because they don’t swing open but rather slide into the wall when opened, pocket doors allow you to save floor space in the bathroom, making more room for other functional features.
Contrary to popular belief, a room does not need a closet to be considered a bedroom. Closets are commonly found in bedrooms, especially in newer homes, but they aren’t legally mandated for a room to be a “bedroom.”
Sliding door prices range from $10 to $50 per square foot. You’ll pay more for high-end brands or large sizes with multiple panes.
The combined width of the doors should equal the width of the opening plus at least 1 inch. This provides 1/2 inch of overlap between the two doors when they are closed.
SlidiSliding Closet Doors – Choose the Right Doors For Your Home
